Wildkits land recruit from France
There are several high-profile transfers who will undoubtedly impact high school basketball this season. But two out-of-state transfers — including one from Europe — will be significant when the season tips off in two months.
Evanston coach Mike Ellis returns four starters from last year’s 27-win team that finished third in the state: Southern Illinois recruit Lance Jones, senior Jaheim Holden, and sophomores Blake Peters and Jaylin Gibson.
The Wildkits will receive a big boost from incoming transfer 6-5 sophomore Louis Lesmond from France. He’s a skilled perimeter threat with outstanding shooting ability.
The wing is considered one of the better players in France for his age group. He was a member of the French U16 national team last summer and is a Division I prospect.
Lesmond’s sister, Lola, is a freshman at Evanston and also a highly regarded basketball prospect.
The Lesmond family moved from France to the United States when their father, David, was relocated to the Chicago area for his job in the wine industry.
David Lesmond played at Purdue for three years in the mid-1990s. While at Purdue, current Boilermakers assistant coach Brandon Brantley was David’s teammate. Brantley was the lead recruiter when Purdue landed former Evanston star Nojel Eastern a couple of years ago.
When the Lesmond family was searching for possible landing spots in the Chicago area, David Lesmond checked in with his former teammate. Brantley suggested taking a look at Evanston.
That recommendation has provided Ellis another weapon for a loaded team expected to be ranked among the top 10 teams in the state.
Benet adds 6-6 senior
Benet won 27 games a year ago and put together a solid summer behind junior big man Colin Crothers and senior Will Engels, a vastly improved 6-5 perimeter player with versatility. After 6-7 Noah Ferrell left Benet for Romeoville, an exciting talent landed on coach Gene Heidkamp’s doorstep when the school year began: Kendrick Tchoua. The move-in from Maryland provides a presence with his size and athleticism.
Benet appears ready to challenge defending champ St. Viator in the East Suburban Catholic Conference.
The athletic 6-6, 220-pound Tchoua is a Division I prospect. He’s already among the City/Suburban Hoops Report’s top 15 prospects in the Class of 2019 and boasts midmajor potential.
For his size and position, Tchoua uses a mixture of athleticism, pure strength and aggressiveness to get to the rim where he punishes overmatched defenders. He’s a presence around the basket and a potential matchup nightmare.
With the solid trio of Crothers, Engels and Tchoua, Benet figures to extend its streak of 20-plus wins to 10 straight seasons. Want the latest information and analysis on high school football? Our team of Michael O’Brien, Beth Long and Annie Costabile will share the latest news, insights and weekly Super 25 rankings in a livestream show called ‘‘Sun-Times Game Week’’ at 4:30 p.m. every Monday. Like and follow our high school sports Facebook page and watch the show on Facebook Live. You also can ask questions using #suntimesgameweek.