Coming off a shortened 3-6 season last year and a 15-16 season in 2019-20, Lane’s boys basketball team has soared past a .500 record this year, heading into state playoffs 18-9. They turned heads and looked to make a name for themselves in a difficult year in one of the city’s toughest city conferences.

But after a second round exit from city playoffs, they now turn their attention to state playoffs, where the stakes are even higher. 

Competing in the most challenging class, 4A, Lane looks to open playoffs strong but they have to be realistic. 

“We’re in 4A and our sectional has Whitney Young and Curie — two of the top teams in the state,” Head Coach Nicholas LoGalbo said. “We know that we’re going to have to play a really good team to get to the regional final and play [a] really, really good team to win a regional final. So we’re excited to have the opportunity and we’re just trying to get ready for that.”

As a sophomore, Captain Sean Molloy competed on the 2019-20 varsity team that played in a regional final. Now a senior, he believes his team has a chance to make it even further than they did two years ago. 

“I think that’s a possibility. Our Whitney game this year really reminded me of our Simeon [regional final] game two years ago because we start[ed] off with the lead and then we just held it,” Molloy said. “I feel like having multiple games like that throughout my career — it’s made me better prepared. So now that we’ve fought against some of the best competition and we’ve had the lead, we’ll be able to sustain one at regionals.”

Starting next to Molloy is breakout star sophomore Shaheed Solebo, who is looking to finish an impressive season. 

“With playoffs, I’m really looking forward to trying to win regional, and then go on to win the entire state. I’m excited — I think we’ll go really far,” Solebo said. “I think just staying focused and playing our best basketball, all four quarters through [is key]. I think we kind of fall short around the third quarter and tend to resist the [rest of the] game, so I think if we can do that, we can make it past the second round of state.”

However, LoGalbo recognizes that it won’t be that easy to get a win in the postseason. 

“In basketball — it’s the best of the best. You’re playing guys that are in the league, you’re playing these guys that are Division One players,” LoGalbo said. “So I think we have changed [our] program. We are competitive. We are playing against the best of the best, and we look forward to doing it again this year.”

Solebo has become a fundamental player for Lane, earning the praise of Molloy, LoGalbo and the press — Michael O’Brien, Prep Sports Editor of The Chicago Sun-Times, called Solebo possibly the best sophomore in the Chicago Public League this year. 

“A lot of people are taking note of Shaheed [Solebo] because he’s been playing so well, being a sophomore,” Molloy said. “We keep pushing — there’s a lot of teams that are expecting to beat us but we beat them and we’ve given good games.” 

“I think we have improved our name,” Molloy continued. 

As Lane looks to keep that — which means entering a new era for coaches like LoGalbo, and up-and-coming players like Solebo. They’ll continue the progress that seniors such as Molloy, have built for years.

“You’re finally changing history; you need to look into what that means,” LoGalbo said. “For me, it’s about back-to-back regional championships, which hadn’t been done since I’ve been here for over 20 years.”

Lane opens state playoffs Feb. 23 with a game against Downers Grove North at Whitney Young High School. They look to bounce back from their regional final loss two years in the 2019-2020 season. 

Allegra Coleman contributed reporting.