CHAMPAIGN — The best basketball season in Brother Rice history didn’t end the way the Crusaders wanted.
The pain no doubt will linger from a 55-52 double-overtime loss to DePaul Prep on March 15 in the IHSA Class 3A title game at State Farm Center.
But Marcos Gonzales — the Crusaders’ emotional leader, a Citadel recruit and the Catholic League Blue Player of the Year — will carry some other, more lasting memories with him as well.
“Brother Rice has changed my life,” Gonzales said. “Not just the basketball part of it — the school, the community. Being with coach (Conte) Stamas the past three years — I told him he changed my life.
“He’s always been there for me, he’s always been a father figure. Whether it’s basketball, whether it’s life, I feel like I can always go to him for anything.”
Gonzales scored a game-high 24 points against DePaul Prep (32-4) on 7-for-16 shooting from the floor and 10-for-13 from the line. He also grabbed a team-best eight rebounds and committed only two turnovers while playing all 40 minutes.
Though Rice has long had one of the Chicago area’s elite programs, the Crusaders hadn’t won a state trophy till this year. But they’ve moved to an even higher level under Stamas, going 30-5 in 2023-24, 31-6 last season and 31-7 this year.
“I told the guys we will be remembered for as long as we live,” Gonzales said. “Obviously we wanted the big (trophy). But this is still, like I said, a legendary moment in Brother Rice history.
“We’ll always be remembered for what we did — this whole journey, starting back in June and then in the fall, running the track. We put in the work and this is the outcome.”
While these Crusaders made their mark collectively, Gonzales stamped his imprint as their spark plug.
“First of all, he (has) the all-time most wins of any player in Brother Rice history,” Stamas said. “But he’s been such a great leader for this team. He was a coach on the floor, a tremendous student. So being with him for three years has been really life-changing from my end, too.”
Gonzales’ running mate and the Crusaders’ other top scoring option, Jack Weigus, has a different story. He transferred in from Hinsdale South this year.
“It’s been amazing,” Weigus said. “I’m so thankful for everyone around me, everyone on this team. From day one, I was accepted. I always felt like I belonged. And these guys made it really easy for me to be myself through the ups and downs.”
K.J. Morris, another of Rice’s five senior starters, added 11 points against DePaul Prep. Weigus scored 10, Max Justic contributed six points and six rebounds, and Caden Workman had five rebounds, six assists and two blocks.
The title game, a rematch of Rice’s 53-52 win on Jan. 24, was close throughout. The Crusaders led by nine, 33-24, after a basket by Gonzales with 5:42 left in the fourth quarter.
DePaul Prep then started cranking up its pressure defense, finally tying the score at 40 when Rykan Woo made three free throws with 43 seconds left.
That was the score going into overtime, and it was 43-all after the first extra period. The Rams scored the first four points of the second OT and the Crusaders never caught up.
But they made history.
“I feel like this was the closest team I’ve ever been a part of,” Workman said. “And when it got difficult in the playoffs or stuff wasn’t going our way, instead of backing down, we all came together as one group.”