River Forest’s MJ Mendoza reaps rewards

MJ Mendoza of River Forest joked about being the youngest of eight siblings.

The 6-foot junior guard has four brothers and three sisters.

“I’m the baby of the family,” Mendoza said with a laugh. “I’m spoiled.”

Mendoza is anything but that as a basketball player. His focus and discipline are top notch.

“He’s a hard-working kid,” River Forest coach Cory McKim said. “He’s one of those kids that’s hard to get out of the gym, that’s why he shoots the ball the way he does.

“He’s a kid who works hard. He puts in the time. He loves basketball. He’s a gym enthusiast for us.”

Mendoza is averaging 11.4 points, 3.6 rebounds and 2.2 steals for the Ingots (5-4). He was a part-time starter as a freshman and contributed 4.5 points full-time last season.

“I was hard on MJ, even when he was a freshman in college,” McKim said. “I said to myself, ‘Hey, if you hope to play at his level, you’ve got to understand him.’ Same thing in second year. And he did it.

Mendoza has reaped the rewards of his efforts this season.

“I always train, I always do the work,” he said. “Getting my teammates to step up and do the work too.”

River Forest junior guard Christian DeJesus is often alongside Mendoza. They grew up together and attended the same elementary school.

“He has good energy,” DeJesus said. “He changes the vibe of the team. He’s just a great guy, a great baseball player.”

Mendoza expanded his game. Mainly a spot shooter during his first season, he was led to diversify.

“My confidence is a lot better than last year,” he said. “I’m shooting better. I’m getting to my spots. I have the confidence to take the mid-range pull-up and the three. I’m getting my teammates open.

“A lot of teams we play know I can shoot the ball, so my coaches told me to work on getting that pull-up and ‘that’ll be your bread and butter.’ I worked at it day and night, going to local gyms and working out with my teammates.

DeJesus noticed.

“That dribble is nice,” DeJesus said. “His passes are nice too. He has good communication. He has a high IQ – his knowledge of the ball is crazy.”

Mendoza earned a spot among the three captains, along with senior guard Jessie White and junior forward Landon Harper. McKim said Mendoza helps set an example for bullion.

“I feel like a leader on the team,” Mendoza said. “I keep them within their boundaries, and I keep myself within my boundaries. We have to hold each other accountable. I make sure they’re doing the right thing. If they make a mistake, I’m right there behind them to hold their heads up.”

Mendoza also plays baseball as a utility player — “everywhere except catcher,” he said — and as a pitcher. He hit .368 and had a double with two saves last spring.

Mendoza aims to get as close to an overlap with the basketball and baseball seasons as possible this year. This season marks the 25th anniversary of the boys basketball team’s only sectional title in 2001, and a celebration is planned for a home game against Griffith on Jan. 23.

River Forest lost in the sectional final to Hanover Central last season and finished 17-7, its best record since 2016-17.

McKim spoke to the players about their possible legacy, although the focus remains on the day-to-day. Mendoza also took a simple approach.

“We’re 0-0,” Mendoza said. “That’s how we think every week. We work every week, every game. We just have to show up and have the confidence to play and give our best.”