Evanston's community newspaper since 1998
Sign up for our free newsletter to have Evanston news delivered directly to your inbox every weekday! unique desk clock
The month of January is when high school basketball coaches find out what their teams are made of.
February? That’s for tightening the rotation and focusing on which players can provide the most efficient minutes on offense and defense so they know who they can rely on when the Illinois High School Association state tournament series starts.
Having more than survived the grueling January schedule of games with an eye-catching 7-2 won lost record, the Wildkits took another step Tuesday night toward what they hope will be a deep playoff run. They demolished a 17-win Schaumburg team by a 56-30 margin on the road and improved to 21-4 on the season.
The running-clock (slaughter rule) victory probably boosted young guards Timi Ogunsanya and Dion Lane’s chances to move up in the squad’s pecking order. Surprisingly, Evanston’s starting five has almost always consisted of the same players — Theo Rocca, Vito Rocca, Ian Peters, Kaidan Chatham and George Richardson — this year, with freshman Ben Ojala and senior Jayden Rodriguez usually the first players off the bench.
Both Ogunsanya, a junior, and Lane, a sophomore, seem to be on a path that would earn them more minutes on the court. Tuesday, Ogunsanya was the one who pushed Evanston’s lead beyond the 30-point advantage needed to put the running clock in effect when he canned a 3-pointer from the corner on the first possession of the fourth quarter.
He finished with 12 points, joining Theo Rocca (16 points) and Vito Rocca (12 points, five steals) in double figures for ETHS.
Lane was able to take advantage of the fact that players can suit up for both the varsity and junior varsity games in non-conference matchups. He has only played sparingly in varsity blowout wins for the most part, but Tuesday he dropped down to the JV level and notched 20 points in a close Evanston win.
He also got an extended look from head coach Mike Ellis and the Wildkit staff in the varsity game, where he logged nine-plus minutes in the one-sided triumph.
Certainly the entire 15-man roster is aware that playing time will become even more precious going into the stretch run over the next couple of weeks. But Ellis said he isn’t concerned that fact will lead to more selfish play from anyone hoping to make a bigger impression.
“Right now we’ve got a good seven-man rotation, and Timi had a good game tonight,” said the Evanston coach. “You never know what will happen. Everyone has to step up when they’re called on.
“This is such an unselfish group that I wouldn’t worry about the No. 15 guy coming in and playing selfish. Show us your desire to play in practice, because we’re not sitting on the bench flipping coins about who to play, or putting a guy in because he has the same [jersey] number I wore in high school and I like him. Playing time has to be earned in practice. The gate is open or shut when it comes to playing time. What will you do when you get inside the gate?”
Evanston’s third win in five days could be described as “ragged” even though the winners limited the Saxons to a season-low point total and fired in 11 3-point baskets of their own, their highest total in several weeks. The Wildkits were able to cancel out most of their high number of turnovers (19) because the Saxons also had trouble keeping possession, turning the ball over 22 times.
“Maybe it was a new experience for them in this gym, but we had too many turnovers tonight,” Ellis said. “We have to be more consistent than that. If I had to nit-pick about something, it would be that I wasn’t pleased by the play of our point guards. We have to execute better after we make better decisions.”
Schaumburg (17-9) missed 11 of its first 12 field goal attempts, fell behind 12-2 and never posed much of a threat after that. The Kits opened up a 31-11 lead by the halftime intermission and extended it to 48-19 after three quarters.
Evanston shot 53% (18-of-34) from the field, including an 11-of-19 showing from beyond the 3-point stripe. Six different players registered treys, including four from Theo Rocca.
The Kits will host Glenbrook South Friday in a Central Suburban League South division contest and will play at De La Salle on Saturday.
As a financial supporter of the RoundTable, your contribution throughout the year powers our work covering all the vital news that matters in Evanston! Please consider making an additional gift!
Your contribution is tax-deductible. We appreciate your support!
Your commitment as a MONTHLY SUSTAINING DONOR helps us the most!
Recurring contributions – at all levels – enable us to build a viable newsroom that will serve Evanston for the next 25 years!
Your contribution is tax-deductible. We appreciate your support!
Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *
Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.
The Evanston RoundTable is the community’s leading source of news about local government, schools, civic and artistic activities, and other important issues facing our city. We seek to foster civic engagement and empower people to address complex issues facing our diverse community, promoting a better understanding and appreciation of people of all races, ethnicities, and income levels.
Evanston Roundtable 1514 Elmwood Avenue Suite 2 Evanston, Illinois 60201 847.864.7741
Enter the code sent to your email.
Sign in by entering the code we sent to , or clicking the magic link in the email.
crystal table lamp By signing up, you agree to our Terms and Conditions. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.