Michael Nee, Glenbard East ready to make noise after stellar June showing

Glenbard East senior guard Michael Nee is projecting high for the upcoming season.

Nee is one of several experienced seniors slated to return this season for the Rams, leading to high expectations for the program. The Rams finished with a 21-11 record, including first place with a 12-1 mark in the Upstate Eight East Conference, last season. Glenbard East won a regional championship.

“All of the seniors are very excited for next season because we feel like we are ready to make a lot of noise,” Nee said. “Lots of us have a lot of years of varsity experience and we have got better year after year and learned what it takes to make a deep run. This is the last chance for the seniors at a deep playoff run and we are excited and willing to take on the challenge.”

The Rams kept their momentum trending in the right direction in June, posting an impressive 27-2 record. The Rams’ lone losses came to defending Class 4A state champion Benet and to Downers Grove South.

“June is always a fun period because you get to just play tons of games with your guys,” Nee said. “It was especially fun this year because of the potential we showed. Our team is full of seniors already with multiple years of experience on the varsity level, which just showed how connected and experienced we are.”

The 6-foot-2 Nee, who has offers from Lewis and Wayne State, is receiving interest from multiple Ivy Leagues schools and lower/middle Division I programs. Nee, one of the best shooters in the state, became a player to watch after averaging 17 points, four rebounds and four assists last season to earn all-conference honors.

Nee said he’s hopeful to gain a few more offers by the end of the month.

“July is a huge month for me to show my game,” Nee said. “Playing on the Adidas circuit is truly a blessing because of the talent I get to go against and the exposure to coaches I get. July is amazing because I get the opportunity to show all the work I’ve put in with my play.”

Glenbard East coach Eric Kelly said Nee is adding different elements to his game to become a multi-level scorer.

“He’s got noticeably stronger and really improved his rebounding,” Kelly said. “We challenged him to become a three-level scorer. Obviously, he can shoot it. This year everyone is going to see him score at the rim and free-throw line. He added strength and size.

“He’s had a phenomenal summer. In my opinion, he’s the best shooter in Illinois and one of the best in the country. He’s proved it time and time again. The things I’ve seen since his freshman year now others are seeing.”

Nee, who also plays football, is excited about showcasing his game next season for the Rams.

“I’m focusing on improving my ability to get to the rim and become more of an all-around scorer, not just a three-point and mid-range shooter,” Nee said. “I’m trying to improve my strength and speed because that really helps all areas of your game.”

Kelly said the Rams have a number of talented returnees slated to make their own noise next season, including Jacob Marynowski, Sam Walton and Danny Snyder.

“I’m looking forward to this year, it will be my first year I can put two seniors on the floor,” Kelly said. “We will be all seniors pretty much this year. As a team, we couldn’t have done much better than we did. This is the group we’ve been gearing up for. They’ve grown a lot and we wanted to see in June how we stacked against very good competition. We felt really good about how good we did this summer.

“Our rebounding was good. Jacob took a step up and Sam grew physically. Danny has gotten better every year.”