St. Rita (IL

Head Coach : Roshawn Russell 2021-22 Record: 23-12

Overview

Last year’s team only had 3 seniors, but this team was loaded with young guards and two nationally ranked twin towers down low. The Saint Rita Mustangs lost a competitive game to the Kenwood Academy Broncos, 75-68 in the sectional championship; the farthest they have advanced in school history. They are returning most of their roster from last season, but starting guard, Kaiden Space, transferred to Simeon Academy for his senior season. This team has sky-high expectations with a trio of nationally recognized talent and a strong supporting cast of guards.

Player Spotlight

The Mustangs’ foundation is built on the dynamic 6’8 duo of James Brown (ranked #28 in 2024) and Illinois commit, Morez Johnson Jr. (#32 in 2024). They will look to dominate the paint on both ends of the floor and complement each other’s games with another year of experience together. Brown is a skilled center who can be a secondary playmaker and rim protector. Johnson is an explosive leaper who provides the energy and intensity that this team needs. This team is going to be extremely difficult to guard this year because they are adding another top 60 prospect in Lemont transfer, Nojus Indrusaitis (#57 in 2024). The three of them all played AAU basketball with the Chicago Meanstreets this summer, so they are well accustomed to how each other plays. Nojus is one of the most prolific scorers in Illinois and he had an excellent summer playing for his Lithuanian FIBA U16 Team, winning the European Championship while also being their leading scorer. When your 3 best players are 6’6, 6’8, and 6’8 there will not be too many teams in the Chicago Catholic league that can matchup with you. Their real tests will be the nationally scheduled games against other elite high schools and prep programs.

Supporting Cast

Saint Rita has a stable of solid guards to utilize. Homewood-Flossmoor transfer, Nashawn Holmes (Sr.), is an aggressive and physical scorer who plays well off his jab step. 4-Star 2025 guard, Melvin Bell, will look to build on a tremendous freshman year as he continues to add to his game. Jordan Chandler (Sr.), Amari Edwards (So.), and Mikai Harris (So.) will bring stability and consistency to the guard position. It will be interesting to see who the starting backcourt will look like with so many options to choose from. Fenwick transfer Graham Lathan (Jr.), will add some much-needed depth to the wing position with his defensive versatility and opportunistic scoring.