Lockport’s Nojus Venckus spent five years away from playing basketball.
Nojus and his twin brother, Nedas, actually gave up the sport after second grade but then returned to the court when they reached seventh grade at Homer Junior High.
As far as scoring goes, Nojus remembers their output quite well.
“He had zero points the whole season and I had six points the whole season,” Nojus said of the stat sheet for himself and Nedas. “We didn’t play all that much.”
Fast forward to Friday night, and both junior guards are two-way stars for the Porters.
Nojus Venckus scored 17 points and Nedas topped him with a game-high 21 to lead Lockport to a 56-36 SouthWest Suburban Conference victory over visiting Lincoln-Way East.
Lockport’s Nojus Venckus (10) puts up a shot form the outside against Lincoln-Way East during a SouthWest Suburban Conference game in Lockport on Friday, Jan. 23, 2026. (Steve Johnston / Daily Southtown)
Trace Schaaf tallied 11 points and Grady Ruane added nine rebounds for the Porters (17-4, 8-2), who hosted close to 100 in their 11th annual Veterans Night Celebration before the game.
Aidan Deist, Matt Manzke and KaiJay Brown each scored six points for the Griffins (9-11, 4-6).
Nojus Venckus, meanwhile, is getting his share for Lockport by averaging 14 points. Nedas is taking off at 20 points a game, including a 36-point effort Tuesday against Lincoln-Way Central.
“Nedas is more assertive at times,” Lockport coach David Wilson said. “The kid is shooting like 50% from three. There are times Nojus is like, ‘Why wouldn’t I give him the ball? He’s a bucket.’
Lockport’s Nojus Venckus (10) converts a layup against Lincoln-Way East during a SouthWest Suburban Conference game in Lockport on Friday, Jan. 23, 2026. (Steve Johnston / Daily Southtown)
“They read the moment. If Nedas is off for a few possessions, Nojus takes control.”
Wilson is also happy with the way Nojus is progressing. Both brothers saw plenty of varsity playing time as sophomores and are taking those next important steps.
“Every day I tell him how proud I am of him,” Wilson said. “You want your players, even your skill players, to buy into what the team needs to be successful and to buy into individual growth.
“He’s gone to the next level to be successful. He’s worked his tail off the last two years, and his growth is expedited by his willingness to be coachable, to fail and to learn.”
Lockport’s Nedas Venckus (11) battles past Lincoln-Way East’s Matt Manzke (22) during a SouthWest Suburban Conference game in Lockport on Friday, Jan. 23, 2026. (Steve Johnston / Daily Southtown)
Nedas, who is a minute older, is just as proud of his younger brother.
“I trust him with the ball,” Nedas said. “He’s willing to do anything on the court to win.”
The two were flummoxed when asked how outsiders could tell the difference between them. Even their games are similar, but there are a few distinguishing nuances.
“I look to handle the ball more than he does,” Nojus said. “I’m more of a point guard and he’s a shooting guard. But for the most part, we do have a similar game.
“We both play defense and we’re not much different there.”
Nojus confirmed they would like to play in college and it would be an ideal situation if they could stay together.
“That would be the dream,” he said.
Lockport’s Nojus Venckus (10) works toward the basket against Lincoln-Way East’s Aaron Stauffacher (23) during a SouthWest Suburban Conference game in Lockport on Friday, Jan. 23, 2026. (Steve Johnston / Daily Southtown)
The days of not scoring much in seventh grade are a distant memory for the twins.
“After that, from the summer until now, we just kept working,” Nedas said. “We worked every single day consistently to get to where we are now.”
“Eighth grade started and we were playing,” Nojus said. “And here we are.”
After being away from the sport, Nojus picked up a basketball and fell in love. His father, Nerijus, played basketball in Lithuania and had a helping hand in coaxing the twins’ return.
Now that they are thriving, Nojus likes the fact that he can lock horns with his brother in practice.
“We’re really competitive in everything we do,” Nojus said. “We love to win and hate to lose. We do compete against each other and sometimes it gets nasty. I win some. He wins some.”
Jeff Vorva is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.
