Like his teammates, Evanston senior swingman Malcolm Townsel has been dreaming for years about helping lead the Blue and Orange downstate.
However, in Townsel’s dream, he was reaching state in the colors of powerhouse Young, where he spent the first three years of high school before moving to Evanston last summer.
“My dad had an opportunity out here for a job and (Evanston) is still a great program,” Townsel said. “I enrolled at Evanston and it has turned into one of the best situations I could ever be in.”
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On Friday, Townsel’s lock-down defense and timely scoring helped the top-seeded Wildkits record a 59-42 win over eighth-seeded Deerfield in the Class 4A Niles West Regional final. It was Evanston’s fourth straight regional crown.
The Wildkits led 55-31 when the regulars departed with just under 3 minutes remaining in the game. Senior Chris Hamil led the way for Evanston (26-3) with 20 points, shooting 6-of-7 from 3-point range. Evanston senior and Purdue signee Nojel Eastern had 12 points, including eight straight during a late first-quarter and early second-quarter stretch in which the Wildkits began to open up a game that had been close early.
The 6-foot-4 Townsel also had 12, and he has averaged 15 points in his last four games. But his biggest contribution against Deerfield (18-12) came on the defensive end where he held junior Alex Casieri, the Warriors’ leading scorer, to eight points. That’s 10.5 points below his average. Townsel also had three steals and a block.
Casieri, who only had two points after three quarters, had scored 17 points against Townsel and the Wildkits when the teams met in the previous week’s Central Suburban Showcase game, which Evanston won 69-49.
In a film session the night before the rematch, Townsel said Evanston coach Mike Ellis asked if he wanted to guard the 6-foot-1 Casieri again. Townsel said he did.
“I just thank (Ellis) for giving me another opportunity,” Townsel said. “I took that challenge. I told (Ellis), ‘Yeah, I got him this game.'”
Townsel said he used his superior length to his advantage, stayed close to Casieri, who shot 3-for-7 in the game, and refrained from playing too much help defense.
Ellis called Townsel one of the team’s most consistent players, and said he was glad to see him take on the challenge of guarding Casieri.
“It’s great to see a senior like that step up and set an example that, ‘I’m not going to run away from the challenge,'” Ellis said. “That’s what this time of year is about. It’s good to see Malcolm set the tone with that.”
Townsel said he came off the bench at Young last season, playing about 10 minutes a game in his first varsity campaign.
Townsel’s family moved from Chicago’s South Loop to Evanston in mid-August, which was about the time Malcolm contacted Ellis to let him know he was hoping to be part of the Wildkits team.
Though Townsel said he knew Eastern a bit from the AAU circuit, Ellis made it clear that Townsel was not a recruited transfer.
Hamil said he didn’t even know who Townsel was prior to a team gathering over the summer.
“At first, I was a little confused when he first walked in. I wasn’t expecting there to be a new guy,” said Hamil, who lives in Evanston. “But we really hit it off. He’s a good person to be around. His game is getting better and better. He’s efficient and we need players like that. He’s a great piece to our team.”
Townsel’s addition has helped offset the loss of three transfers who were expected to be part of the Wildkits squad: Jerome Bynum (Bogan), Dravon Clayborn (Niles North) and Malik Jenkins (Notre Dame).
Townsel said he spent the fall learning the Evanston basketball team’s system.
“I was in Ellis’ room every day for my free periods, looking at the playbook, literally every day,” Townsel said.
Ellis said Townsel was a quick study.
“What is most impressive is how quickly he caught on to what we do,” Ellis said. “We don’t do the same things Whitney Young does. But (Townsel), as a senior, is playing like he’s been here since his freshman year. His intelligence and feel for the game is what has allowed him to succeed.”
Dan Shalin is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press.
Twitter @Pioneer_Press
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This story has been modified to reflect the following correction:
The article misstated the number of points Deerfield’s Alex Casieri scored in the Central Suburban Showcase. He finished with 17 points, not 19.