Benet, led by Jayden Wright’s magnificent floor game, blows past Rockford Auburn to head back to state

As Jayden Wright watched Rockford Auburn star Amir Danforth come out hot Monday, the Benet senior guard’s instinct as a competitor might have been to match him shot for shot.

In fact, the sophomore Wright might have tried.

But Wright is much more than a shooter, which he’s shown all season. And did so again.

Wright was a playmaker all night, driving to the basket and often setting up teammates. And he was the defender, switched onto Danforth.

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Benet players celebrate a late dunk Monday, March 9, 2026, during their IHSA Class 4A supersectional win over Auburn in the Convocation Center at Northern Illinois University in DeKalb. (Mark Busch)

Wright, an Eastern Illinois recruit, was magnificent doing all of that Monday with 16 points and eight assists.

Benet, after Auburn’s fast start, dominated the final three quarters for a 69-42 win in the Class 4A NIU Supersectional in DeKalb.

The defending champion Redwings (35-1), with their 32nd consecutive win, advanced to face three-time defending champion DePaul Prep – now in Class 4A – in a state semifinal Friday in Champaign.

And they can thank in large part their senior guard, who shot 7 for 9 from the floor and easily could have had a double-double if not for a handful of missed layups he was at the giving end of. Edvardas Stasys was on the receiving end of many of Wright’s dishes with 23 points.

Wright wasn’t fazed by Auburn’s four 3-point field goals in the first quarter and Danforth’s seven points that contributed to the Knights’ 14-9 start.

“Speaking to that, just as a team, we have been through a lot,” Wright said. “This season we’ve been in just about every type of game we could play. We have a lot of experience. They came out fast and we didn’t panic. We stayed with it.”

Wright’s driving layup capped off a 13-2 Benet run for a 22-16 lead after Auburn’s early lead. Ethan MacDermot’s three-point play for the final score of the first quarter gave Benet its first lead, and the lead for good.

Wright frequently passed up 3-point looks for hard drives to the basket.

Or set up teammates.

He had a slick baseline drive and kickout to Ryan Walsh for a 3-pointer in the second quarter. On the final play of the third quarter, Wright drew a double team at the 3-point line. Instead of throwing up a shot, he made a nifty pass over two defenders for a Stasys dunk.

“I think it comes with experience,” Wright said. “I have a lot of trust in my teammates. I don’t have to do everything by myself. I have the best group of teammates anyone could ask for. It comes from maturity and experience.”

Benet's Jayden Wright goes to the basket in front of Auburn's Mikwan Marshall Monday, March 9, 2026, during their IHSA Class 4A supersectional matchup in the Convocation Center at Northern Illinois University in DeKalb. (Mark Busch)

Ask Benet coach Gene Heidkamp, he’ll tell you it was a game Wright always had in him.

“Last year we had Blake [Fagbemi] and Daniel [Pauliukonis] so Jayden did a little bit of everything,” Heidkamp said. “This year he has the ball in his hands all the time. I’ve seen him do all that stuff in practice for three years. His game is a lot more than shooting. His job is whatever the team needs.”

That includes defense.

Benet started 6-foot-5 junior Perry Tchiegne on Danforth, a North Dakota State recruit with over 2,000 career points. But Wright was switched onto Danforth after the fast start.

Danforth finished with 20 points, but on 6-for-18 shooting. Auburn (27-9), which had upset defending state runner-up Warren in a sectional semifinal, as a team shot just 8 for 28 over the final three quarters, 1 for 12 from 3.

Why give Wright the assignment?

“Jayden is a senior, he’s been through it all the last few years, he’s guarded players like Danforth,” Heidkamp said. “It’s hard to have him handle pressure, create shots for these guys and guard somebody like that. It’s a tough 32 minutes but he does it.”

Benet led 34-23 by halftime, and blew the game wide open with a 9-2 run out of the break capped by Wright’s driving layup.

“He’s a strong guard, he makes them go. He got way too many paint touches,” Auburn coach Bryan Ott said. “They play very well together. It’s one of their strengths.”

Benet’s Edvardas Stasys slams home two points against Auburn Monday, March 9, 2026, during their IHSA Class 4A supersectional matchup in the Convocation Center at Northern Illinois University in DeKalb. (Mark Busch)

So is size, and Benet towered over an Auburn starting lineup whose tallest starter is 6-foot-1.

Seven-foot-1 Colin Stack and 6-8 Stasys had countless dunks, many of them set up by Wright’s floor game. Benet shot 68.9% for the game.

“I feel like he’s one of the best guards I’ve ever played with – maybe the best one," said Stack, who coincidentally played against a future teammate at North Dakota State in Danforth. “He finds us in the right position to score.”

The win sets up a highly-anticipated game Friday against DePaul Prep. Benet beat DePaul 52-43 in the championship game at Pontiac, the Rams’ only in-state loss.

“We’re obviously great friends with their program, [DePaul Prep] coach [Tom] Kleinschmidt’s brother is our sophomore coach and they grew up together,” Heidkamp said. “They’re a great team, it’s a huge game because of the caliber of teams and hopefully it will be a great game. It’s what high school basketball is all about.”