Mundelein's 'little brothers' have Mustangs winning big

It was tough to watch sometimes.

But the little brothers were loyal to their big brothers. Plus, the little brothers really loved basketball.

So, the little brothers watched.

As big brothers Kyle Enright and Jeff Bikus went through some really tough times a few years ago with a Mundelein basketball team that won only a few games over the 2016 and 2017 seasons, little brothers Conor Enright and Jack Bikus watched from the bleachers. And as they hoped for better results for their brothers, they dreamed of a much different fate for themselves.

"We were in middle school at the time and watching those games wasn't very exciting. I know my brother wasn't enjoying it. The team really struggled. They just didn't look like they were having fun or like they even wanted to play," Conor Enright said. "Jack and I went to a lot of games together back then and I think we thought that our team wouldn't be like that, that our team would be different."

So far, the Mustangs have been very different as the little brothers have come of age.

Mundelein, which started 13-0 this season, is now 16-3, and is in the midst of one of its most successful seasons in program history, is on a completely different trajectory than just three years ago. The Mustangs are fighting for a North Suburban Conference championship and could tie Stevenson for first place if they win out. They also have their sights set on winning a regional championship, which hasn't happened at Mundelein in eight years.

Interestingly, it's the little brothers, with the help of another Mundelein little brother, who are leading the way, and the turnaround.

Mundelein has a Big Three that consists of Enright, Bikus and Scottie Ebube, who is the little brother of Chino Ebube. Chino Ebube was a big star for Mundelein until he graduated in 2013.

"All three of us, me, Conor and Scottie, have played together since like first grade," Jack Bikus said. "And I'm pretty sure Conor and I have played together since kindergarten. The three of us, we know each other on and off the court, inside and out. We were on some pretty good teams together growing up. I think that made us believe that if we kept working hard, we could be successful in high school, too.

"We always had the mindset that we could be good and that we could be the ones to turn the basketball program around."

In the fall of 2017, as little brothers Conor Enright, Jack Bikus and Scottie Ebube started their freshman year, Mundelein got a new basketball coach, Matt Badgley.

Big brothers Kyle Enright and Jeff Bikus were seniors that year, and Conor became the starting varsity point guard as a freshman. Scottie, a 6-foot-8 center, came off the bench and Jack, a jack-of-all-trades utility player, moved back and forth between the sophomore and varsity teams.

The turnaround started that season as the Mustangs finished with a 14-17 record.

Last year, with the big brothers gone and the little brothers all starting varsity as sophomores, Mundelein won 20 games.

And this year, the Mustangs, who just celebrated Conor's 1,000th career point and are expecting Scottie to hit that mark soon, are on pace to exceed that mark.

"We worked really hard during the summer to get to this point," Scottie Ebube said. "I remember going to a lot of my brother's games when he was a senior, and I remember him dunking a lot. That was fun. We are having a lot of fun now. I think we can go far this season."

Ebube leads the team with about 16 points per game and is averaging a double-double with about 12 rebounds per game as well. Enright, who has already committed to Drake, is at about 14 points per game and leads the team with 5.5 assists per game. Bikus also averages double-figures at around 11 points per game.

"The Big Three have meant a lot to us. They have a lot of varsity experience now," Badgley said of his trio of junior stars. "And I think the fact that all of them have had older brothers in the program, makes it a special experience for them. Especially Conor and Jack. By being around so much when their older brothers were here, they really understand where the program was and they see what it has taken to get to where we are now. I think there is an appreciation for what we've been able to do."

The big brothers are appreciative, too. The little brothers all say that their big brothers had a hand in making them the players they are today, so, for many reasons the big brothers really like seeing the little brothers making Mundelein a contender again.

Kyle Enright, a student at Indiana University and Jeff Bikus, who is playing at Hope College in Michigan, have both been to multiple games this season, especially when they were home from school for the holidays. And Chino Ebube, who is a little older and already out of college, has attended a couple games, too.

"I think this turnaround really means a lot to me and Conor and Scottie," Jack Bikus said. "We grew up around this program. We went to so many games. We watched our brothers play a lot of games and we saw the tough times.

"I think the turnaround and the program really has a special place in our hearts."

Follow Patricia on Twitter: @babcockmcgraw