With Gabe Sisk's return, Ballard's run for a state championship comes down to chemistry

Immediately after accepting the head coaching job at Ballard, Greg Willis walked out of principal's Jason Neuss' office, went down the hall and pulled his star player out of class.

Gabe Sisk was in deep thought when Willis suddenly appeared at the door, but he could guess what his assistant coach wanted. Willis went straight to the point.

"I brought Gabe in and told him 'I'm going to be the new head coach here and I want you to be a part of this," Willis said. "'I love you as a kid and I think you're a great player. I need you here.' He was the first person that knew — other than my wife — that I got the job."

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Willis' admired Sisk's game for over a decade. When Sisk was in the second grade, Willis used to referee his basketball games in the St. Matthews Youth League. Once Sisk got to high school, the two grew even closer.

"He texts me very often," Sisk said. "He wants me to tell him what I think or if there's something going wrong on the court. If I feel like we need to change something up, I can tell him. That's the type of relationship we have."

Sisk's defense, passing vision, finishing ability and 1,300-plus points over the course high school career, was what Willis hoped to build around throughout his first season. Willis spent 16 years on the sidelines under Chris Renner and watched Sisk make second-team All-State as a sophomore. Sisk was bumped up to first-team his junior year after leading the Bruins in scoring (17.3 ppg).

Unfortunately for Willis, he wasn't the only coach counting on a big senior year from the 6-foot-5 guard.

"I knew that prep schools were going to be after him," Willis said. "People were hitting me up saying 'Hey, Oak Hills' coach talked to him today' or Link Academy and I knew it was a reality. Gabe was open and honest with me like 'Coach, I'm just trying to see what my other options are.'"

Willis' only choice was to support Sisk when he told him that he was leaving Ballard for Prolific Prep in Napa, California last August. Like several of Louisville's top-basketball talent, Sisk transferred hoping to take his game to another level, but fate would have other plans.

Prolific Prep was the challenge Sisk hoped it would be. From August through November, Sisk traveled around the country playing the best players in his age bracket. He made friends and picked up on skills from other highly-touted recruits like 4-star Auburn signee Aden Holloway and 4-star Xavier recruit Trey Green.

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"I had to actually play more athletic and get stronger," Sisk said. "I was playing with stronger and more athletic guys so that really helped me and changed my mindset on playing the game."

While the experience was worthwhile, Sisk couldn't fight the feeling that he was missing out on something important at home. When Ballard stunned Male in football for the first time since 2009, Sisk watched the celebration begrudgingly on an iPhone back in Napa.

It was official: he was homesick.

"I had missed being with my teammates and my friends and family," Sisk said. "We created a bond and that was really it. I had to follow my heart."

'... The kid's heart is here'

Once Willis heard from Sisk's friends that he missed Ballard, the wheels began to turn for the 36-year-old coach.

"When I heard about that stuff I was like 'I think the kid's heart is here," Willis said. "I was hopeful that was the case but I didn't really know how it was going to play out."

Willis held several conversations with Sisk and his family, before Sisk officially re-enrolled back at Ballard. Willis was ecstatic, but how did the new-look Bruins take the news?

In the three months Sisk was away, Willis focused on the talent he had. Ballard's best scorers like Keno Hayden, Maker Bar and Chaunte Marrero had graduated. With Sisk in Napa and Renner, the former head coach, retired, many believed Ballard was preparing to rebuild.

Willis' expectations didn't shift. A 2004 Ballard alum, Willis believes that Ballard's strength is its consistency. He's only the sixth coach in Bruin history and plans to continue the tradition of winning coaches that includes Renner, Richard Schmidt, Scott Davenport and Jeff Morrow.

"When you look at the Seventh Region finals and semifinals for over the last 20 years, some teams have come and gone in different stretches but Ballard's always been there," Willis said. "We've taken a lot of pride in that consistency, so it's my responsibility to make sure that continues."

Willis needed to find out what he had. Tim Fuller, Jacob McCray and Evan Chiles were several promising seniors but didn't see the court much last season. Nate Richardson showed signs that he could be a solid point guard, but was the sophomore ready to run the point?

Miles Franklin — a former Trinity guard who transferred to Ballard last season — was the Bruins' top returner. Franklin averaged 5.6 points and 2.6 rebounds off the bench last year but was eager to carry the team this season. As camp went on, though, Franklin could see the Bruins lacked rebounding power.

Even while finding his rhythm, Sisk makes an impact

Sisk's first week back at Ballard was a rollercoaster experience. He didn't suit up to practice until the day before the DeSales' game. Sisk looked to rediscover his rhythm and regain his voice amongst the team but he couldn't shake an uneasy feeling. Sisk wasn't eligible to play yet and the senior had no idea if the KHSAA would grant him his eligibility.

"I felt that it was up in the air," Sisk said. "It's your last year and you don't know if they're going to tell you if you can't play at all or you can't play till January or February."

With Sisk in limbo, the Bruins didn't know what to make of his return. Of course they were thrilled to have a teammate back, but what would this mean for their roles? Would Franklin still get his shots? Could Richardson still mature running the point? To clear the air, Willis called a team meeting.

"I said all of us in life have to sacrifice situationally," Willis said. "It's probably going to mean a shot or two less for some of you guys. It's probably going to mean a minute or two less for some of you guys. But the reality is you all said your goal was to win a Seventh Region title and we all want to compete for a state championship and this improves our chances."

The very next morning, Sisk woke up to text from Willis that simply read "You're eligible. Let's go."

In his first game back, Sisk shot 41% from the field and scored 12 points as the Bruins held off DeSales 68-64. It's wasn't Sisk's best performance. He dribbled too much and didn't move the ball around like he's accustomed to. Franklin had to carry the team (19 points) but he didn't mind. He knows that he and Sisk will soon strengthen their chemistry.

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"I've know [Gabe] for a long time so it hasn't been too much of a struggle," Franklin said. "Some of the other guys have been a little bit concerned with some of their shots and playing time but I think we're a better team with him. Guys will start to fill out their roles and find out how they can help this team win."

Since his first game back with the Bruins, Sisk's transition back to the team has gotten smoother by the day. Against CAL last Friday, Sisk scored 17 points and only missed three shots.

The very next night, against Madison Central, Sisk proved he was truly back. He led the Bruins with a 19-point, 19 rebound double-double to push the Bruins to their fourth straight win. Despite being only 6-foot-5, Sisk displayed the strength he developed in Napa by dominating the paint. In only his third game back, Sisk was already proving why the Bruins needed him.

"Obviously when you add a 1,300-point scorer that makes your team a lot better," Willis said.

Ballard sits at 4-1 and carries a large chip on its shoulder after being ranked the third-best team in the Seventh Region, but that was before Sisk returned. How should teams view the Bruins now? After leading Ballard to the Seventh Region championship three years in a row, Sisk's No. 1 goal is getting the Bruins back to Rupp Arena for the Sweet 16.

"Everybody's like 'oh Gabe Sisk is back, Ballard's probably one of the top teams in the Seventh Region now," Sisk said. "I don't feel like we have to look at it that way. Me coming back was a good thing but we still have to play hard ... Of course I want to win Seventh Region Player of the Year, first-team All-State and Mr. Basketball but the main goal is to win a state championship."

Follow Courier Journal reporter J.L. Kirven on Twitter @JL_Kirven for more updates on Louisville prep sports.

This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: What Gabe Sisk's return means for Ballard basketball