With six players returning from last year’s Three Rivers Conference East Division championship team that went 22-9, the Mendota boys basketball team has high expectations for the 2025-26 season.

“It was nice to get a conference championship last year, but we would like to be able to put a date on those banners we have hanging in the gym for regional champion and sectional champion,” Mendota coach Steve Wasmer said. “I think we have the talent to do that.”

Leading the way for the Trojans is 6-foot-5 sophomore Cole Tillman, a unanimous all-conference and NewsTribune All-Area first-team pick last season after averaging 18 points, six rebounds and four assists per game.

Also back are seniors Aden Tillman (13 ppg, 85 3-pointers made), Dane Doyle (9 ppg, 5 apg), Alex Beetz (6 ppg) and Johann Cortez (5 ppg) and junior Drew Becker (7 ppg, 5 rpg).

Wasmer said Becker and Cortez are “ultra quick guards who can create havoc defensively” and will have larger roles this season, while Wasmer expects big things from Becker.

Senior Oliver Munoz, a transfer from West Chicago, and juniors Cam Wasmer, Carter Wujek, Cayden Taliani, Javi Hernandez and Cesar Casas are newcomers who could make an impact.

“We return six guys who played a lot of minutes last year and have played together for a long time,” Steve Wasmer said. “We have a couple of underclassmen who are extremely talented, but we also have veteran guys who know what our expectations are and will be great leaders.”

Offensively, the Tillman brothers will lead the way. Steve Wasmer said both Tillmans could eclipse 1,000 points this season.

Steve Wasmer expects Cole Tillman to average 20 points per game with several other players who could be in the 10-14 point range, including Becker, Aden Tillman, Munoz, Doyle, Beetz and Cortez.

“We are going to be able to score in a lot of different ways,” Steve Wasmer said. “We have a very good shooting team that also has size to create mismatches in the post. Everybody on the floor will be able to handle the ball and shoot. We are going to play faster and faster. Doyle is probably the best passer I’ve ever coached and gets us so many easy baskets because of it. He could average seven or eight assists per game with our tempo.”

Steve Wasmer isn’t sure what to expect from the defense.

“That’s the biggest question mark with this group is can we defend?” Wasmer said. “We have the physical attributes to be able to defend at a high level, but we need everybody to buy into that end of the floor. I think we will be able to score with everyone, but being able to beat good teams when our shots aren’t falling is the biggest focus. Defense is about effort and communication, and hopefully our guys will do those things consistently.”

Because the Trojans have high expectations, Wasmer said they beefed up the schedule with nonconference games against La Salle-Peru, Ottawa, Kaneland, Sycamore, Rock Falls, Sterling and Byron.

“Our hope is that those are games that will prepare us for what we will see in the postseason,” Wasmer said.