Publications & Sites 
Fenwick junior Dwyer produces in post
Fenwick's Daniel Dwyer attempts to get passed a Gordon Tech defender during their game on Friday, January 11, 2012, in Oak Park IL. | Chandler West~For Sun-Times Media
Article Extras
Updated: February 19, 2013 12:26PM
OAK PARK — Fenwick’s Dan Dwyer stands 6-foot-8 and weighs 225 pounds, so the Friars have depended on him to provide an inside presence throughout the season.
Despite not scoring during regulation against Gordon Tech Friday night, the junior forward still was instrumental by grabbing rebounds and playing strong defense for the Friars. His effort helped Fenwick claim a 42-35 CCL North victory in overtime.
Dwyer has been on both sides of the scoring spectrum; he led the Friars with 21 points on Jan. 5 in a 62-54 loss to St. Patrick.
“He has been automatic around the basket, he has been our leading field-goal (percentage) shooter all year,” said Fenwick coach John Quinn. “We were telling him, ‘You have to work hard to get open. They know you are a good scorer. So guess what — you are going to get their best defensive player.’
“Dan can do so many things, he never makes a mistake with the ball. He can rebound in traffic, he is 6-8, and he is a guy that we really count on to do a lot. When he is in foul trouble, that hurts us because he is a mainstay.”
Dwyer, who is from River Forest, wants to continue playing basketball after high school.
“I would like to go, hopefully, to an academically intelligent school,” Dwyer said. “I have pretty good grades and I am looking to get a high ACT score, and get some good looks (from colleges) this year and then in the summer. I would like to go somewhere out East, hopefully like a Patriot League school.”
Even though he wears size 17 shoes, Dwyer has even bigger ones to fill in the next year and a half if he is going to come close to the accomplishments of one of his relatives at Fenwick. His first cousin is Tricia Liston, currently a junior at Duke University, who was selected 2010 Ms. Illinois Basketball after scoring 2,713 points during her career as a Friar.
Against Gordon Tech, Dwyer turned up his defense in the second half, holding Raequan Williams to zero points in the third and fourth quarters, after the sophomore led the Rams with eight points in the first half.
“He (Dwyer) is a kid that is just starting to emerge,” Quinn said. “We just have to get him doing that in practice, day after day.”
When Dwyer did finally break into the scoring column Friday, it was in the final minutes of the overtime, when Luke Lattner found him in the lane with a pretty pass. Dwyer is a popular target for his teammates, including junior guard Scott Lindsey.
“When we drive to the basket, we always know we can drive and kick, because we know he (Dwyer) is a good finisher,” said Lindsey. “So we either try to finish it or kick it to him, and we are willing to kick it to him.”
Lindsey has spent plenty of time on the court with Dwyer, his AAU teammate in the summer with Illinois Old School.
“He is a jokester, he is funny and he makes jokes all the time,” Lindsey said. “You would not think (that) when you see him on the court. He seems kind of quiet, but he is really funny and a cool guy.”
