Wildkits Hope To Play Up To Potential

Mike Ellis has learned in almost 30 years of coaching high school basketball how to identify talent on the court.

So when the Evanston coach says he has three Division I-type players on his team at the same time, it’s a statement that can’t be ignored.

Now all Vito Rocca, Ben Ojala and Tate Schroeder have to do is prove their coach right.

That trio will step into expanded roles this year for the Wildkits, and if they live up to that potential, what Evanston does for an encore following last year’s trip to the Final Four could be impressive.

That’s a big if, however.

The Kits open the 2025-26 season on Tuesday at the 37th annual Chuck Mitchell Thanksgiving Tournament hosted by Fenton. They’re the defending tournament champions and will start pool play with a 7:30 p.m. matchup against Rolling Meadows, and play Montini (Wednesday at 6 p.m.) and Wheaton Warrenville South (Friday at 4 p.m.) before the final round of games on Saturday.

Expanded roles will look different for all three of the players ETHS will build around. Rocca, a 6-foot-6 junior, is the only returning starter. The 6-1 Ojala was one of the state’s best 6th men as a freshman, averaging 6.5 points per game, and 6-4 junior Schroeder showed promise after being promoted to the varsity as a sophomore late last season as the Wildkits compiled a final won-loss record of 31-6 and placed third in the Class 4A Illinois High School Association state tournament.

That team was the epitome of a perfect chemistry mix --- no individual egos allowed --- and now the challenge is for the current crop of players to try to reach that standard, too.

“Everyone’s role adjusts from season to season,” Ellis pointed out. “There’s nothing new about that. Obviously, everyone will have to advance their roles for us to be successful this year.

“Last year that was a unique team. But that book is closed now and we have to write a new chapter. I think the experience of getting Downstate last year and seeing what it takes matters. I’m not saying we’ll be Downstate again --- every year is different --- but they know what it takes to win and to become a unified team.

“We understand that there’s a cost (to that type of success) and that everything has to be earned. It’s a work in progress and it’s one day at a time, and I think the players understand that.”

With the graduation of four starters, Evanston’s roster still hasn’t totally turned over. That list this time around includes seniors Tristen Wilcox, Elliott Pratt, Timi Ogunsanya, Miles Ross and Desi Israelite; juniors Dion Lane Jr., Dillon Pompey, Halsten Mason, Matt Gilroy, Aiden Payne and Mekhi Collins; and sophomore Isaac Sato.

Ogunsanya and Lane Jr. are expected to join Rocca, Ojala and Schroeder as starters as the Wildkits return to the four-guard attack that produced back-to-back Final Four seasons in 2018 and 2019 for the ETHS program.

Like those Final Four teams, the Wildkits will rely heavily on 3-point shooting on offense. Even Rocca --- who averaged 6.9 points as a sophomore and rarely shot the ball except on offensive rebounds --- has shown improved shooting range, connecting on all six of his 3-point attempts in last Saturday’s intra-squad scrimmage.

In 2024-25, he focused more on defending opposing “bigs” and ranked second on the team in rebounds with 148.

“Vito’s role? It’s as a winner,” Ellis said. “It’s a 100 percent fact that every team he’s on in practice always wins. He didn’t win maybe one out of 20 (in preseason practices) --- and he wasn’t happy when that happened. The value he brings to this team should really be appreciated by all the others. He’ll do all the little things, all the unselfish things you need to win the game.

“He always puts in the work and he’s really worked hard to develop his game. I think he’s a Division I player and college coaches who come to see him play will walk away and be impressed.

“Vito has expanded his offense out to the perimeter, and as a ballhandler now he can create for the others. He’s gotten a lot better through the summer and the fall, and I hope other teams will leave him open.”

Ojala started six games as a freshman and never backed down from a challenge in critical game situations on offense and defense. Now, he’s ready for prime time.

“I thought Ben had a freshman season similar to Blake Peters and Nojel Eastern for us,” said Ellis, comparing him favorably to the top two scorers in Evanston history. “Even though they still had a lot of things to learn, they all played like juniors, not like freshmen.

“We believe Ben has a lot of talent. He’s a scoring point guard, plays the game the right way, and he loves it. He can get to the basket, he can hit the 3 (38 percent last year), and his skill set is very advanced. We’ll look for him to take a big step forward.”

Schroeder, who started at shortstop for Evanston’s varsity baseball team last spring, might be the best all-around athlete in the school.

“Whether Tate believes it or not, he can be our best player. I think he’s a Division I player in basketball and baseball, and he’ll be a big presence for us,” predicted the Evanston coach.

“Tate’s going to surprise a lot of people this year. Shooting, and rebounding and his athleticism are his strengths. When he played for us this summer (splitting time between basketball and baseball), we were at a whole ‘nother level as a team.”

Ogunsanya never approached the level he reached last Thanksgiving at Fenton when he poured in a career-high 27 points on 7-of-10 marksmanship from 3-point range in a win over Chicago Latin, but the Kits are counting on more consistent performances from both Ogunsanya and Lane Jr. in the rebounding department in addition to their sometimes-prolific offense.

Starting guards who are also strong rebounders have helped the Kits thrive against bigger teams through most of Ellis’ tenure.

“Timi can be an X factor for us and we’ll probably have a good season if he does,” Ellis noted. “He’s a skilled player who can handle the basketball and has some length and some size. We need him to be a complete player at both ends of the court. He needs to be able to impact the game even when his shots aren’t falling.

“Dion’s leadership has been the most impressive aspect I’ve seen so far from him. He’s one of our most vocal players --- he’s one of the first to tell the others, especially the younger players, what they need to do --- and I’m really happy with the aggressiveness he’s playing with. I can see that the experience of last year (he played in 34 games) really helped Dion.”

Evanston is ranked No. 13 in the preseason Top 25 picked by the Chicago Sun-Times newspaper but will face another demanding schedule. The Wildkits will play six new teams --- Bolingbrook, Waukegan, Peoria Richwoods, Hillcrest, Oswego East and Lake Park --- this winter and three of those schools are ranked in that same top 25 poll, along with Central Suburban League South division foes New Trier and Deerfield.

“We had a lot of teams who didn’t want to play us again this year,” said Ellis, “but I think our schedule is harder this year. It’s all about preparing to play your best in March, just like it is every year.

“Last year we didn’t talk once during the season about going to State. I hope that helped these guys learn that our focus has to be on the process and the daily development.”