Dupage Policy Journal

Elmhurst men's basketball coach John Baines has announced his 2022 recruiting class that has made a commitment to attend Elmhurst University and also play basketball for the Bluejays.

"I have to hand it to our assistant/recruiting coordinator, Peyton Wyatt," said Baines. "Our 2022 recruiting class is marvelous. With eight players graduating from our Final Four squad, we have many spots to fill and leadership roles to turn over. In this recruiting class, we have a mix of very talented transfers from quality programs coupled with athletic, high potential incoming freshmen. These players succeed in the classroom, evidenced by our incoming overall GPA of 3.5, and are all competitive, high-character people. The near future is bright, as well as the outlook for our Bluejay program in the years following."

TRANSFERS:

John Ittounas - Vernon Hills, Ill./Stevenson/Triton/UW-Whitewater (6-3, 190 - Guard)

2021-22 Season: Played Basketball at Triton College...averaged 4.5 points and totaled 78 assists...2020-21 Season: Played basketball at UW-Whitewater...High School: Named to all-conference and all-area teams as a junior and senior at Stevenson High School...averaged 10 points, 4.0 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game as a senior...served as team captain for two seasons.

Baines on Ittounas: "John has a wonderful combination of toughness, skill, and court savvy.  He simply knows how to play and will make players around him better. John is a big guard that shoots it well and can deliver the ball on-time out of penetration situations. He was experience playing at two high level programs in UW-Whitewater and Triton. As he is a very bright person, we envision him catching on very quickly and becoming a key player for us."

Brett Martin - Massillon, Ohio/Massillon Washington/Marietta College (6-5, 205 lbs. - Guard/Forward)

2021-22 Season: Started in three games while playing in 22 for Marietta College...2020-21 Season: Started 11 of 13 games for Marietta and averaged 7.9 points and 4.8 rebounds per game...scored a career-high 15 points against Mt. Union...2019-20 Season: Missed the year with an injury...High School: Named to all-county first team as a junior and senior...named to honorable mention all-county team as a sophomore...named to second-team all-Northeast Ohio squad as a junior and senior...played in the Stark/Summit County All-Star game...served as team captain for three seasons...named to special mention All-Ohio team as a junior.

Baines on Martin: "Brett has a knack for putting the ball in the basket. He can score in a multitude of ways, as he has shown the ability to post, shoot the three, and be a superb offensive rebounder. He brings strength and athleticism to our forward position and we anticipate him playing a major role for us right away. Brett comes from successful programs, most recently at Marietta, and he recognizes the level of competition needed to be good in the CCIW."

 

Anthony Scales - Indianapolis, Ind./Zionsville/Lake Land College (6-5, 205 lbs. - Guard/Forward)

2021-22 Season: Played at Lake Land College and missed most of the season with an injury...2020-21 Season: averaged 10.0 and 4.5 rebounds per game while earning all-conference honorable mention honors...High School: Earned three varsity letters from Zionsville High School...named to all-conference first-team and all-state honorable mention honors as a junior...led the league in scoring and free throw percentage while earning first-team all-conference honors as a senior...named to all-city and all-state squads as a senior...named his team's MVP and Defensive Player of the Year as a senior.

Baines on Scales: "Anthony is going to immediately make a major impact in our program. He has the athletic ability and work ethic to be a plus player on both ends of the floor. He can really shoot the ball and he can defend multiple positions. He is as good a person as he is talented on the basketball floor. He indicated he wants to be coached well and wants to be part of a winning program. That's what drew us to Anthony and why he is going to be ultimately successful here."

FRESHMEN

Sebastian Blachut - Wood Dale, Ill./Lake Park (6-2, 175 lbs. - Guard)

Earned three varsity letters from Lake Park High School...named to all-conference, Daily Herald All-Area and special mention all-state teams as a senior...served as team captain for two years...named to all-conference squad as a junior.

Baines on Blachut: "Sebastian is a tough-nosed player that our guys are going to enjoy playing with. He has the versatility to be a lockdown defender at this level given his length and physicality. In high school, he did an array of things for his team, he brought the ball up the floor, guarded the other team's best player, rebounded, and scored. Sebastian's a high-quality student and is going to be a really good player at this level as he matures."

 

Adam Ellinghausen - Bargersville, Ind./Greenwood (6-7, 210 lbs.- Forward/Center)

Earned four varsity letters from Greenwood High School.

Baines on Ellinghausen: "Adam is a player that is bursting with potential. As is the case with many big men, Adam is just starting to scratch the surface of what he can do. He has the ability and size to be a traditional post player but also has the talent to add to his game on many levels. He has shown a sincere desire to improve and that intrigues our staff as he continues his career. Adam is a hard worker and a wonderful fit in our program."

 

Brayden Gable - Grandville, Mich./Grandville (6-4, 190 lbs. - Guard)

High School: Earned three varsity letters from Grandville High School...named to all-conference team as a junior and senior...selected to the Ring of Fire All-Star game as a senior...served as team captain as a senior.

Baines on Gable: "Brayden is an absolute stud in the making. He plays so hard and is a bouncy athlete at the wing position. We love how intense he plays on both ends of the floor and he is going to continue to improve as a player. His combination of length, strength, and work ethic makes us salivate at the thought. Brayden is gamer and going to have a wonderful career at Elmhurst."

Armaan Hussaini - Rochester Hills, Mich./Rochester (5-11, 150 lbs. - Guard)

Earned three varsity letters from Rochester High School...named to OAA all-conference squad as a sophomore, junior and senior...averaged 11.5 points per game as a senior.

Baines on Hussaini: "Armaan has had some huge games playing against good competition in Detroit. He has the ability to shoot the ball and, as his frame fills out, he will continue to develop. He is a bright student and anxious to play college basketball."

 

Georgios Kalatzis - Thessaloniki. Greece/Pinewood American School (6-7, 210 lbs.- Forward)

Played two years in England's national leauge south...helped his team win Thessaloniki regional championship and place fourth in Greek National Championship...helped his team post a 42-0 record as a senior...the team won Rising Stars Tournament, Thessaloniki  Regional Championship and Greek National Championship...selected to play for Greece u18 National Team.

Baines on Kalatzis: "Georgios comes to us from Greece and recently played on a club team that won the Greek Championship for his division. He is a player that we've seen a ton of film on and his talent is very intriguing. He has size and length for a wing and can shoot the 3-point shot very effectively. As he gets comfortable with the style in the States, Georgios is certainly going to evolve as a player"

 

Caleb Leslie - Owasso, Okla./Owasso (6-1, 165 lbs. - Guard)

Earned three varsity letters from Owasso High School...averaged 12 points per game while earning third-team all-conference honors as a senior...named his team's Offensive MVP and was named to Native All-State team.

Baines on Leslie: "Caleb can flat out shoot the ball. In watching him last summer, we were amazed at his range, quick release, and ability to get open looks. That's not to say he is a one-dimensional player as Caleb has the ability to defend, handle the ball, and shows the signs of being an outstanding teammate. He is a high character person, outstanding student, and impressive prospect. We are so anxious to see Caleb's progress over the next four years."

Jaiden Malichi - Clayton, Ind./Cathedral (6-7, 200 lbs. Forward)

Earned a pair of varsity letters from Cathedral High School...named one of the top 100 players in the state during his senior year.

Baines on Malichi: "I can tell you now, Jaiden is going to be a fan favorite. He flies around on the glass, on defense and in transition. He is relentless. He played a vital role on his Cathedral high school State Championship team and everyone we talked to absolutely loved playing with Jaiden. His size and athleticism are huge assets, as well as his superior work ethic and competitiveness. Jaiden has a fun personality and we're ecstatic he's joining our family."

Bill Schultz - Bloomington, Ind./Bloomington (5-11, 165 lbs. - Guard)

Earned a pair of varsity letters from Bloomington High School.

Baines on Schultz: "Bill is persevering person, as he has suffered a number of injuries over the past year. When healthy, Bill is a hard working floor general that has a good mind for the game."

Dom Trelenberg - Westchester, Ill./Nazareth Acad. (6-5, 190 lbs. - Guard/Forward)

High School: Earned three varsity letters at Nazareth Academy...named to all-conference team for three straight seasons...ranked in the top three in the conference in scoring as a junior...ranked in top five in the conference in scoring as a senior while helping his team win its first regional title in 31 years.

Baines on Trelenberg: "Dom just makes you smile when you watch him play.  He has an aggressive, high energy way of playing the game. He has a long frame for a guard and can score in a variety of ways. Unfortunately, Dom had knee surgery this summer and will miss the beginning of the season. When healthy, he is going develop into a very good player and someone fans will love following on the court."

John Witcher - Hudson, Wis./Hudson (6-4, 180 lbs. - Guard)

Earned three varsity letters from Hudson High School...served as team captain during his senior season.

Baines on Witcher: "John is a big guard that can do a variety of things on the floor. He plays extremely hard and really is solid in many facets of the game. He is a smart player, quality teammate, and we are anxious to see his progress in the coming years."

Quinn Zickert - Thompsonville, Mich./Benzie Central (6-3, 210 lbs.- Forward)

Earned four varsity letters from Benzie Central High School...named to all-conference honorable mention and all-state honorable mention honors as a sophomore...named to second-team all-conference squad as a junior...named first team all-conference and to five different all-state teams as a senior...named to all-area second-team and his team's Offensive MVP...served as team captain for three years.

Baines on Zickert: "Quinn is a smart, gritty player that can shoot. The coaches he has played for raved about his leadership and his ability to knock down shots."

Original source can be found here