Josiah Allick: Lincoln North Star's second superpower
Every hero has his sidekick. Batman has Robin, Superman has Krypto, and Donovan Williams, who has already committed to Nebraska and is a leader for Class A tournament-bound Lincoln North Star, has Josiah Allick.
But Allick is a hero of his own.
The senior briefly played in 15 games, good for an average of only two points per game, during the 2017-18 season — and that’s the only varsity experience he had prior to shining this season. Allick is now a regular starter, averaging 15.5 points and 9.8 rebounds — nearly a double-double — heading into tomorrow’s state quarterfinal matchup against Omaha Creighton Prep.
“Some of the things that have helped me have a breakout year was staying focused my sophomore and junior year,” Allick said. “I knew that I was going to have to wait my turn.”
And all that waiting is finally paying off: Division I schools are starting to take serious notice of Allick’s stat surge. He’s drawn interest from the likes of North Dakota State, The Citadel, and Idaho. A 29 ACT and 3.8 GPA has also made way for potential interest from schools like Cornell, too.
He also has the option to reclassify to the class of 2020 and attend a high school graduate prep school, much like Creighton recruit and former Omaha Burke star Shereef Mitchell.
"I don't think [reclassifying] is his first choice, I think he wants to start college," North Star head coach Tony Quattrocchi said. "But if Division I doesn't offer, I think that's the choice he may decide to do."
Standing at 6-foot-7 and 200 pounds, Allick is still far from reaching his peak.
"His best basketball is definitely ahead ahead of him," Quattrocchi said. "We project that he's probably going to go to 6-9 in college, so the ceiling is very high for him."
The Navigators’ playoff run starts with an all-too-familiar foe: Husker signee Akol Arop’s defending state champ Junior Jays. For Allick, the game is a chance at redemption after fouling out in a 77-71 overtime loss on January 26.
“Our coaches and the team have stayed focused on what we want to do in the tournament,” Allick said. “I like our chances versus them, especially if I am able to stay in the game and not get in foul trouble again.”
Allick and Williams, his class of 2020 partner in crime, make a combined 36.6 points per game for the Navigators. And they can both dunk, too, so that's an obvious plus.
“One way me and Donovan have been able to compliment each other is being able to take over a game if one of us is having an off day,” Allick said. “It also helps that we have really good teammates.”
Josiah Allick, Donovan Williams, and the seventh-seeded Lincoln North Star Navigators will take center stage on Thursday, March 6 at 2 p.m. when they take on the second-seeded Omaha Creighton Prep Junior Jays.
“If we focus in and stick to our game plan … I’ve got no doubt we’ll come out on top,” Williams said.
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