River Forest’s MJ Mendoza joked about his standing as the youngest of eight siblings.
The 6-foot junior guard has four brothers and three sisters.
“I’m the baby in the family,” Mendoza said with a laugh. “I get spoiled.”
Mendoza is anything but that as a basketball player. His focus and discipline are top-notch.
“He’s a hardworking kid,” River Forest coach Cory McKim said. “He’s one of those kids that’s hard to get out of the gym. That’s why he shoots the ball the way he does.
“He’s an effort kid. He puts in the time. He just loves basketball. He’s a gym rat for us.”
Mendoza is averaging a team-high 11.4 points, 3.6 rebounds and a team-high 2.2 steals for the Ingots (5-4). He was a part-time starter as a freshman and contributed 4.5 points in a full-time role last season.
“I’ve been hard on MJ, even when he was a freshman playing varsity,” McKim said. “I was like, ‘Hey, if you expect to play at his level, you have to figure it out.’ Same thing his sophomore year. And he has.”
Mendoza has reaped the rewards of that effort this season.
“I’m always practicing, always putting in the work,” he said. “Getting my teammates to dig in and get the work done too.”
River Forest junior guard Christian DeJesus is often alongside Mendoza. They’ve grown up together and attended the same elementary school.
“He has good energy,” DeJesus said. “He switches the mood of the team. He’s just a great dude, great ballplayer.”
Mendoza has expanded his game. Mostly a spot-up shooter in his first season, he has been driven to diversify.
“My confidence is way better from last year,” he said. “I’m shooting better. I’m getting to my spots. I’m having my confidence to take the midrange pullup jumper and the three. I’m getting my teammates open.
“A lot of the teams we play know I can shoot the ball, so my coaches told me to work on getting that pullup jumper and ‘that will be your bread and butter.’ I worked on that day and night, going to local gyms, putting in the work with my teammates.”
DeJesus has noticed.
“That dribble pullup is nice,” DeJesus said. “His passes are nice too. He has good communication. He has a high IQ — his ball knowledge is crazy.”
Mendoza earned a spot as one of three captains, along with senior guard Jessie White and junior forward Landon Harper. McKim said Mendoza helps set an example for the Ingots.
“I feel like a leader to the team,” Mendoza said. “I’m holding them to their limits, and I’m holding myself to my limits. We have to hold each other accountable. I make sure they’re doing the right thing. If they make a mistake, I’m right there behind them to pick their head up.”
Mendoza also plays baseball as a utility player — ”everywhere except for catcher,” he said — and pitcher. He hit .368 and went 1-2 with two saves last spring.
Mendoza aims to reach as close to an overlap as possible with basketball and baseball seasons this year. This season marks the 25th anniversary of the boys basketball team’s only sectional title in 2001, and a celebration is scheduled for a home game against Griffith on Jan. 23.
River Forest lost in a sectional final to Hanover Central last season and finished 17-7, its best record since 2016-17.
McKim has spoken to the players about their possible legacy, although the emphasis remains the day-by-day grind. Mendoza also has taken a no-frills approach.
“We’re 0-0,” Mendoza said. “That’s how we think every week. We put in the work every week, each game. We just have to show up and have the confidence to play and to play our best.”
