Sandburg’s Daniel Morakinyo is not much for sleeping in.
The sophomore guard does not slack off when it comes to his morning routine. Each day involves an early trip to the gym.
“I wake up at 4 a.m. every morning,” Morakinyo said. “I take the bus or have someone drop me off at school and I get like an hour of shots up before school. It’s a work ethic.
“I love basketball, so it’s not like a job for me. It’s what I enjoy. I love getting up early to get shots up.”
That determination is paying off for Morakinyo, who stepped up big Friday night.
He came off the bench to score 10 points, including five free throws in the final minute, to make sure host Sandburg held on for a 59-53 SouthWest Suburban Conference win over Lincoln-Way West in Orland Park.
Connor Gleason led the Eagles (15-13, 5-9) with 16 points. Will Johnson finished with 13 points and seven rebounds, while Jonah Johnson scored nine points and Malachi Perkins added six.
Drake Been scored 15 points and Max Gabriel finished with 14 points and five rebounds for the Warriors (12-14, 5-9). Wyatt Carlson contributed 11 points and Luke Gouty tallied six.
Lincoln-Way West trailed 33-16 at halftime but stormed back within two points in the fourth quarter.
Morakinyo was huge in the second half to help the Eagles hang on, however. He scored five points in the final two minutes of the third quarter, nailing a 3-pointer and scoring on a drive.
He then stepped up at the free-throw line in the final minute, connecting on 5 of 6 attempts with the game on the line.
“Pressure makes diamonds,” Morakinyo said. “When you’re getting extra shots up every morning, there’s no pressure in those situations. I knew I’d knock them down.”
Gleason, the lone senior starter for the Eagles, was confident in the sophomore as well.
“It’s great to see young guys succeed,” Gleason said. “I just know Danny gets the work in, and he earned this moment. It doesn’t just come to him. He gets up in the morning, he gets in the gym alone, getting shots up.
“He earned that moment for himself.”
Morakinyo is grateful to have the chance to play a large role on the varsity team as a sophomore.
“It means the world to me,” Morakinyo said. “I’ve got a great coaching staff who puts a lot of trust in me. I’m just so happy they’re giving me the opportunity and I’m showing I deserve their trust.”
There have definitely been some big adjustments to make, though.
“It’s totally different from freshman basketball, which is what I played last year,” Morakinyo said. “It’s a big jump. There are some very athletic guys out there and I had to get used to the speed, but I feel a lot more ready for it now.”
Sandburg coach John Daniels has seen Morakinyo put in the effort to get better and he’s optimistic the sophomore standout can be a big contributor down the stretch for the Eagles.
“He’s got a chip on his shoulder and he wants it,” Daniels said. “He’s had some chances and (Friday), he hit his shots. We’ve got to keep going to him.
“Hopefully, this was his breakout game. It’d be huge to have him as that third scorer with Will and Connor. He definitely has the potential to give us that.”
Morakinyo was a soccer player when he was younger, but shifted to basketball and started following in the footsteps of his older brother, Sam.
Sam also played basketball for the Eagles and graduated last year.
“My brother is the one who got me into getting up at 4 a.m. and going to shoot,” Morakinyo said. “He’s been a huge part of my life.
“I wear the same number as him, so it’s great that I’m continuing the legacy of the Morakinyo family.”