Men’s Basketball: ‘This run cemented us’ Elmhurst University makes history with run to DIII championship game

Elmhurst University forward Lavon Thomas was a member of the sixth-year crew.

As one of seven Elmhurst seniors, Thomas, a Wheaton North graduate, joined team MVP Jake Rhode as the “old uncles” of the team.

“I’ve known Jake and Jay [Militello] for five or six years, so the chemistry was for sure unmatched,” Thomas said of the team’s unique bonds.

Junior guard Wesley Hooker, a Downers Grove South graduate, was at the other end of the spectrum. Hooker said he thrives off playing in front of fans, relying on that energy to push him in tough games.

So when the Bluejays played last season with limited fans in attendance, Hooker experienced a rough season. This was Hooker’s first complete season due to his entire true freshman season being wiped out because of the pandemic.

“This season was very special to me given that we got shut down my first year due to COVID, and last year we didn’t really have a season due to getting shut down every other week,” Hooker said. “Coming into this season being able to play in front of fans was super exciting. We knew we had the potential to be great, so it was exciting.”

The Bluejays, a Division III program comprised mainly of players from the Chicago area, capitalized on their vast experience and hunger to play a full season to make an uplifting run that made history this season.

Elmhurst University advanced to the Division III national championship game for the first time in program history, losing to top-ranked Randolph-Macon 75-45 on March 19 in Fort Wayne, Indiana.

The Bluejays (27-7) set numerous program records this season, including most wins in a single season, and captured the CCIW Tournament title for the second time in three seasons.

Thomas, who scored 10 points and grabbed eight rebounds in the title game defeat, is one of six 23-year-old players on the Bluejays. Throughout the postseason, the Bluejays mounted several comebacks to win games. The 6-foot-5 Thomas averaged 12.2 points and 5.3 rebounds in his final season.

“This season was one of the greatest, if not greatest, time in my basketball career,” Thomas said. “It was just a blessing to have all of my family and friends and anyone else who supported the team and our run be there for us. … Our experience took over during a lot of games, especially during the NCAA Tournament where we had to battle back from deficits. It brought us closer and closer each game.”

Elmhurst University coach John Baines, in his ninth season leading the program, said the experience of his players factored into the team’s chemistry which led to a magical run in the playoffs. Rhode, who was named to the d3hoops.com All-American second team, led the Bluejays in scoring (17.8 points), assists (123) and steals (64) to finish as the program’s all-time leader in scoring (2.139 points) and assists (510).

“We had three sixth-year seniors, three fifth-year seniors and two fourth-year seniors,” Baines said. “I called them the ‘The Last Dancers’ because nearly all of them came back. I had six 23-year-olds on the team. First of all, their bonds were incredible. The level of trust was so ingrained in the guys because they spend so much time together. We really laid the foundation of being a nationally recognized program. This run cemented us. We can say we’re one of the best teams in the nation.”

Thomas called the Bluejays’ stunning comeback from a 17-point first-half deficit to pull out a scintillating 76-70 win over Pomona-Pitzer in the second round on their home court at R.A. Faganel Hall in Elmhurst a memorable win.

“The crowd and atmosphere was something to remember for the ages,” Thomas said.

The 6-2 Hooker, who averaged 11.3 points, 5.3 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 1.6 steals and made 36 3-pointers, was instrumental in the Bluejays’ run due to his two-way play. Hooker said the memorable season was the perfect antidote to wipe way all the frustrations of the past two seasons.

“For me, COVID impacted me a lot because I feed off the crowds’ energy,” Hooker said. “Having no fans really changed my game and hurt me a little bit. With things changing back to normal this season, it gave me a boost of energy. It showed in my level of play, getting all-conference honors and just the fans of Elmhurst could really tell I fed off the energy.”

Baines said Thomas and Hooker both played key parts in Elmhurst’s historic run.

“COVID really was hard for Wes,” he said. “All these men went through COVID differently, but really struggled. He likes to have fans and excitement. When you’re not playing on a scholarship, it’s truly playing for the love of it, so it was hard for some of them to play. He had a bad season last year. He came back and became one of the premier defenders in the nation.

“Lavon has always been a really good player. He missed about a month of this season, but came back and showed he was the heart and soul of the team.”