{"id":39361,"date":"2016-03-25T14:44:40","date_gmt":"2016-03-25T19:44:40","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/news.medill.northwestern.edu\/chicago\/?p=39361"},"modified":"2016-03-25T14:44:40","modified_gmt":"2016-03-25T19:44:40","slug":"a-hoops-homecoming-a-former-niles-north-star-to-play-in-the-sweet-16","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/news.medill.northwestern.edu\/chicago\/a-hoops-homecoming-a-former-niles-north-star-to-play-in-the-sweet-16\/","title":{"rendered":"A hoops homecoming: a former Niles North star to play in the Sweet 16"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Adam Rossow<\/strong><\/p>\n

If Iowa State forward Abdel Nader feels nervous coming home for the Sweet 16, he masterfully hid it Thursday afternoon at the United Center.<\/p>\n

In the first few minutes of practice, Abdel (pronounced Ab-DOOL) poked a ball away from a teammate, dribbled it simultaneously with the ball in his other hand, before jokingly tossing up right- and left-handed jump shots that came nowhere close to swishing through the net. <\/p>\n

The antics provided comic relief for his Iowa State teammates and seemed to squash any notion that playing top-seeded Virginia would overwhelm the former Niles North standout. If the Cyclones win Friday, they would advance to the Elite Eight for the first time since 2000.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m pumped. I\u2019m ready to go,\u201d Nader said. \u201cI wish we played today.\u201d<\/p>\n

After practice, Nader said playing the Sweet 16 game less than 20 miles from where grew up was going to be emotional. He didn\u2019t want to \u201cbring too many\u201d friends and family to the regional semifinal on Friday, he said, because he wanted to focus on defeating Virginia.<\/p>\n

His teammate, junior guard Mont\u00e9 Morris, said he expects Nader to be poised and productive in front of his hometown fans. <\/p>\n

\u201cWhen we got off the plane, he said, \u2018man, I\u2019m home,\u2019 and whenever you get to come back home, I feel like you get very comfortable,\u201d Morris said.<\/p>\n

Nader\u2019s journey began when he moved with his older sister, Sheri Nader, and his mother, Amina Rehama, to suburban Chicago from Egypt when he was a toddler. He didn\u2019t start playing basketball until middle school, first shooting hoops at a local park and then joining a Maine East team as a 13-year-old.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis kid was basically [for] first time playing basketball in junior high and 10 years later he\u2019s in the Sweet 16 \u2013 that\u2019s pretty special,\u201d said Glenn Olson, who coached Nader at both Maine East and Niles North. \u201cHe kept growing and developing.\u201d<\/p>\n

Olson remembers when Nader, as a high school sophomore, hit three 3-pointers in a summer league game against Zion-Benton with future Ohio State guard Lenzelle Smith Jr. \u201cThat\u2019s when we knew this kid could be something,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n

A few months later, during a regular-season game against Glenbrook South, the then-6-foot-4 Nader asked to guard 6-foot-9 future Notre Dame forward Jack Cooley. \u201cAbdel was like, \u2018Coach, I got him,\u2019\u201d Olson said. <\/p>\n

That year Nader became \u201cour stud,\u201d said Olson. \u201cHe took off, dunking, making threes, having a body with arms that don\u2019t quit.\u201d <\/p>\n

When Olson left for the head coaching position at Niles North a year later, he took Nader with him. His star player averaged more than 20 points per game throughout his two seasons there. In his senior year, he led the Vikings to a 24-6 record and the first sectional and league championships in school history. <\/p>\n

Initially, the 6-foot-6 forward signed with the University of New Mexico, but then decided to stay closer to home at Northern Illinois. Following two tumultuous seasons on and off the court in DeKalb, however, Nader transferred to Iowa State. <\/p>\n

\u201cI went to Ames and met him [coach Fred Hoiberg], and it was great,\u201d Nader said. \u201cIt was the atmosphere that the whole place provided. It just felt like home.\u201d<\/p>\n

After sitting out the 2013-14 season because of NCAA transfer rules, Nader played in 32 games and averaged fewer than six points per game last year. This season, by contrast, the redshirt senior emerged as a major offensive weapon, averaging 13.2 points and five rebounds per game. <\/p>\n

\n

#Cyclones<\/a> F Abdel Nader, who attended Niles North HS, runs through a shooting drill at ISU's Sweet 16 pract… https:\/\/t.co\/Q89agh3afu<\/a><\/p>\n

— Adam Rossow (@AdamJRossow) March 24, 2016<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Former Niles North standout Abdel Nader drains a one-handed 3-pointer during Iowa State’s practice on Thursday at the United Center. (Adam Rossow\/MEDILL)<\/div>\n

As he tries to extend his breakout season in the regional semifinals, he will be able to see Olson in the stands at the United Center.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe mentored me basically since I was 12 years old, so he\u2019s a big part of my life,\u201d Nader said. \u201cHe\u2019s a father figure to me, and I am glad to have him here.\u201d <\/p>\n

The two text or talk by phone after every game, said Olson, who brought his whole family to Ames in February to watch Nader play against Texas. <\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s not the most emotional player on the court,\u201d he said. \u201cBut he\u2019s as jacked up as he can possibly be.\u201d <\/p>\n

Photo at top: Iowa State’s Abdel Nader takes a shot during practice at the United Center on Thursday. He is a 2011 graduate of Niles North High School. (Adam Rossow\/MEDILL)<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Adam Rossow If Iowa State forward Abdel Nader feels nervous coming home for the Sweet 16, he masterfully hid it Thursday afternoon at the United Center. In the first few minutes of practice, Abdel (pronounced Ab-DOOL) poked a ball away from a teammate, dribbled it simultaneously with the ball in his other hand, before […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":237,"featured_media":39362,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[31,585],"tags":[2533,2534,2532,2531,2530],"class_list":["post-39361","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-sports","category-winter-2016","tag-abdel-nader","tag-iowa-state","tag-midwest-regional","tag-ncaa-tournament","tag-niles-north"],"yoast_head":"\nA hoops homecoming: a former Niles North star to play in the Sweet 16 - Medill Reports Chicago<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/news.medill.northwestern.edu\/chicago\/a-hoops-homecoming-a-former-niles-north-star-to-play-in-the-sweet-16\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"A hoops homecoming: a former Niles North star to play in the Sweet 16 - Medill Reports Chicago\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"By Adam Rossow If Iowa State forward Abdel Nader feels nervous coming home for the Sweet 16, he masterfully hid it Thursday afternoon at the United Center. 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