Five minutes from the Barrington home of Rapolas Ivanauskas is a Lake Zurich YMCA. That’s where, several days a week, Ivanauskas and his father can be found on a basketball court.
They work on various basketball skills — shooting, dribbling, post moves. For the 6-foot-9 Ivanauskas, a Barrington junior, the workouts are another day at the office.
“There is no day you won’t find me in the gym,” Ivanauskas said.
That relentless work ethic, combined with rare all-court talents, made Ivanauskas one of Illinois’ most sought after players. It’s why he was sitting on three Big Ten offers (Iowa, Purdue, Northwestern) this spring. With the early signing period not until November, he could have waited for more college suitors.
But during an unofficial visit to Northwestern on April 18, Ivanauskas accepted the Wildcats’ offer.
“I couldn’t see myself playing anywhere else,” Ivanauskas said. “The proximity to home, the education, the chance to make history. It was the best bet for me.”
When Ivanauskas refers to making history, he’s talking about the NCAA tournament. The Wildcats have never participated in March’s most distinguished tournament. Ivanauskas said Chris Collins and the Northwestern coaching staff — specifically assistant Armon Gates — sold him on their long-term vision for the program, which includes regular trips to the NCAA tournament.
“They’ve been close but never made it. That’s one thing I want to do, to be the first team,” Ivanauskas said.
For two years, Necus Mayne coached Ivanauskas on a Full Package elite AAU team. The roster included Marshall junior guard Tyrese Williford, ranked as one of the top 2016 prospects by prepshoopsillinois.com.
Mayne said what separates Ivanauskas from other players are his peerless fundamentals.
“There aren’t too many kids these days that can hit you with the array of moves he has around the basket. It’s predicated around footwork,” Mayne said. “His ups and unders and step-throughs. It’s a wonder to see sometimes.”
When Ivanauskas called Mayne with the news he had committed to Northwestern, Mayne said he wasn’t surprised.
“It plays into the competitive nature he has. He wants to be part of something special,” Mayne said. “He’s not the average teenager.”
Ivanauskas said Northwestern plays a motion-style offense that encourages creativity. The Wildcats run only a few plays and look to exploit mismatches. This philosophy favors a player with his size and athleticism.
“I see myself coming off screens and being a playmaker. I can be a nightmare matchup for guys in the Big Ten,” Ivanauskas said.
On April 18, Ivanauskas and his father, Thomas, watched a Northwestern practice and scrimmaged for an hour. They exited to Collins’ office. After a few minutes of discussion, Ivanauskas accepted the Wildcats’ scholarship offer.
Ivanauskas then called his mother, Ginta.
“She was excited about it. Any mother’s best wish is to have [her son] go to college 40 minutes away from home,” Ivanauskas said.
The Ivanauskas family celebrated the news later that night. But the commemoration was brief. Especially when there’s an empty basketball gym that needs company.
“That’s where it all starts with me,” Ivanauskas said.
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Kerr is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press.
Twitter: @prepspioneer