You’re driving down 77th and Western on Chicago's South Side. If you know anything about this city, you know you're in the heart of Catholic League country. It’s gritty. It’s historic. And honestly, it’s where some of the best high school hoops in the country happen every winter.
But if you’ve been following St. Rita Chicago basketball lately, you’ve probably noticed something. Things feel... different.
The "Mustang Pride" is still there, but the roster isn't the same as that terrifying squad from a few years back. You remember the one. James Brown (now a North Carolina Tar Heel) and Morez Johnson Jr. (the Illinois commit) were swatting everything in sight. People were calling them a "super-team." They were a lock for the state title, or so everyone thought.
Fast forward to the 2025-2026 season. The hype has quieted down, but the stakes? They're just as high.
The Current State of the Mustangs
Let’s be real: rebuilding is hard. It sucks.
Right now, St. Rita is navigating a season that’s basically a trial by fire. As of mid-January 2026, the varsity squad is sitting at a 7-12 record. They just took a tough 68-36 loss against their rivals, Mt. Carmel. That hurts. It especially hurts when the score is 37-12 at halftime and you’re just trying to find some sort of rhythm.
But here is what most people get wrong about high school basketball in Chicago: the record doesn't tell the whole story.
The Chicago Catholic League (CCL) is a meat grinder. You’re playing DePaul Prep, Loyola Academy, and Brother Rice every other week. There are no "gimme" games. Head Coach Jim Sexton is currently working with a younger core, and they’re learning the hard way that in this league, you don't get participation trophies.
Who’s On the Floor?
The roster looks a lot different than the twin-tower era. It's smaller. Faster. Kinda scrappy.
- Michael Hampton III (Junior, PG/SG): At 6'3", he’s got the size and the vision. He’s often the primary ball-handler trying to break through those suffocating CCL presses.
- Will Loehr (Junior, 6'7"): He’s one of the few guys providing that much-needed height in the paint.
- Andrew Elwood (Senior): One of the veteran voices in the locker room. In a season of ups and downs, you need the seniors to keep the sophomores from spiraling after a bad loss.
The JV team, interestingly enough, is actually showing some serious sparks. They recently beat Providence Catholic 51-24. Names like Flynn Daley and Ewing Ikard are popping up in the stat sheets consistently. If you’re a St. Rita fan, that’s your silver lining. The pipeline isn't empty; it’s just maturing.
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The Rivalry That Never Sleeps
You can’t talk about St. Rita Chicago basketball without mentioning Brother Rice. It’s only 4.6 miles between the two schools. That’s a ten-minute drive on a good day.
Last February, the Mustangs dropped a 58-32 game to the Crusaders. That was their eighth loss in a row at the time. It was a "rough patch" that felt more like a canyon.
But the rivalry isn't just about hoops. In December 2025, these two schools met for the IHSA Class 7A state football championship. Brother Rice won that one, too, 16-0. When one school starts winning across multiple sports, the tension in the neighborhood gets thick. You feel it in the local diners. You see it on social media.
Honestly, the Mustangs are currently the "underdog" in the neighborhood. For a school with such a massive athletic tradition, that’s a weird place to be. But being the underdog on the South Side usually means you're about two seconds away from a chip on your shoulder that turns into a winning streak.
A Legacy Built on George Janky and Bill Walton
Some people forget how deep the history goes here. St. Rita isn't some new-money basketball program.
Go back to 1966. The Mustangs were led by George Janky, a 6'8" All-American center. They were the giants of the league. They played in legendary games at DePaul’s Alumni Hall—the "basketball pit." Even when they lost heartbreakers, like the 62-60 overtime thriller against Fenwick that year, they were the standard.
And then there's the Bill Walton connection.
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It might seem weird to link a San Diego legend to a Chicago school, but the "Art, Play, Pray" project at St. Rita’s (the school system, not just the high school) recently dedicated the Bill Walton Basketball Court. Walton actually advised on the project before he passed away in 2024. He even made sure they bought the hoops from the same company that supplies the NBA.
That’s the kind of aura we're talking about. People care about these courts.
Why the "Super-Team" Era Failed (and Why It Matters)
A few years ago, St. Rita was the talk of the nation. They had James Brown, Morez Johnson, and Nojus Indrusaitis. It was a collection of talent that felt like an AAU team.
They reached the sectional championships—the farthest the school had ever gone. But they never got that state ring. They lost 75-68 to Kenwood Academy in a game that still haunts some fans.
Why didn't they win it all?
- Chemistry vs. Talent: Having three Division I stars is great, but the CCL is built on teams that have played together since third grade.
- The Target: When you’re ranked in the Top 25 nationally, every single team plays their "Game of the Year" against you.
- The Pressure: It’s hard to be 17 years old and told you're the next "Big Thing" every single day.
When that group graduated or transferred, it left a massive vacuum. That's what we're seeing now. The 2025-2026 season is the "hangover" from the super-team era. It’s the period where the program has to rediscover its identity.
Is St. Rita a "recruiting" school, or is it a "neighborhood" school? Right now, they’re leaning back into being a tough, South Side program that wins with grit rather than just five-star rankings.
Actionable Insights for Fans and Players
If you're a parent of a middle-schooler looking at St. Rita, or just a fan trying to figure out if it's worth heading to the gym for a Friday night game, here’s the reality.
1. Watch the Sophomores
Don't judge the program by the current varsity record. The JV team is where the future is. Watch guys like Eze Nwagwu and Angelo Adams. Their development over the next 12 months will dictate if St. Rita returns to the top of the CCL.
2. The Schedule is the Secret
If you want to see the best basketball in Illinois, check the Mustangs' away schedule. Playing at Mt. Carmel or Loyola Academy is a rite of passage. The atmosphere is loud, the officiating is "classic Catholic League," and the basketball is high-level.
3. Embrace the Rebuild
Every great program has down years. Duke has them. Kentucky has them. St. Rita is in one. But the infrastructure—the coaching staff under Sexton, the alumni support, and the facilities—is still elite.
The Mustangs aren't "down." They're reloading.
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What’s Next for St. Rita Basketball?
The rest of the 2026 season is about pride. They need to string together some wins in the consolation brackets and maybe pull off a massive upset in the playoffs.
If you want to support the team or stay updated, here’s what you should do:
- Attend the "Night with the Mustangs" events: It’s the best way to meet the coaching staff and see the direction of the program.
- Follow MaxPreps closely: The stats for players like Flynn Daley (averaging around 8.9 PPG) are updated regularly.
- Check the CCL standings: Watch how the Mustangs perform against teams with similar records like Providence Catholic or Leo. Those are the "growth" games.
St. Rita basketball is a cornerstone of Chicago sports. It’s seen the 1960s legends, the 2020s superstars, and now it’s finding its soul again in 2026. It might be a quiet year on Western Avenue, but don't count them out. The South Side always finds a way back to the top.