Ever since junior Elyjah Williams went down with a foot injury, the Evanston boys basketball team has had to adapt.
The Wildkits, ranked No. 7 by the baiduhai, did a good job of that again on Thursday, Jan. 14, in a 58-53 home victory over Maine South in a Central Suburban South game. Evanston is 3-0 without Williams in uniform, but the loss of the 6-foot-6 starting forward still hurts.
“Elyjah is so valuable with his rebounding and passing,” Evanston coach Mike Ellis said. “He’s like [Golden State Warriors forward] Draymond Green for us. Elyjah impacts the game so much, even without the ball.”
There’s a chance Williams might not be back this season. He said he plans to have surgery next week on his broken right foot, which he injured in a pickup game over the holiday break, and could miss up to eight weeks. Ellis said the best-case scenario could be for Williams to return in time for the state tournament, which is Friday, March 18, and Saturday, March 19.
Despite Williams’ absence, Evanston (13-2, 5-0) took a two-game lead in the conference thanks, in part, to senior Dylan Mulvihill. The 6-5 forward scored 15 points and grabbed a game-high 14 rebounds against the Hawks (12-5, 3-2).
“Elyjah is good for about 10 [rebounds] a game, so I have to make up for that,” said Mulvihill, who has verbally committed to the Pennsylvania baseball team. “I also have to be more aggressive when I get the ball. I have to look at the rim first. I’ve got to be the man in the post now.”
Williams was enthused by Mulvihill’s performance.
“That’s my boy,” Williams said. “That was great to see.”
Ellis said that with several players capable of playing point guard, he can move 6-6 junior guard Nojel Eastern and 6-4 junior guard Chris Hamil to the front court. Senior Charlie Maxwell, a 6-2 guard, also has filled in at forward. In addition to Eastern and Hamil, junior Jerome Bynum, junior Malik Jenkins and senior Micquel Roseman were among the team’s ball-handlers.
“Dylan, Charlie are guys we are counting on to impact us on the front line,” Ellis said. “They will secure our inside. We can’t rely just on Dylan. We have to support one another.”
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Williams said his teammates not only will have to make up for his rebounds, but they also will have to bring the same energy he does to the floor.
“I am one of the best rebounders, and I talk a lot on the defensive end,” Williams said. “Those are the two main things I do well.”
Williams was cautiously optimistic he could be playing alongside Mulvihill before the state tournament.
“I probably will be out for a while,” said Williams, who was wearing a walking boot and using crutches during the Maine South game. “I have to keep my head up. I heal pretty fast, so I am not too worried about it. I will do everything I can to come back. I will be praying for it.”
Game notes
* Eastern scored two points in the second half, but he still had a team-best 17 points. Hamil added 10 points.
* Maine South trailed by as many as 15 points, 41-26, at the 6:09 mark of the third quarter, but the Hawks rallied behind hot hand of Milos Ljiljak. The junior forward hit three 3-pointers and scored 13 in the third quarter to help the Hawks get within six, 47-41, by the start of the fourth.
* Ljiljak finished with 16 points. Senior guard Jon Arenas scored a game-high 23 points. Senior Brad Perry, a 6-11 center, scored all 11 of his points in the first half before fouling out with 2:15 remaining in the fourth.
* Maine South is in the middle of one of its toughest stretches of the season. Starting with a home game against New Trier on Friday, Jan. 8, and ending Monday, Jan. 18, in Galesburg against Rockford East, the Hawks will play eight games.
Twitter: @harnesspreps