Jericho Sims put Cristo Rey Jesuit on the Minnesota basketball map during the 2016-17 season. The 6-9 senior with a muscular frame and springs in his sneakers led the Pumas to a 20-win season and had some observers believing the team had a chance to derail powerful Minneapolis North in the Class 1A, Section 4 semifinals.
North won that game 88-45, Sims moved on to the University of Texas and there was a feeling that the Pumas might fade back into anonymity without their charismatic star.
But the thing is, Sims never really left. Now a junior averaging nine points a game for the Longhorns, Sims remains a big part of the Pumas' program, in both body and spirit. And Cristo Rey Jesuit, which now competes in Class 2A, Section 4, continues to maintain a visible space on the state's basketball landscape and, as coach Stanley Clay says, "grow our brand."
Current Pumas (3-4, 0-0) stars James Sommer, Erick and Derek Burgess were young players during Sims' last season at Cristo Rey Jesuit. Sims continues to lend his support and advice to his former teammates.
Clay said Sommer, who is on pace to break Sims' school career scoring record of 2,005 points, has emulated Sims' leadership and constant effort to improve.
Sommer, who averaged nearly 24 points a game as a junior, averages 20.6 points, 4.7 rebounds and 2.6 steals per game this season. Erick Burgess adds 14.3 points and six rebounds a game, and Derek Burgess contributes an average of 11.4 points and 5.7 rebounds.
Their goals this season include reaching the state tournament for the first time in school history. And this season's quest begins in earnest Tuesday night in a Skyline Conference opener against Concordia Academy (7-3, 0-0).
Clay said his team has led in the second half of every game this season and that they need to play with consistency and intensity for a full game. And he said that's exactly what the Pumas will need to do against coach Eric Schutte's Beacons.
"They just compete," Clay said. "They play hard for 36 minutes."
Essay Hagos leads the Beacons, scoring 21.2 points per game. Aaron TerHaar averages 16 and AJ Greene adds 11.6.