Alex Ortega rises as one of Lake County’s best players and lifts Wauconda with him: ‘Heartbeat of the team’

Wauconda senior point guard Alex Ortega certainly paid his dues.

Although Ortega made the varsity team two years ago, he was a seasoned senior’s punching bag in practices and played sparingly in games. He started last season, but the Bulldogs lost twice as many games as they won.

“Last year was like a slap across the face,” Ortega said. “We have grit. A lot of us have that in us. Even though the wins weren’t there for us, by the end of the year, we were playing better, and I was more confident.”

Ortega’s confidence was justified. This season, he has emerged as one of the best players in Lake County, and Wauconda (17-5, 8-0) has won nine games in a row to take over sole possession of first place in the Northern Lake County Conference.

The 5-foot-10 Ortega, who is averaging 18.1 points, 2.9 assists, 2.0 rebounds and 1.8 steals, has scored at least 30 points three times. He dropped 35 points on Buffalo Grove in the Wheeling Hardwood Classic on Dec. 23, and he put up 32 points in a conference game against North Chicago on Saturday.

“He could be the best point guard we’ve had in my time, and we’ve had some good ones,” Wauconda coach Ty Weidner said. “He’s not only the heartbeat of the team, but he’s a three-level scorer. He’s got the midrange, he can take it off the dribble and he has 3-point range, and his ability to finish at the rim is hard to stop.”

Ortega leads a talented nucleus that includes senior guard Tony Salemi, junior forward Austin Carlsen and junior guard Leo Brinias.

“We try to push the pace, and my teammates trust me with the ball,” Ortega said. “I start a lot of what gets us going, and coach allows me to get the ball and go. The confidence part hasn’t been a problem this year.”

Ortega’s breakthrough can be traced back to his time as the understudy for Cayden Mudd, who graduated in 2024.

“I remember him being really tough on me, even to the point where sometimes I was on the verge of tears,” Ortega said. “I’m really competitive, but I couldn’t get a step on him.

“I really looked up to him, and I realize now that he only wanted to get better and what was best for me. But I do remember going home with my head low and my hoodie on.”

The tables have turned for Ortega, who goes toe-to-toe with freshman guard Tim Gruenfeld in practices.

“He’s like a big brother to me who pushes me hard in practice, helps build that mental toughness,” Gruenfeld said. “He’ll be really scrappy with me in practice.

“I get frustrated, but I realize that it’s helping us both. He’s taught me a lot, and I really respect him for it.”

Repetition is another factor in Ortega’s development. He and some teammates often shoot around at The Hope Collective, a church in Lake Zurich that Mudd’s family owns.

“We’ll go there on Sunday morning and then shoot hoops and work on our games for two or three hours,” Ortega said. “I love it. We do everything together, and the proof is in the pudding.”

Ortega scores a lot of points off drives to the basket, however.

“I’d actually say most of my points come from inside the paint,” he said. “I’m pretty fast, so I can usually get by my man.”

Ortega’s proficiency has led to discussions about what makes a good shot within the framework of the Bulldogs’ offense. The team rates shots on a scale of 1-10, with an uncontested layup or a wide-open 3-pointer ranking at the top of the range.

“We preach to the guys they should hunt for eights or nines,” Weidner said. “He gets frustrated sometimes about shot selection. We tell everyone not to settle for shots, but his mentality is, ‘I can make that.’”

Steve Reaven is a freelance reporter.