Prolonged road trip allows Evanston Township (Ill.) chance to build on and off court

Days of rest have proven hard to come by for the Evanston Township (Ill.) basketball team.

So with Thursday somewhat of a day of rest for coaches and players at the Beach Ball Classic, the Wildkits took full advantage of the opportunity to relax and recharge ahead of their final two contests at the prestigious event.

Spending more time in hotels than they have at home recently, Evanston Township is in the midst of a 4,000-mile journey in which it will take part in a slew of the nation’s top hoops events. Already, the team has locked horns with Montverde (Fla.) — the 2015 Beach Ball Classic champion — at the Chicago Elite Classic, along with playing at the Lebron James Shootout in Akron, Ohio.

Following their stint in Myrtle Beach, the Wildkits will participate in shootouts at a trio of Illinois’ top events at Glenbard East, Loyola Academy and O’Fallon.

“In many ways, it is similar to an NBA schedule,” said Evanston Township (Ill.) boys basketball coach Mike Ellis. “We’re playing games one night and traveling out that same night, leaving venues that same night. With our schedule, we are spending time on the road and being out of town like a college or pro team. Most high school teams don’t typically get away for an extended time unless they’re playing in a Thanksgiving or Christmas tournament.”

Such obligations do not come without their share of struggles, however.

In the wee hours of the morning Dec. 26, team members, friends, family and supporters of the basketball team left O’Hare International Airport in Chicago en route for Myrtle Beach. In between, the squad was forced to layover for three hours in Atlanta before boarding a flight to Myrtle Beach.

According to Ellis, that delay made planning for a game at 7 that evening a tad more difficult.

“I dunno how good you can be after taking two flights, getting out of your bed at 3 a.m. and play 7 p.m. that night,” he said. “But I was proud with how our guys came out and competed. They came out and didn’t make excuses, and showed up to win.”

The Wildkits opened the Beach Ball Classic with a narrow 53-53 win over Providence (Fla.). Two days later, they earned a spot in the tournament’s semifinal round with a 68-59 victory over Scott County (Ky.).

“Honestly, I don’t know if we had won those games if it had not been for our schedule,” the Evanston Township coach said. “We had to go through trials, tribulations and lessons, learning how to close out games. I’m thankful to our guys for learning how to do that.”

As important as the wins and losses, according to the coach, is how the squad is coming together as a cohesive unit. Upon setting his team’s schedule several months ago, it was the opportunity to not only challenge his team on and off the court appealed to him.

And apparently the hunch is working wonders.

“These trips are really bringing us together as a team, building a better bond off the court so that when we are on the floor, it will allow us to perform better,” said sophomore Ryan Bost. “My initial reaction was excitement when hearing about our schedule. As a sophomore, being able to play in big tournaments really appealed to me. But our coach doing this really gives us a lot of confidence, knowing that he is really here for us and believes we can play with anyone.”

One of the few to make every mile with the team is Tamala Reed, mother of Purdue commit and Evanston Township standout Nojel Eastern. Though such frequent road trips are preparing her for Eastern’s college years, it is the growth of the Wildkits basketball team she will most remember about the team’s journey across the country.

“Their building of a bond, a camaraderie is really what impresses me about them,” she said. “No one is trying to be bigger than the team … they’re in this together. Playing team basketball will certainly help take them far, this year and beyond.”

This story was originally published December 29, 2016 at 3:50 PM with the headline "Prolonged road trip allows Evanston Township (Ill.) chance to build on and off court."