For senior Timi Ogunsanya, basketball has always been a part of life. This year has been about his growth, as a player, teammate and leader, something that has been very apparent during his final season on Evanston Basketball.
Ogunsanya first picked up a basketball at just five years old after his father encouraged him to try multiple sports. Encouragement from an early age has helped shape his work ethic and passion for the game.
“My dad was signing me up for different sports to see which one I liked more,” Ogunsanya said. “Basketball was the most fun and it stood out to me the most.”
Now a senior and starting shooting guard, Ogunsanya has developed into one of Evanston’s most reliable all-around players. Through 30 games, he is averaging 11.4 points per game while shooting an efficient 51.9% from the field and 45.6% from three point range. While shooting guards are often defined by scoring, Ogunsanya takes pride in impacting the game in multiple ways, particularly working to improve his defensive skills early in his varsity career.
“In my earlier years of playing varsity, my biggest weakness was playing defense,” he said.
Head coach Mike Ellis believes that this improvement has helped elevate both Ogunsanya and the team.
“Timi has had an MVP-like season for our Evanston Wildkits men’s basketball team,” Ellis said. “His elite three-point shooting along with his improved playmaking, defense and rebounding have unlocked our offense and helped make us one of the highest-scoring teams in school history.”
As one of the team’s seniors, leadership is just as important. For Ogunsanya, that means supporting his teammates and setting high standards for effort. With graduation approaching, Timi hopes his basketball journey will continue at the collegiate level. But regardless of what comes next, his senior season has already left a mark on the Wildkits program on and off the court.
