A season of peak performance for Barrington's Ivanauskas
Rapolas Ivanauskas loves being on top of the basketball mountain.
And by being named captain of the Daily Herald's Northwest boys basketball all-area team, he certainly has scaled a big one.
But the Barrington junior can't wait for spring break and a more literal mountain exercise, as he and his family will visit Aspen, Color., for some serious downhill skiing.
"My little brother and I tried it out and we really liked it," Ivanauskas said. "Now we take trips to Wisconsin and Colorado. I do get some strange looks because of my height, but everyone has to have a hobby. It is a great way to get your mind off of things."
One of those things is his recruitment, which has gathered momentum all winter for this the 6-foot-9 player.
He has already received offers from Creighton, Northwestern, Purdue and Iowa and has also drawn interest from Illinois, Virginia and UCLA.
"Offensively, he is a complete player," Tucker said. "That is why he is garnering major Division I attention. Rapolas is impressive in the classroom, as he is an honor roll student as well."
Ivanauskas becomes the first junior to captain the all-area team since 2003, when Hoffman Estates' juniors Jonny Reibel and Bryan Mead shared the honor.
Ivanauskas started last year as a sophomore and slowly acclimated himself to the speed and intensity to high school basketball. Last summer, he went back to his club team and worked hard to improve.
"I worked really, really hard over the summer and it has paid off," Ivanauskas said. "I just have been polishing my skills, like ballhandling and shooting. The repetition has been good."
That hard work has paid huge dividends from the start of this season for Ivanauskas and Barrington.
The Broncos won the Mid-Suburban League title for the first time since 1977, and Ivanauskas had a huge part in it, scoring 24 points and 16 rebounds in the title game.
"He is so tough to guard," Tucker said. "And a great luxury to have."
Ivanauskas has amassed 460 points so far this season. He is averaging 18 points and 8.3 rebounds per game despite having teams scheme to stop him. What also sets him apart is his playmaking ability, where he is averaging 2 assists per game, and his defense, where he is averaging a steal and nearly 3 blocked shots.
Ivanauskas also runs the floor quite well and can shoot from the outside. He averaged nearly 40 percent from outside the arc and 52 percent from 2-point range.
"At his size, he is a difficult matchup, with the ability to shoot the 3, drive it or post up," Tucker said. "He is a little over 1.5 rebounds away from averaging a double-double."
Ivanauskas also picked up honors during the current season, being named to the all-tournament team in the Mundelein Thanksgiving Tournament and the Jacobs Holiday Tournament. He was also named player of the year in MSL West.
In his two years on the varsity, Ivanauskas has amassed over 800 points and almost 400 rebounds. And he is looking for more this week, including a deep run into the state playoffs.
A bigger mountain, certainly, but Ivanauskas and Barrington are ready for the ride.
"That's really what this is all about," Ivanauskas said. "Our dream is going to state."