Khalil Jones, Chicago Bulls fan and Derrick Rose man, keeps St. Laurence rolling along. ‘He’s my favorite guy.’

St. Laurence’s Khalil Jones fell in love with basketball at age 5 watching Derrick Rose and the Chicago Bulls on TV.

Jones started playing at that age and pointed out that he was pretty good — better than all of the other players. Two years later, he played AAU. And then?

He wasn’t better than all of the other players.

“That was a wake-up call,” said Jones, a three-year varsity starter for the Vikings. “I was like, ‘Whoa, I gotta work.’ But I wanted to get good. I wanted to get better.

“And if you want to be great, you have to play with the best.”

The junior guard was at his best in the second quarter Tuesday night, scoring all 10 of his points as St. Laurence erupted to beat host St. Rita 81-43 in a Catholic League crossover in Chicago.

Zerrick Johnson led the Vikings (15-10), who are 7-3 in their last 10 games, with 16 points. James Jones III added 13 points, Bradley Stratton followed with 12 and Josh Pickett had 11.

Justin Buckner paced St. Rita (1-22) with 18 points.

St. Laurence’s Josh Pickett watches as his 3-point shot go through the net against St. Rita during a Catholic League crossover in Chicago on Tuesday, Jan. 30, 2024. (Jeff Vorva / Daily Southtown)

Khalil Jones, an Aurora resident, has been making steady improvement in his career but suffered a big setback in the summer when he missed most of his AAU season for the Chicago Hoops with a back injury.

“It was a stress fracture,” he said. “I was overusing it. I didn’t have surgery, but I had to rest and watch my team from the bench. I was cleared in August or late July.

“It was tough coming back, but I started feeling comfortable in September.”

St. Laurence coach Byron Burt has been comfortable having Jones in the lineup for three years.

“He’s my favorite guy,” Burt said. “He’s a great kid. He plays hard. He does what everybody asks him. He’s a loyal person, and that’s what I love about him.

“He’s an elite point guard and gets his teammates involved. He’s the most unselfish kid I’ve ever coached. He makes the team better with his presence.”

St. Rita’s Marty McMullin moves the ball against St. Laurence during a Catholic League crossover in Chicago on Tuesday, Jan. 30, 2024. (Jeff Vorva / Daily Southtown)

Pickett returned to St. Rita’s court for the first time since he played for the Mustangs as a freshman. He transferred to West Aurora and played there his sophomore and junior seasons.

Last season, the Denver commit was in the gym for St. Rita’s loss to Brother Rice in the sectional championship game, but this was the first time in three seasons he played there.

“It was something, for sure,” Pickett said. “I started thinking about all the memories we made here my freshman year, and it’s definitely been an experience.”

The game also saw the return of former St. Rita coach Roshawn Russell, who is now an assistant for the Vikings.

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Russell finished with a 71-42 record for the Mustangs, who played in national tournaments and shootouts during his tenure.

St. Laurence assistant Roshawn Russell, St. Rita’s head coach last season, gives out instructions to the Vikings in his first game back in the gym on Tuesday, Jan. 30, 2024. (Jeff Vorva / Daily Southtown)

Four years ago, Russell brought in a freshman class headlined by Pickett, James Brown, Morez Johnson and Jaedin Reyna. All were gone before their senior years. Pickett, Brown and Johnson have committed to Division I schools. Reyna, who’s playing for Bishop Noll in Hammond, is an Indiana Mr. Basketball candidate.

“It was interesting,” Russell said of his return. “I’m just glad we got the win. I’ll leave it there.”

Khalil Jones, meanwhile, has seen players come and go with the Vikings as well, but he likes the way this team has been playing in recent weeks.

“Oh man, I feel like we have a little bit of everything,” he said. “It’s a new team, and we have been trying to jell together.

“I think we’re doing it well. The personalities are great, the spirits are high, and even when things are going bad, we are always staying positive.”

Jeff Vorva is a freelance reporter the Daily Southtown.

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