March 2010 April 2010 May 2010 June 2010 July 2010
August 2010
September 2010 October 2010
November 2010
December 2010
January 2011
February 2011 March 2011 April 2011 May 2011 June 2011 July 2011 August 2011 September 2011 October 2011 November 2011 December 2011 January 2012 February 2012 March 2012 April 2012 May 2012 June 2012 July 2012 August 2012 September 2012 October 2012 November 2012 December 2012 January 2013 February 2013 March 2013 April 2013 May 2013 June 2013 July 2013 August 2013 September 2013 October 2013 November 2013 December 2013 January 2014 February 2014 March 2014 April 2014 May 2014 June 2014 July 2014 August 2014 September 2014 October 2014 November 2014 December 2014 January 2015 February 2015 March 2015 April 2015 May 2015 June 2015 July 2015 August 2015 September 2015 October 2015 November 2015 December 2015 January 2016 February 2016 March 2016 April 2016 May 2016 June 2016 July 2016 August 2016 September 2016 October 2016 November 2016 December 2016 January 2017 February 2017 March 2017 April 2017 May 2017 June 2017 July 2017 August 2017 September 2017 October 2017 November 2017 December 2017 January 2018 February 2018 March 2018 April 2018 May 2018 June 2018 July 2018 August 2018 September 2018 October 2018 November 2018 December 2018 January 2019 February 2019 March 2019 April 2019 May 2019 June 2019 July 2019 August 2019 September 2019 October 2019 November 2019 December 2019 January 2020 February 2020 March 2020 April 2020 May 2020 June 2020 July 2020 August 2020 September 2020 October 2020 November 2020 December 2020 January 2021 February 2021 March 2021 April 2021 May 2021 June 2021 July 2021 August 2021 September 2021 October 2021 November 2021 December 2021 January 2022 February 2022 March 2022 April 2022 May 2022 June 2022 July 2022 August 2022 September 2022 October 2022 November 2022 December 2022 January 2023 February 2023 March 2023 April 2023 May 2023 June 2023 July 2023 August 2023 September 2023 October 2023 November 2023 December 2023 January 2024 February 2024 March 2024
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29
30
31
News Every Day |

The six best unranked teams

Evanston’s Rashawn Bost (24) gets ready to shoot past Notre Dame.
Evanston’s Rashawn Bost (24) gets ready to shoot past Notre Dame. | Kirsten Stickney/For the Sun-Times

The following are the six teams that are arguably the very best unranked teams in the Chicago area,

The preseason rankings are fun. What better way to get high school basketball fans amped up and talking about the sport before a single game is even played?

But anyone who puts together a preseason ranking this year will quickly come to the realization that it’s unlike any other year for prognostications of teams led by teen-aged athletes. There was only so much basketball played last season and even less watched due to the small window of opportunity to play and the absence of tournaments and shootouts.

For years I have put together a massive preseason ranking of the top 85 teams, a number that just grew from the original top 50 in order to provide additional exposure and to highlight more teams and players. There was something humorous about a team or fan base feeling disrespected over being the 74th ranked team in November.

While the task of ranking 85 teams is daunting in a normal year, it was nearly impossible this season with so little basketball even played over the past year. Thus, I took a pass.

But we have Michael O’Brien’s Sun-Times preseason Super 25 to get us started and dissect. The following are the six teams that are arguably the very best unranked teams in the Chicago area, a few of which would be in my own preseason top 25 rankings.

Benet

This is the best team not ranked in the preseason Super 25. If things materialize just the right way, it will be a team that is a big threat by the time March rolls around.

Coach Gene Heidkamp didn’t take shortcuts in building this program when he took over in 2008. That’s paying off now as the respected Benet basketball program simply turns the page and wins, usually pretty big, every year. The standard remains just as high this year. And a Benet team that is under the radar is a dangerous one.

There is only one true returning starter, senior point guard Brennan White, but coach Gene Heidkamp has a junior class that will prop this team up and a host of perimeter shooters that should be able to put points on the board.

While White averaged seven points and three assists a game last year, 6-4 junior Niko Abusara is expected to make a big jump and is an unknown player to get excited about. He has length, athleticism and a will to get to the basket.

Both 6-3 junior wing Brady Kunka and 6-6 sophomore big man Parker Sulaver bring some physicality and gained valuable experience a year ago as young players at the varsity level.

The wild card will be 6-9 Kyle Thomas, a transfer from St. Joseph who was once regarded as one of the top prospects in the class. There is a lot to learn for Thomas, both within the Benet system and how to play with the expectations this program will fully expect. But if he can develop into a presence defensively, on the glass and can score using his size, athleticism and running ability for a big man, he could prove to be a huge asset.

Burlington Central

There is something to be said about chemistry and cohesiveness, especially with an experienced group. With four returning starters who were all double-figure scorers a year ago, coach Brett Porto has a lot of it. This is why the Rockets are the favorite in the Fox Valley Conference after going 16-1 last season.

But this group wants more than a 20-plus win season and a conference championship. The program has never won a sectional title in school history. But this team is built for a potential long run in March, thanks to returning senior starters Gavin Sarvis, Carson Seyller, Zac Schmidt and Nick Carpenter. And keep an eye on 6-7 junior Andrew Scharnowski, who brings size and versatility.

The question now is whether this team can compete with anyone and play at the highest level? For one early measuring stick, the Rockets get a big mid-December test against Rolling Meadows.

Evanston

Coach Mike Ellis has just one returning starter back from a year ago. But the Wildkits aren’t going away. It’s a team that could very well have been ranked in the preseason top 25, even with senior Rashawn Bost as the lone starter back from a year ago.

More importantly when it comes to the success factor, Evanston has become an elite program that’s enjoyed a magnificent run of late. This isn’t nearly as talented of a team as recent years, but it’s nearly impossible to keep up with the pace and win totals of the teams of the past five years. Nonetheless, Evanston will enjoy it’s new role of darkhorse in the Central Suburban League South with Glenbrook South and New Trier as the favorites.

This team’s potential starts with the lone returning starter. Bost’s role as an experienced guard will expand, along with last year’s sixth-man, Prince Adams, becoming an even bigger factor. The 6-6 Adams showed flashes last season and should take a significant step forward as a junior.

A big addition is senior David Gieser, a 6-3 shooter who has transferred in from Fenwick. Gieser brings a ton of experience and much-needed space-the-floor shooting that was lost with the departure of all-stater Blake Peters.

A couple of other players to keep an eye on are Javen Barnett, a junior guard and transfer from Hoffman Estates, and promising freshman guard Yaris Irby.

Lake Forest

It’s not very often the preseason Super 25 doesn’t have a single team from the North Suburban Conference. Whether it’s been Stevenson, Waukegan, Warren, Zion-Benton or even an upstart like Mundelein a year ago, it’s been a strong and proud basketball league over the past few decades.

The favorite this year: Lake Forest. It’s a team that would be in my preseason top 25 and one that can make a run at 20-plus wins and be a major player in March –– this year in Class 3A.

The Scouts went 12-4 a year ago in the shortened season and welcome back junior Asa Thomas, currently the City/Suburban Hoops Report’s top-ranked prospect in the Class of 2023. He sports several high-major offers already and is among the state’s best perimeter shooters. The 6-6 Thomas averaged 11 points a game as a sophomore but has become bigger, stronger and has two years of varsity basketball under his belt.

Senior Cade Nowik is a two-year starter and Leo Scheidler is an athletic 6-2 senior who will begin his third year at the varsity level. Senior point guard Sam Gibson has some nice size for the position at 6-3, while 6-1 Alex Forowycz is yet another perimeter player for coach Phil LaScala.

Lyons

There aren’t enough people talking about LT basketball as this 2021-22 season tips off. This is a dangerous team with several weapons it can turn to with none bigger than Tavari Johnson.

The sleek senior point guard who signed with Akron is the rare combination of distributor and bucket-getter. He can do both efficiently and is poised for a huge season. Johnson is a game-changer with the ball in his hands and makes the Lions a threat to break into the top 25 at some point this season.

Will Carroll, a 6-4 senior, is another key returning player for coach Tom Sloan, while there are also some good, young pieces in the program. The junior class is talented, primed and ready to make a splash, including 6-6 Nik Polonowski, who has the look of a future Division I prospect, 6-0 guard Jackson Niego and 6-5 Graham Smith.

Riverside-Brookfield

The Bulldogs can sometimes get lost a little playing in the non-descript Metro Suburban Conference. But R-B won last year, going 11-2, just as it’s done since the 2008-09 season. It’s been a decade-plus of this program regularly churning out 20-win seasons.

It should be more of the same this season with the return of so many veterans who produced a year ago and had another offseason to develop together. When you combine skill, shooting and experience, it’s a potentially dangerous offensive team.

There is an abundance of shooting and scoring in the form of 6-2 guard Joevonn McCottry (13 ppg), 6-3 shooter JP Hanley (16 ppg), 6-3 Joe Gilhooly (8 ppg), Cory Baker (10 ppg) and point guard Brady Vaia. Plus, Will Gonzalez is an exciting 6-4 sophomore with varsity experience who should take a big step forward. Arius Alijosius, a transfer from Stagg, adds depth and added shooting.

Киев

Киев признал стагнацию ВСУ по всей линии фронта

I was diagnosed with cancer aged 39… you are never too rich, too famous or too young, says Dr Philippa Kaye

The 10 Intense New Action Movies on Netflix That Left Me on the Edge of My Seat!

Top 10 Emmanuelle Seigner Movies

Top 10 Love Affair Movies of the 2000s and 2010s

Ria.city






Read also

Elon Musk’s SpaceX rocket launch visible tonight in two US states – but even bigger blast-off planned in weeks

Four Chicago Red Stars Receive International Call Ups

BAN Warns Of Increase In Illegal E-Waste Exports From US To Malaysia – OpEd

News, articles, comments, with a minute-by-minute update, now on Today24.pro

News Every Day

Top 10 Love Affair Movies of the 2000s and 2010s

Today24.pro — latest news 24/7. You can add your news instantly now — here


News Every Day

Top 5 Websites to Watch FREE Movies - TV Shows (No Sign up!)



Sports today


Новости тенниса
WTA

Россиянка покинула WTA-1000 из-за проблем со здоровьем



Спорт в России и мире
Москва

Блиц-матч по шахматам между двумя командами провели в павильоне «Спорт для каждого»



All sports news today





Sports in Russia today

Москва

GeekVape в сотрудничестве с Absolute Racing выиграла чемпионат в категории GT3


Новости России

Game News

Пробный запуск вампирского градостроя Vampire Legacy: City Builder


Russian.city


Москва

СМИ: Байден и Шольц не успели предложить Москве обменять Навального


Губернаторы России
2023

На Алтае подвели итоги работы центра одаренных детей за 2023 год


Педагогическая дилемма: почему учителя не хотят работать в школах

Заказать недорогой ремонт кухонной мебели в районе в Москве и Московской области

Шапки женские вязаные на Wildberries, 2024 — новый цвет от 392 руб. (модель 466)

Московская область - Изготовление металлических навесов


«В России будет то, чего не было, и не будет того, что было»: Земфира, Noize MC, Парфенов и другие звезды записали рэп-молитву в память о Навальном

Певица Диана Арбенина опубликовала редкое фото матери

А надо было ласково? Тимати после слов о "ребятах"-террористах ответили по-мужски

Invest AG настраивает на своем // Земли в Новой Москве останутся структурам компании на жилых условиях


Азаренко вышла в полуфинал турнира WTA-1000 в Майами

Теннисист Медведев вышел в полуфинал турнира в Майами, обыграв Харри

Александрова впервые войдет в топ-15 мирового рейтинга

Янник Синнер поделился впечатлениями от общения с игроками сборной Италии по футболу



«Радио Зенит» – информационный партнер форума «Мы вместе. Спорт»

Пассажир рейса Москва — Пермь попал в реанимацию

Топливному компромиссу между Украиной и Азербайджаном пришел конец?

Шапки женские вязаные на Wildberries, 2024 — новый цвет от 392 руб. (модель 466)


Минстрой предложил увеличить стоимость жилья в большинстве регионов России

Всем по местам: в России назвали топ благополучных регионов

«Радио Зенит» – информационный партнер форума «Мы вместе. Спорт»

Финал всероссийского студенческого трека Олимпиады Кружкового движения НТО «Летающая робототехника» 2024


Терапевт предупредил о блокировке печени из-за БАДов с красным рисом

Больше, чем игры: выручку от 22-го тура РПЛ направят семьям пострадавших в «Крокусе»

По зову долга и сердца: интервью со спасателями, которые работали во время теракта в «Крокусе»

Перенос дат II этапа культурного проекта «Классика: история и современность» в Дмитрове



Путин в России и мире






Персональные новости Russian.city
Певица

Певица Ирина Понаровская перенесла концерт в Москве



News Every Day

I was diagnosed with cancer aged 39… you are never too rich, too famous or too young, says Dr Philippa Kaye




Friends of Today24

Музыкальные новости

Персональные новости