There isn’t a team on this list ranked in the Sun-Times’ preseason top 25. But it won’t be a surprise if several of them do indeed rise up and climb into the rankings at some point this season.
Here are several sleepers to keep an eye on this season as the best teams outside the Super 25.
Coach Mike Reynolds may have the best unranked team.
The Barbs are primed and ready to make a run at DuPage Valley Conference favorite Waubonsie Valley. They are more than capable of winning a second straight regional championship and push towards 25 wins once again.
Few teams have a better, more experienced and accomplished returning tandem than senior guard Sean Reynolds (16 ppg, 5 apg, 95 three-pointers) and 6-5 junior Davon Grant (14 ppg, 7 rpg). Those two can both put a team on its back and are true difference-makers. Senior guards Jackson Kees (9 ppg) and Marquise Bolden (7 ppg) are two other returning starters.
The Mustangs won 23 games a year ago and ran away with what was a down West Suburban Gold. While they’ve upgraded their schedule this season — DGS will square off with Kenwood in early December and have non-conference dates with Loyola, West Aurora and Hinsdale Central — this team is older and better.
There is an all-conference performer in 6-2 guard Keon Maggitt (10 ppg, 5 rpg, 5 apg) and a four-year varsity player, 6-7 Daniel Sveiteris, returning. That’s a solid starting point for coach Zach Miller. But the addition of Hinsdale South transfer Adam Flowers and the return of senior guard Wyatt Wawro elevates this team.
Flowers is a 6-4 junior wing with length and athleticism who becomes an instant double-figure scorer. Wawro played two years ago as a sophomore, sat out last season, but has returned as another weapon in the backcourt.
The Central Suburban League South will remain an entertaining race to watch, thanks in large part to the return of Evanston.
It’s not as if the perennial power really went anywhere — the Wildkits still managed to go 20-11 a year ago — but it wasn’t what the program has been accustomed to since Mike Ellis took over in 2010. Evanston didn’t capture any postseason glory and finished just 5-5 and in fourth place in the CSL South.
Rival New Trier may be the conference favorite, but the Wildkits have a bonafide leader and winner in Theo Rocca to build around. The competitiveness and spirit the 6-4 guard plays with provides an edge to this team. He averaged 13 points and 4 rebounds a game while shooting 40 percent from three.
Vito Rocca is an intriguing piece as a 6-5 returning sophomore and last year’s sixth man, Ian Peters, also returns.
The additions of Niles North transfer Kaidan Chatham, a talented 6-3 downhill guard, 6-6 George Richardson, a transfer from DePaul Prep, and freshman Ben Ojala make this team that can contend in the CSL South and surprise those outside the north suburbs.
Led by 6-5 senior Hudson Kirby, a coveted small college recruiting target who landed at Division II Wisconsin-Parkside, the Vikings have a wealth of returning experience.
Kirby, a three-year varsity performer who averaged 11 points, seven rebounds and two assists a game, was the focal point of a team that finished 16-15 overall and in the middle of the pack in the DuKane Conference.
Kirby, 6-2 senior Jack Hatton and 5-10 junior Gabe Jensen are all-conference caliber players while 6-3 junior Dane Turner is another key returning starter.
In terms of team upside, this team could more closely resemble the 25-win, regional title team of two years ago rather than last year’s .500 team.
Coach Jason Opoka is blessed with veterans, size, length and a team that is capable of getting up and down the floor in transition.
There are four key players back, led by junior TJ Williams, a 6-2 guard who has made a big impression since the end of last season. He supercharges this team with his difference-making speed and athleticism. With his play last season, Williams (11.5 ppg) was easily recognized in the West Suburban Conference as a sophomore. But his offseason emergence enhances the fortunes of this team.
In addition to the key returning players, there is Glenbard North transfer Josh Abushanab, a talented and versatile 6-5 junior who has made a big impact early in his career and shined at times this summer.
In addition to the talent, size and length Williams and Abushanab bring on the perimeter, the Hilltoppers have three seniors returning: big 6-7, 290-pound Michael O’Connell, a Northwestern football commit, 6-5 Dominick Seaney and 6-3 Bryce Huff.
Anytime a new coach takes over a program, there’s always an expectation of change.
In the case of Bob Widlowski, the longtime coach at Fremd who takes over at Hersey this year, there is a distinct, disciplined style he brings and, more importantly, a track record of winning.
That bodes well for a program that has endured a long stretch of being rather irrelevant. The Huskies haven’t won 20 games in 17 years and the last regional title was in 2008. It’s been nearly 30 years since Hersey last won a Mid-Suburban League title.
But given all the pieces and experience Widlowski has to work with, both returning and up-and-coming, the Huskies can make a serious run at 20 wins and a league championship.
Veteran senior Jackson Hupp, a 6-7 returning all-MSL selection, is one of eight players who either started or saw significant time last season.
There are a pair of juniors, 6-3 Charlie Pomis and 6-2 Logan Luxem, who are set to take a big step forward, while a host of seniors — 6-7 Joey Brown, 6-4 Nick Ahlquist and guards Caden Shah and Brody Variano — are all back. Plus, keep an eye on a pair of sophomores, 6-3 Tristian Trotter and 6-2 Jake Nawrot, to make an impact.
Lake Forest may be one of the more overlooked programs in the area over the past several years, and coach Phil LaScala may be one of the more overlooked coaches. All the Scouts have done is win 27, 23 and 25 games over the past three seasons with three straight regional championships.
The only blemish has been getting over the hump in the sectional, losing three straight years in the championship game — twice in heartbreaking fashion.
LaScala welcomes back three returning starters, led by the much-improved 6-7 Hudson Scroggins (14 ppg, 6 rpg. Both 6-10 Grant Mordini and 6-4 point guard Dominic Mordini provide size and experience.
This is a program that continues to make strides and nearly broke through in a big way last season, winning 20 games, sharing the Public League’s Red North-West championship and falling just short to Glenbrook North in the regional final.
This version has a chance to be better.
Dalton Scantlebury is one of the very few interior difference-makers in the game. The Penn-bound big man has made huge strides in the offseason and is a different looking player than a year ago.
The size coach Nick LoGalbo has at his disposal is eye-opening. In addition to the 6-9 Scantlebury, Lane returns 6-8 wing Zach Mazanowski, 6-4 wing Drew Bartolai, 6-5 Luka Pinto and 5-10 guard Brayden Rosenkrantz. Plus, 6-7 junior Matt Szafoni showed this summer he’s ready to make an impact.
Someone other than Warren is going to step up and emerge in what should be a strong, competitive North Suburban Conference. It might be a Waukegan team that continues to climb.
Coach Ron Ashlaw’s team won just three games in 2021-22, improved to 12 wins two years ago and finished 17-14 last season. They should surpass that win total this season with junior point guard Carter Newsome and athletic 6-4 wing Simereon Carter. When you add transfer Jaali Love, a promising 6-7 junior, and the Bulldogs have their best team on paper in years.
