Hillcrest’s Ja’Sean Greene has made a believer out of at least one of his teammates.
The 6-foot-2 sophomore guard was promoted to play on the varsity this season for the Hawks, but but senior point guard Jamir Ratliff wasn’t sure what to expect in the beginning.
“The first time I saw him?” Ratliff said of Greene. “Hmm, he had a lot of energy. He was bouncing and stuff like that. I didn’t think he was going to be good like this. He surprised me.”
But lately, Greene’s success is no surprise.
He scored 12 of his 16 points in the first half and then added five rebounds and a steal Friday night, helping to power Hillcrest to a 60-49 South Suburban Blue victory over host Lemont.
Ratliff, who passed the 1,000-point mark for his career, picked up the scoring slack for Hillcrest (19-7, 12-0) with 10 of his 17 points in the second half. Terrence Richardson tallied 10 rebounds.
Hillcrest’s Ja’Sean Greene (3) drives around the tight defense of Lemont’s Zane Schneider during a South Suburban Blue game in Lemont on Friday, Feb. 13, 2026. (Jon Cunningham / Daily Southtown)
Zane Schneider led Lemont (15-12, 9-3) with 22 points. Ryan Crane made three 3-pointers for nine points.
Greene, meanwhile, confirmed that he might have been a little green when the season started. He was coming off playing football and looking to get into basketball shape.
“I had some ups and downs,” Greene said. “It was definitely hard getting used to the speed.”
Now, he’s found his comfort zone for the Hawks. And Hillcrest coach Don Houston pointed out that Greene has been starting to play with a lot of confidence.
Hillcrest’s Ja’Sean Greene (3) splits Lemont’s defense on a drive to the basket during a South Suburban Blue game in Lemont on Friday, Feb. 13, 2026. (Jon Cunningham / Daily Southtown)
Greene came to the Hawks from Prairie-Hills Junior High, which capped off a 26-1 record for its eighth-grade team by winning the Illinois Elementary School Association’s Class 4A state title.
“In junior high, he was always the third guy,” Houston said of Greene. “He was the third wheel.”
The first two wheels?
Homewood-Flossmoor star Darrius Hawkins Jr. and Rich Township’s Jeremiah Weatherford.
Hillcrest’s Ja’Sean Greene (3) pushes the ball up the court as Lemont’s Julian Overton (5) defends during a South Suburban Blue game in Lemont on Friday, Feb. 13, 2026. (Jon Cunningham / Daily Southtown)
“We had to get him out of that third-wheel mentality,” Houston said of Greene. “I want him to have that mentality of, ‘I’m as good as anyone on the floor.’
“Ja’Sean played the third wheel with those guys, so now he is becoming his own man.”
Friday night’s game did not start out the way Greene and his teammates wanted, however.
Lemont came out strong and posted a 19-9 lead after the first quarter. Greene’s eight points in the second quarter helped the Hawks close things up, but they still trailed 29-28 at halftime.
The Hawks tightened up defensively in the second half as Lemont went 12 minutes with only a field goal and seven free throws.
“Defense is important and we work hard on it every day,” Greene said.
“When it’s all said and done, you can score points, but our focus is to try to way to stop them,” Houston said. “We can to a good job on that when we want to.”
The win gives the Hawks at least a share of the conference championship. They could win the title outright Tuesday night on the road against Oak Forest (20-9, 11-1).
Hillcrest’s Ja’Sean Greene (3) powers past Lemont’s Sean Murray on a drive during a South Suburban Blue game in Lemont on Friday, Feb. 13, 2026. (Jon Cunningham / Daily Southtown)
After that, Hillcrest will dive into the playoffs. The host Hawks are seeded second in Class 3A Hillcrest Sectional behind Leo and open action on Feb. 23 at the Crete-Monee Regional.
Greene, who is looking forward to his first postseason since eighth grade, enjoys his teammates at Hillcrest. And the feeling appears to be mutual.
“I like everything about this team,” he said. “I like how hard we play.”
Greene started out in basketball in sixth grade. He noted that his grandfather got him involved.
It’s been a love affair with the sport ever since for Greene.
“I like playing basketball because it gets me out of the house and makes me feel good,” he said.
Jeff Vorva is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.
