Through all the ups and downs, St. Charles East's McQuillan has no regrets

James McQuillan remembers his first varsity boys basketball game four years ago.

"I remember walking out on the court, seeing the people sitting in the stands and thinking, 'wow,' " said McQuillan.

St. Charles East coach Patrick Woods recalls McQuillan being a bit nervous after learning about his locker neighbor during his freshman campaign.

"He was next to Kendall Stephens," Woods said of the then-senior who is now a junior guard at Purdue University. "James just hoped Kendall would know who he was."

Like his predecessor, McQuillan has turned into one of the rare 4-year varsity basketball players for the Saints.

"I enjoyed being his teammate," McQuillan said of Stephens. "I learned a lot by watching how hard he worked at his game.

"All of the (varsity) players treated me like one of the guys. I was very thankful for that."

For Woods, the choice of bringing McQuillan up to the varsity ranks wasn't an easy one.

"He had a good base of skills at that age," said Woods. "Skill-wise, we knew he could compete. We looked at the big picture and the benefits he would get down the line from practicing with older guys and with our coaching staff.

"Plus, he'd be going against the best kids every day."

McQuillan came off the bench as a freshman for the Saints, who were ranked as high as fourth in the state before Stephens suffered a season-ending shoulder injury against eventual Class 4A state champion Stevenson at the Proviso West tournament. At the time, St. Charles East led by 7 points in the second quarter.

The Saints wound up finishing with a 15-12 record.

"I believe he was our seventh or eighth man," said Woods. "We found ways to play him."

As a sophomore, McQuillan gathered additional playing time while coming off the bench for a Saints team that finished 18-12.

"I had a bigger role and felt a lot more comfortable," said McQuillan. "I remember being at the free-throw line my freshman year feeling so nervous to shoot the ball. I think my free throw shooting improved close to 40 percent my sophomore year."

Figuring to land a much more prominent role last season, McQuillan began his junior campaign starting alongside then-senior standout Cole Gentry (now at South Dakota State) in the Saints' backcourt.

However, his season hit a snag during the team's third game of its own Thanksgiving tournament against state-ranked St. Joseph.

"I went up for a layup and got undercut," said McQuillan, who suffered a concussion on the play. "I don't remember much of what happened."

In addition to missing two weeks of practice, McQuillan was unable to attend school for a week and a half.

"Injuries are a part of the game," he said.

"It was rough for him getting back to where he was at prior to the concussion," said Woods, whose team finished 24-4 in 2014-2015 - just one win shy of tying the school's single-season victory mark.

"Being a part of that team was very special," said McQuillan. "Cole (Gentry) is a neighbor and one of my close friends. He's an extremely hard worker."

After a successful AAU summer season playing for coach Jason Rader's Tri-City Thunder alongside local players Canaan Coffey, Mikey Schroeder, Loudon Vollbrecht, John Fitch, Brett Bowman, Jarod Karom and Brady Smith, McQuillan began his senior campaign with a bang.

The 6-foot-4 guard scored 20 points in a third-place Thanksgiving tournament victory over Metea Valley before tallying a game-high 26 points during the Saints' 59-55 win over West Aurora.

Two days later, McQuillan suffered a foot injury in a rare Sunday afternoon game against St. Patrick.

"I tried to take a normal cut and felt it right away," he said. "I couldn't put any weight on it and fell to the ground."

The next day, X-rays revealed a fractured foot and McQuillan underwent surgery to have a screw inserted for stabilization.

While it wasn't a season-ending injury, it meant being sidelined for another 6 weeks.

"The first thing I thought about was whether I'd be able to play again my senior year," said McQuillan. "Luckily, I was able to put on a St. Charles East jersey again."

Last week, McQuillan returned to the starting lineup and scored 11 points in a 50-40 win over Batavia on the Saints' Senior Night.

"It was a great way for him to finish the regular season," said Woods. "I know it has been a struggle for him. James is a great kid and a joy to coach. I wish I could play him all the time but physically he's not quite there yet."

McQuillan, who remains undecided on his collegiate playing future, is thankful for his 4-year run.

"I was given a great opportunity," he said. "I love the game of basketball and what it has meant to me with all the friends and coaches I've met and made.

"It has been a great experience to play and be a Saint. I have no regrets."

Craig Brueske can be reached at csb4k@hotmail.com.