A year ago, Benet guard Jayden Wright was at the top of the basketball world.

In his junior season, Wright was one of the key starters behind Benet’s run to its first state championship in program history, defeating Warren 55-54 in a thrilling Class 4A final.

After the Redwings lost point guard Blake Fagbemi to graduation, Wright was slated to play a different and more impactful role for his senior season.

Even for the third-year varsity starter Wright, it was a change of scenery – and expectations.

“I was excited, but mostly excited to be able to play another year in a great program with a great coach and all my teammates,” Wright said. “But yeah, I was excited to play a different position, to win and enjoy playing basketball, just to come back. I knew we had a good group coming back.

“I was more of a combo player the year before. Blake was such a great player.”

The 5-foot-11 Wright, an Eastern Illinois recruit, capped his illustrious career by leading the Redwings back to the state championship game. Although Benet (36-2) lost to Marist in the 4A final, Wright closed out his career in style with another memorable season.

On a team with several next-level players and balanced team scoring, Wright averaged 13.7 points, 5.5 assists and 3.0 rebounds. Wright’s steady play earned him ESCC Player of the Year and he was to the IBCA Class 4A all-state first-team.

“I was just trying to help us win and keep our momentum going and enjoy the season,” Wright said. “I knew I had a bigger role and would have a bigger ballhandling role. Last year I was more of a two guard, a combo guard. Blake was fun to play with. He usually had the ball. I had to create more and run the offense. I tried to get stronger. I’ve always been a point guard most of my life and been able to dribble.”

Benet coach Gene Heidkamp said Wright played his role to near perfection, guiding the Redwings.

“Jayden was a team player,” Heidkamp said. “He played on both ends and left a memorable legacy at Benet. We never talked about his new role this year because he had already played point guard, was an unselfish team player and played hard on both ends. Jayden was part of two memorable Benet teams and will forever be remembered as an unselfish team player.”

Seven-foot-1 senior center Colin Stack, a North Dakota State recruit who was named an IBCA second-team all-state selection, said Wright displayed a lot of growth in his game this season.

“It’s very difficult switching positions where you don’t have to handle the ball all of the time to having the ball in your hands all the time,” Stack said. “I believe he became more of a point guard this year compared to last year playing the two guard, and that’s hard to do since he knew he was going to be doubled and also because he knew a lot of teams we played were going to have a good defensive play on him based on what they had seen from last year.”

Still, Wright thrived throughout the season, helping uplift the Redwings amid a difficult schedule and high expectations. He was named the AC Williamson Award winner at the Pontiac Holiday Tournament, the MVP of the Hinkle Holiday Tournament at Jacobs, and to the St. Ignatius Thanksgiving All-Tournament team.

Wright said he was ready for the challenge to lead the Redwings back to the state tournament and to handle his new responsibility as a senior leader.

“I felt pretty good about our year,” he said. “I always knew I had to play better. Overall, we had a pretty good year. I was excited to show what I could do. I wasn’t surprised by anything. I always felt like a winning player. I feel my biggest strength as a basketball player is to make winning plays. I proved I could lead a pretty good team.

“We definitely had a target on our backs all year after winning a state championship. As a team, we did a really good job blocking out the outside nose and focusing on what we need to do as a team. Obviously, the expectations were very high. It can be very hard trying to win every single game we played. It was challenging, but we did a great job handling that all year and responding to adversity.”

Stack said the seniors had quality chemistry and stuck together all season, crediting his friendship and on-the-court relationship with Wright as a point guard and center duo for guiding the offense.

“We’ve played together all four years, even going to the Benet skill camps when we were both in grade school,” Stack said. “This year, in particular, I feel like we grew even closer because we both made each other better. Also, because we were both captains. Being captains allowed us to get closer because we both picked each other’s minds, whether it came to getting ready for a game, playing in the game or making adjustments when we knew we needed it.

“We both were very close this year because we wanted the same goal of making it as far as we could with this team because we knew we that I could be a special one.”

Wright said the proudest moment of his career was “winning a state championship because coach Heidkamp really deserved that.” Despite falling short of two state titles in a row, Wright said he looks back on his career with fondness.

“I’m so grateful to the Benet program, my coaches and my teammates,” Wright said. “I never thought this all was possible. My senior class and teammates really left a mark on the program and the community. It’s a big thing to be proud of. It feels really good do that, and I’m grateful.”