Boys basketball: Here are 5 storylines to watch across the Suburban Life area this postseason

Illinois high school basketball has entered its most exciting month of the season. Girls basketball playoffs have begun, with the boys beginning this week.

Here are postseason storylines to watch for Suburban Life-area boys basketball teams.

Can Hinsdale Central get through the CPS gauntlet?

Surprise or no, Hinsdale Central has been the biggest story in the Suburban Life area in boys basketball this winter.

The Red Devils (28-3), led by 6-foot-5 South Dakota recruit Vincas Buzelis, went two and a half months without a loss.

It took a halfcourt shot by Lyons on Tuesday to snap Hinsdale Central’s 25-game winning streak, at the time the longest in the Chicagoland area.

The Red Devils, which last won a sectional in 1997 – current Bradley coach Brian Wardle’s senior year – are a No. 2 sectional seed with a sectional on their home floor.

That’s the good news.

The bad news is the gauntlet Hinsdale Central must navigate, the toughest sectional in Class 4A. To just win a regional, the Red Devils will likely need to beat Chicago Public League runner-up Curie (21-9) on its home floor in a regional final. Win that, and it’s CPS schools Lincoln Park (22-5) or Young (17-13) in a sectional semifinal.

Survive those two games, and No. 1-ranked Kenwood (27-1), the CPS champ that hasn’t lost since Christmas, likely awaits in a sectional final.

Will Glenbard West paint Champaign green and white again?

It’s been three years since Glenbard West enjoyed a storybook run to the Class 4A state championship in the event’s return to Champaign.

Will 2025 mark a return engagement?

Albeit not near the dominant 2022 group, this is the Hilltoppers' best team since then. Led by junior guard TJ Williams, post Logan Glover and transfer Josh Abushanab, Glenbard West handed Hinsdale Central one of its three losses, back in December. The Hilltoppers have won 12 of their last 13 games, the lone loss to Hinsdale Central, and shared the West Suburban Silver title with Hinsdale.

And, unlike Hinsdale Central’s, Glenbard West appears to have a far more friendly road to Champaign.

Glenbard West’s biggest roadblocks to a sectional title are likely Upstate Eight co-champ Glenbard East (20-10), who the the Hilltoppers beat in November, DuKane Conference champ Geneva (26-4) and Wheaton Warrenville South (24-7).

Evanston, Niles North or Loyola would be the likeliest opponents for Glenbard West in a supersectional in Hoffman Estates.

All good teams, but the Hilltoppers – experienced, and peaking at the right time – appear poised for a return to Champaign.

How big will Benet’s home floor play?

Benet (25-5), a No. 3 sectional seed, has the advantage of hosting a sectional on its home floor should it clear regionals.

It won’t hurt to have it.

The Redwings could get Waubonsie Valley (29-1), led by Illinois State recruit Tyreek Coleman, in a sectional semifinal. Waubonsie’s only loss came to Marist, co-East Suburban Catholic Conference champ with Benet, coincidentally at Benet in the When Sides Collide Shootout in January.

Should Benet weather that, a rematch with No. 1 seed Bolingbrook awaits. Bolingbrook, led by star sophomore guard Davion Thompson and senior Valparaiso recruit JT Pettigrew, beat Benet 64-53 in a shootout on MLK Day.

Benet, Bolingbrook and Waubonsie all reached the sectional last year, and return most of their core, for Benet senior guard Blake Fagbemi and juniors Jayden Wright, Daniel Pauliukonis and Colin Stack. Will the home court be the X-factor Benet needs?

Who are teams to watch in Class 3A?

Lemont (23-7) entered the season with a little extra dose of fanfare, the transfer of standout junior Gabriel Sularski.

Lemont had its ups and downs, namely three straight losses in late December, but appears to be on its game heading into the postseason.

Led by Sularski, Alanas Castillo and Matas Gaidukevicius, Lemont enters the postseason riding a nine-game winning streak. Lemont in February owns an impressive win over Fenwick, and a win at Hillcrest for the South Suburban Blue title.

It could be the area’s best bet in Class 3A. Lemont, seeded No. 2 in the Brother Rice Sectional, has a regional on its home floor. Win that, and it could be a sectional rematch with Marian Catholic, who Lemont beat 57-53 in December. Get through that and a sectional final against Brother Rice on Rice’s home court could await.

Wheaton Academy (20-8), led by Hayden Schroeder, one of the state’s top sophomores, has had a stellar season for the champs of the Chicagoland Christian Conference.

The Warriors could be looking at an intriguing regional final at IMSA against Kaneland (27-1), on a 26-game win streak since the season’s first week.

What about Class 2A?

Montini went almost 40 years without a regional title, but has now won three in a row in Class 2A.

Can they take the next step?

Montini (18-11) is one of two No. 1 seeds in the Christ the King Sectional, along with Crane. It’s a sneaky tough 2A sectional with Montini, Crane (19-8) and Christ the King (21-9).

Just to get out of a regional, Montini will likely have to beat IC Catholic Prep (24-7) for the second time this month. The Broncos defeated the Knights 64-48 on Feb. 7.