EP Mustangs’ Boys Basketball Season Begins Soon: A Look Ahead

EVERGREEN PARK, IL - Practice has already heated up for the Evergreen Park Community High School boys basketball team, as the Mustangs are itching to get back onto the court.

Coming off a 5-8 coronavirus pandemic-shortened season a year ago, Head Coach Jim Sexton has set high expectations for the 2021-2022 squad. The team returns some key players and has added a few new ones expected to play important roles.

“We will compete for a South Suburban Red title,” Sexton said.

Leading the way could be Nolan Sexton, a sophomore who averaged 16 points per game as a freshman in 2020-2021 and was 40 percent from three-point range, and Malik Kelly, a senior who averaged 15 points per game and 10 rebounds a game as a junior a year ago.

Last season, the Mustangs finished in a 3-way tie for third place in the South Suburban Red. Richards won the conference with a 10-3 record. Oak Lawn finished second. Evergreen Park tied with Eisenhower and Shepard, and finished ahead of Argo and Reavis.

Coach Sexton expects Bakari Nelson, a transfer from Brother Rice, to have “a breakout year” for EPCHS, as senior Jalen Shepard “will provide toughness on both ends of the floor.”

Expect the Mustangs to have “an up tempo offense that will rely on creating offense from our defensive pressure,” Coach Sexton said.

The Evergreen Park Mustangs’ boys basketball season will begin from November 23-26 at a tournament in Lisle, with the home opener slated for December 2 against T.F. South. The team will play one game apiece against the six other schools in the South Suburban Red conference once, including a January 13 home game against rival Oak Lawn.