By Bob Sakamoto
                   Tribune Staff Writer
                   
                   March 18, 2001

                   Nobody really gave Schaumburg a
                   realistic chance, not against No. 1
                   Thornwood and one of the best high
                   school players in the land, Eddy Curry.

                   Schaumburg had advanced through the
                   supposedly weaker lower bracket of the
                   Class AA quarterfinals while mighty
                   Thornwood had routed Peoria
                   Richwoods and rallied against Public
                   League champion Morgan Park.

                   But in a season when the improbable
                   seemed to pop up all over the high
                   school basketball landscape,
                   Schaumburg pulled off one of the
                   biggest upsets in state tournament
                   history Saturday night with a 66-54
                   victory over Thornwood in Carver Arena.

                   Schaumburg (29-3) made believers out of skeptics throughout the
                   state using the depth of its 10-player rotation and a man-to-man
                   full-court press to wear down Thornwood (32-2). The Saxons also
                   connected from beyond the three-point arc, a safe haven from Curry's
                   tendency to block any shot that comes near him.

                   Behind the scoring of Mark Pancratz (21 points) and Scott Zoellick
                   (19 points), the Saxons finished the third quarter with a 12-2 run for a
                   48-33 lead heading into the final eight minutes.

                   Thornwood made a late surge and came within six but couldn't
                   complete the comeback in Curry's final high school game. Curry led
                   all scorers with 32 points.

                   Schaumburg simply stole Curry's thunder in what was supposed to
                   be a showcase for this 6-foot-11-inch, 290-pound All-State center.
                   The next time he plays for real, it will be for a free college education
                   or perhaps a $7 million NBA contract.

                   Curry started strong from the opening tipoff, scoring all 13 of his
                   team's first-quarter points in personally staking the Thunderbirds to a
                   13-11 lead. He converted a trio of three-point plays and had one
                   monster dunk that shook the basketball standard.

                   But Schaumburg calmly weathered the Curry assault, going on a
                   13-2 run in the second quarter to emerge with a 28-24 halftime lead.
                   The Saxons' man-to-man press had an effect on the Thornwood
                   attack in the second quarter, making it difficult for the T-Birds to get
                   the ball inside.

                   Schaumburg's Zoellick began heating up from the perimeter, burying
                   a pair of three-point shots during the Saxon run. Curry finished the
                   first half with 17 points.

                   All the speculation of Curry forgoing college for the NBA draft lottery
                   and a celebrity that has attracted around-the-clock media attention
                   has forced him to grow up a little quicker than planned.

                   "This year has been hectic," Curry said. "I couldn't really get away
                   from the media. But I guess this was still better than being someone
                   nobody knows about who plays on a losing team. When I first
                   enrolled at Thornwood, I cared more about being Mr. Popular than
                   winning a state championship. I started thinking about that after my
                   sophomore year."

                   Thornwood coach Kevin Hayhurst marvels at how a high school
                   senior has handled all the publicity and recognition.

                   "I tried to shelter him from all of that as much as I could," Hayhurst
                   said. "I wanted him to enjoy his senior year as much as he could.
                   There were so many phone calls for him and requests for interviews.
                   There were agents calling for him and a TV camera following him
                   around almost everywhere he went.

                   "There are times when you need your private life. I'm amazed at how
                   he handled everything. Wherever he goes, he has this way of dealing
                   with people. He seems to enjoy being with people. Whatever he ends
                   up doing, he is going to be good for the game of basketball."

                   Said Curry: "I try to be a good person because you never know who's
                   watching," Curry said.

                   Copyright 2001 The Chicago Tribune