Mac Doyle, cousin of former Benet star Kathleen Doyle, hopes to bring first state title to boys program

Mac Doyle was quite familiar with the CEFCU Arena court he played on Monday night.

The Benet senior guard’s mom, Cara, coached the St. Ignatius girls team to second place in Class 3A there two nights before.

Then there is Doyle’s cousin.

Kathleen Doyle, former Illinois Ms. Basketball, led Benet to state championships in the gym formerly known as Redbird Arena in 2015 and 2016. Mac remembers them well.

“I was at all the games. I was probably in second or third grade. I did watch her at state, and I was down on Saturday to watch my mom’s St. Ignatius team,” Doyle said.

“It was kind of a cool, full-circle moment. I remember when I was little watching Kathleen. I didn’t ever imagine playing in a game on the same court.”

Just a fan no longer, Doyle is an unsung hero and a key cog for a Benet team that beat Quincy in Monday’s supersectional at ISU and is set to make the program’s fourth state tournament appearance since 2014 under head coach Gene Heidkamp.

The Redwings (31-5) play Evanston (30-5) in a 6 p.m. Friday state semifinal in Champaign, another court Kathleen played on while at the University of Iowa. Rich plays Warren in the second semifinal, with the state championship game Saturday night.

The good genes run deep with this particular Benet team, and not just with Gene Heidkamp.

Benet 7-foot-2 junior center Colin Stack is cousins with former Benet all-stater Frank Kaminsky, who like Kathleen Doyle was at Monday’s supersectional win. Senior point guard Blake Fagbemi is the little brother of Brayden Fagbemi, point guard for Benet’s 2023 Class 4A state runners-up.

“There are some good family bloodlines,” Heidkamp said. “We’ve been lucky to have some siblings and cousins in the program.”

Basketball is certainly big in the Doyle family, and it’s a big family at that.

His dad and Kathleen’s dad are two of seven siblings. Doyle estimates that he has about 35 cousins on his dad’s side, and another 15 on his mom’s side.

Games on annual family trips to South Carolina are fierce, no punches pulled.

“It’s intense. I’ve grown up around it,” Doyle said. “The one thing about the Doyles, we’re a competitive family. I think we have three or four Division I cousins. Those genetics help, even if we don’t have all the height.”

Doyle, all of 5-foot-11 himself, didn’t play at all as a junior. But he knew if he put his head down and put in the work, he had a chance at it.

“For me to be on the court, that was playing defense and doing the dirty work,” Doyle said. “We have such a talented group of guys. If I can put them in position to succeed, I’m doing my job.”

Doyle has indeed done his job well, and it’s been no easy task. In Benet’s sectional semifinal win over Waubonsie Valley, his assignment was checking Illinois State commit Tyreek Coleman. Monday, he defended Santa Clara recruit Bradley Longcor of Quincy.

“He has done an excellent job all year of guarding some of the best guards in the area,” Heidkamp said. “It takes the pressure off Jayden [Wright] and Blake and allows them to not have to focus so much on the defensive end.

“Mac has been a difference-maker down the stretch.”

Doyle chalks up his success at the defensive end to a little bit of technique, but also a mentality.

He’s also quick to credit teammates like Stack as a next line of support protecting the rim.

“A lot of times if I get beat, I have help,” he said. “I was beat to the rim three or four times on Monday, but to have a 7-footer helps. I wasn’t proud of my defense, but Colin bailed me out.”

It’s been a fun ride this season for the Doyles, a basketball family through and through.

“Our household, there is a lot of basketball talk,” he said. “For example, last weekend I came home from the sectional game and immediately my mom was like, ‘Come watch this team we’re going to play.' We break down film together.

“My mom and dad are my No. 1 fans. They are really good when to break it down and when to be there for support.”

Count Heidkamp as another big fan of his senior guard.

“Mac is one of the finest kids I’ve been around in my 32 years of coaching,” Heidkamp said. “I know Mom is proud of her son, as she should be. It’s been a special year.”

Doyle hopes the special season in the family, Doyle and Benet, has a big finish. Benet, three times a state runner-up under Heidkamp, has never won a state championship.

“The Benet basketball tradition is such a great history, so many teams and so many players that have really paved the way for what we can do,” Doyle said. “To win it for Coach Heidkamp would be special.”