Marshawn Cocroft always rises to the occasion for Kaneland. It's what he does best. ‘Just got the same confidence.'

Chicago Tribune

11-03-2025

Before junior point guard Marshawn Cocroft arrived on the scene, Kaneland already had all the makings of a very successful boys basketball team. The puzzle was indeed there.
The Aurora Christian transfer, though, became the missing piece as the Knights made history.
'It's probably my favorite season ever playing high school basketball,' Cocroft said. 'We had a great season, 32 wins, getting to a supersectional. We hadn't done that in over 40 years.
'Even though we didn't get the goal we wanted, we still had a great season. We have to keep our heads up and get ready for next year.'
Next year begins right away as Kaneland's magical run came to an end Monday night with a 68-28 loss to DePaul Prep in the Class 3A Hoffman Estates Supersectional at NOW Arena.
Senior forward Freddy Hassan paced the Knights (32-2), who had their 31-game winning streak snapped, with 12 points. Cocroft and sophomore forward Jeffrey Hassan added six points apiece.
Rykan Woo led all scorers with 14 points for DePaul Prep (31-4). AJ Chambers and Makai Kvamme each had 10.
Hassan grew up with Cocroft, so he knew the player the Knights were getting — and that Cocroft was just what the doctor ordered.
'Coming into the season, we knew we needed a point guard that can step up and lead us, not only on the court but off the court,' Hassan said. 'He brings our confidence up when we're losing.'
Kaneland coach Ernie Colombe had observed how much of an impact player Cocroft was at Aurora Christian. As Cocroft's first season in the program went on, Colombe gained an even better appreciation.
'He's done a great job,' Colombe said of Cocroft. 'He came in, and one of the things he's really helped us with, whether we're up 10 or down 10, he looks the same. He's just got the same confidence. I think he helps the other kids build that confidence.
'You look out there when he's on the court, you feel like you have a shot to come back and win. I think he's really helped guys to understand to play a little more even-keeled.'
DePaul Prep jumped on Kaneland in the early going Monday, however, and the Knights were unable to recover. The Rams roared to a 26-3 lead in the second quarter and never looked back.
'We've been working hard all year, and sometimes you run into a team that's really, really good and you tip your hat,' Colombe said. 'They hit shot after shot. They didn't miss much. We haven't had a team shoot like that.
'I think it was a combination. We were pressing a little bit. We took some tough shots early. A lot of that is their defense is really, really good. Then they were on fire, so it kind of snowballed early.'
DePaul Prep coach Tom Kleinschmidt confirmed that his team's defensive attention centered on limiting Cocroft and Freddy Hassan.
'They're excellent players,' Kleinschmidt said. 'We wanted to make sure we focused on them. We know we're a good defensive team, but if you play those two one-on-one, they cause problems.'
Cocroft explained what made it so difficult to find open shots against the Rams.
'They're always in help,' Cocroft said. 'When we had the ball, there was always a defender on the help side keying in on our best players. They were more physical than us. I just feel like they were really ready for us. They had physicality.
'We just didn't match up to it.'
The accomplishments Kaneland achieved this season can't be minimized regardless of the final outcome, though.
The program's first sectional title since 1982, a program-record 32 wins, plus the 31-game win streak, should be the springboard to future success.
'We're really proud of these guys and the season they've had and how hard they've worked,' Colombe said. 'That's not going to go away because of (Monday).'