Wes Gudeman plays starring role for young Morton fan who sought his autograph

MORTON, Ill. (WMBD/WYZZ) — Wes Gudeman has blossomed into a major scoring threat for Morton.

He credits his big junior season to long nights in the driveway with his dad.

“We’d go out every night on our basketball hoop and work on post moves,” Gudeman said. “Some nights I thought it was silly but now I’m getting back to the moves I’d work on in the garage late at night.”

Gudeman has helped Morton to a 25-4 record and a spot in the class 3A state rankings all season. A win Tuesday at Washington in the conference finale gives the Potters a share of their first Mid-Illini title since 2018.

“He has a knack to score, especially on the left side, even against bigger guys,” said first-year Morton coach Abe Zeller. “He’s faced bigger defenders and he can get into the guys and use his body to get his shot off and get buckets for us.”

Gudeman is certainly having a terrific season on the floor. But he says perhaps his biggest victory of the year has come off the floor when he met a young boy who just wanted his autograph.

It came after Gudeman hit a three-pointer at the horn to beat Washington, 58-55, on Jan. 12 in Morton.

“I got a text from a friend that said his neighbor just talks about (me) all the time. He came to the game against Washington (I) hit the game winner,” Gudeman said.

The young fan wanted Guydeman to sign his shirt.

“His birthday was coming up,” Gudeman said he learned from his friend’s text. ” And he said I think he wants a Wes Gudeman autograph.”

That boy is a second-grader in Morton named Cameron, who Gudeman eventually met. Then Gudeman heard Cameron’s mom passed away last spring.

So the Morton junior decided he wanted to surprise Cameron at his birthday party last month.

“We got him a shirt, I signed it. I took some of the (team), we got him a signed ball,” Gudeman said. “And we brought him a picture of the shot against Washington and I signed it.”

The star player who honed his skills in his driveway is now bringing smiles to a much younger fan in his neighborhood.

“That’s not even basketball,” said Gudeman of his friendship with Cameron. “The fact I can do this through basketball, I’m unbelievably blessed.”

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