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Aurora Central Catholic
Coach: Josh Izzo
Last season: 13-18 (1-7 Chicago Catholic League White)
Top returners: Nick Czerak, sophomore, guard; Liam Schwartz, senior, forward
Top newcomers: Davion Stewart, freshman, guard; Austin Baloun, senior, forward
Worth noting: After losing all five of their starters from last season to graduation, the Chargers will be a “development in process” throughout the season. Czerak will be expected to lead the team after being the sixth man a season ago. While ACC is a mix of both upperclassmen and underclassmen, Izzo knows the team’s inexperience will be a factor this season. He’s excited to see how the team develops from week to week.
Aurora Christian
Coach: Dan Beebe
Last season: 25-10 (7-4 Chicagoland Christian)
Top returners: Jacob Baumann, junior, guard; Asa Johnson, junior, forward; Preston Morel, sophomore, guard
Top newcomers: James Baker, junior, guard; Landon Schuster, senior, forward; Jack Wayne, junior, forward; Joe DeCort, sophomore, guard; Jordan Weeks, sophomore, center; Jack Pohlmann, junior, forward
Worth noting: After a fourth-place finish in Class 1A last season – the Eagles lost in double-overtime to eventual state champion West Central Co-op and lost by one point to Hope Academy in the third-place game – Aurora Christian likes its chance to make another trip downstate after returning a solid nucleus from last year. The Eagles lost some key players such as Cam Morel to graduation and Marshawn Cocroft to transfer, but Beebe feels the team will be strong on defense and shoot well and hopes the newcomers can fill the gaps.
Batavia
Coach: Jim Nazos
Last season: 22-9 (11-3 DuKane Conference)
Top returners: Jax Abalos, senior, forward; Josh Kahley, senior, guard; Payton Wolff, senior, forward; Darian Susic, senior, forward; Joe Schroeder, senior, guard
Top newcomers: Xavier Justice, junior, guard; Joe Reid, junior, guard; Brett Berggren, junior, forward; Evan Blankenship, junior, guard; Ryan Augustine, junior, guard; Joe Daley, junior, guard; Dane Farrar, sophomore, guard
Worth noting: Batavia comes into the season looking a little different from last year’s team that finished second in the DuKane Conference. The Bulldogs had a big graduating class, losing four starters including Nate Nazos and CJ Valente. Abalos, who’s committed to Cornell, returns to lead the way. Nazos is ready to see how competitive the team can be throughout the season.
Burlington Central
Coach: Brett Porto
Last season: 21-11 (12-6 Fox Valley Conference)
Top returners: Jake Johnson, senior, forward; LJ Kerr, senior, guard; Caden West, senior, guard; Patrick Shell, senior, forward; Patrick Magan, sophomore, forward; Bennek Braden, sophomore, guard; Ryan Carpenter, sophomore, guard; Cash Cumpata, sophomore, guard
Top newcomers: Tyler Kotwica, junior, forward; Zach Hultgren, junior, forward; Daniel Cassata, junior, guard; Brady Andersen, junior, guard; Colton O’Neil, sophomore, forward; CJ Cenzia, sophomore, guard
Worth noting: The Rockets followed up a 29-win season, which included their third straight FVC championship, with another 20-win campaign. While they didn’t “four-peat” in the FVC, they are 57-14 since joining the conference in the 2019-20 season. Several veterans return including sharp-shooting all-conference forward Johnson and the roster is buoyed by six sophomores, including two newcomers. Porto said he hopes to be competitive in every game. Porto won his 300th game last season and sits at 317 career wins.
Geneva
Coach: Scott Henning
Last season: 16-15 (6-8 DuKane Conference)
Top returners: Hudson Kirby, senior, forward; Jack Hatton, senior, guard; Gabe Jensen, junior, guard; Dane Turner, junior, forward; Jackson McCarthy, junior, guard
Top newcomers: Kyle Suger, junior, forward; Ben Petersen, junior, forward; Nelson Wendell, sophomore, guard; John Tweed, sophomore, guard
Worth noting: The Vikings will be looking for their 21st consecutive season with a winning record and Henning is confident his group has what it takes to accomplish that goal. Geneva returns a solid core led by Kirby, a Wisconsin-Parkside commit, and Hatton. Henning said he is excited about the newcomers and is looking forward to facing a challenge every night throughout the season.
Kaneland
Coach: Ernie Colombe
Last season: 26-6 (8-2 Interstate 8 Conference)
Top returners: Freddy Hassan, senior, forward; Evan Frieders, junior, guard; Luke Reinert, senior, guard; Jeffrey Hassan, sophomore, forward; Preston Popovich, senior, guard; Isaiah Gipson, junior, guard; Evan Ross, senior, forward; Brayden Seaton, senior, guard; Jake Buckley, junior, center
Top newcomers: Marshawn Cocroft, junior, guard; Connor Kimme, junior, guard
Worth noting: After successfully defending their Interstate 8 Conference title and making it all the way to the Class 3A sectional finals, the Knights return plenty of players, led by the Hassan brothers and Frieders, and hope to achieve a conference three-peat. While they lost four-year starter and all-time leading scorer Troyer Carlson to graduation, Colombe has high hopes that Cocroft, an Aurora Christian transfer, can fill a backcourt role and help the offense not skip a beat.
Marmion
Coach: Joe Piekarz
Last season: 15-18 (4-5 Chicago Catholic League White)
Top returners: Caden Anderson, senior, guard; Sam Dalmann, senior, forward; Matt Murray, senior, guard; Mac Moore, senior, guard; Alex Eloe, senior, guard
Top newcomers: Ali Tharwani, junior, guard; Joey Kramer, sophomore, guard; Colin McEniry, sophomore, guard; Dave Malley, sophomore, guard; Brendan Kavanaugh, sophomore, guard
Worth noting: Calling up a good chunk of a talented sophomore class to pair with talented returners, Piekarz is excited to see what the Cadets can do at the varsity level. Anderson is a returning starter. Piekarz said Tharwani, a Metea Valley transfer who sat out last season because of transfer rules, will be one of the best guards in the area. Marmion will look to get back over the .500 mark after failing to do so last season for the first time in three seasons under Piekarz.
St. Charles East
Coach: Robert Klemm
Last season: 10-22 (1-13 DuKane Conference)
Top returners: Brad Monkemeyer, senior, forward; Marco Klebosits, senior, guard; Sam Tisch, senior, guard/forward; Andrew Wolfsmith, senior, forward; Gavin Szerlong, senior, guard; Cooper Jensen, junior, forward
Top newcomers: Gavin Belli, junior, forward; Reese Dumpit, junior, guard; Michael Hill, junior, guard/forward
Worth noting: The Saints return a lot of talent including Monkemeyer, who averaged 9.9 points a game last season. There are high hopes for newcomers Belli, Dumpit and Hill. Klemm hopes the team can improve its overall and conference records from last season.
St. Charles North
Coach: Tom Poulin
Last season: 11-18 (4-10 DuKane Conference)
Top returners: Auggie Hoffman, senior, guard; Camden Vine, senior, forward; Cooper Mellican, junior, forward; TJ Gleason, senior, guard; Jake Love, junior, guard; Colin Hopp, senior, forward;
Top newcomers: Braden Harms, junior, guard; EJ Mondesir, junior, forward
Worth noting: The North Stars come into the season with a big group of returners hoping to improve on a sub-.500 record. They lost key offensive pieces in Parker Reinke and Jake Furtney, but Poulin said the returning group is committed to improving and learning as the season goes along in order to be playing its best basketball when the postseason tourney arrives.
St. Francis
Coach: Erin Dwyer
Last season: 18-13 (7-1 Chicago Catholic League Blue)
Top returners: Niko Quanata, senior, guard; Mark Balaskovitz, senior, guard; Nathan Silagi, junior, guard; Owen Gjerde, senior, forward
Top newcomers: Ben Whorlow, sophomore, forward; Luke DuFresne, junior, guard; Carter Clark, junior, forward; Tanner Hozian, junior, guard
Worth noting: After finishing second in its conference a season ago, St. Francis will face a tough schedule with hopes the team can step up to the challenge. The Spartans had a big loss before the season when junior Gavin Mueller, a two-year starter, suffered a torn labrum in football. Dwyer said his roster is filled with players who hate to lose and expects them to compete in every game this season.
West Aurora
Coach: Michael Fowler
Last season: 21-11 (12-4 Southwest Prairie West Conference)
Top returners: Gabe Gonzales, senior, forward; Kewon Marshall, senior, guard; Terrence Smith, senior, guard; Jaden Edwards, senior, guard
Top newcomer: Travis Brown, sophomore, guard
Worth noting: After being named co-champion of the Southwest Prairie West Conference last season, West Aurora is hoping to win another conference title, this time in the Upstate 8 West Conference. The Blackhawks are going to look a little different after graduating nine seniors. Fowler is hoping a tough nonconference schedule will help his team be ready for conference play.