Evanston boys basketball coach Mike Ellis said each practice is a way for players to earn playing time. A bad week in practice can mean a loss of minutes the next game.
“We take practice seriously,” said Evanston senior Trevon Marshall, a starting guard. “That’s where we build our chemistry and learn to connect with one another. We know we have to practice well in order to play. It keeps everybody focused, and you get rewarded for your hard work.”
Dylan Mulvihill is the only Evanston player to start every game.
His hard-working nature was evident in the Wildkits’ game on Friday, Jan. 29. Mulvihill, a senior forward, scored a career-high 20 points and grabbed a career-best 16 rebounds to help Evanston earn a 65-49 Central Suburban South win over Niles West in Skokie. The Wildkits, the Chicago Tribune’s No. 7-ranked team, have now won 10 in a row.
“I try to set a good example,” Mulvihill said of the way he practices. “I’ve learned from my four years here [that] what you do in practice carries over into games. We have a lot of talent that is younger, so I want to show them that.”
After the teams went into the half tied 27-all, Mulvihill scored eight points in the first four minutes of the third quarter to keep the score tied at 35-all. A 3-pointer by junior guard Malik Jenkins at the 3:31 mark of the quarter gave Evanston the lead for good.
“When we needed a basket, Dylan was always there to score it,” Ellis said. “We don’t win without him. His effort was relentless on every possession. He does the same thing in practice.”
Marshall and Mulvihill both said the team’s depth — the Wildkits (18-2, 6-0) played 11 against the Wolves (8-11, 1-7) — creates highly competitive practices.
“They get scrappy,” Marshall said. “There can be a lot of talking and arguing, but at the end of the day, we are there for each other.”
Added Mulvihill: “Sometimes, people cross the line and say stuff they shouldn’t, but [our practices are] what make us better.”
Ellis said he’s employed seven different starting lineups this season and doesn’t have a set rotation, at least not yet. To that end, he said he will continue to use practice as leverage.
“It’s only fair from an accountability and credibility standpoint,” Ellis said. “It’s fair to give people things they deserve. I’m confident in all of our guys, but they have to prove it at practice every day.”
Game notes
* Evanston junior guard Nojel Eastern followed Mulvihill with 11 points and seven rebounds, while junior guard Jerome Bynum came off the bench to score 10. Wildkits reserve guard Dravon Clayborn, sophomore, had eight points.
* Niles West senior forward Evan Hines, a Minnesota State-Moorhead signee, scored his team’s first 10 points and had 19 in the first half, but he scored only four in the final two quarters to finish with a game-best 23.
* The Wolves showed improvement from their first meeting with Evanston when they lost 61-26 on Friday, Dec. 11, in Evanston.
Twitter: @harnesspreps
