We’re finally less than six weeks away from the start of boys basketball practices. We will continue to look at players at fall leagues, camps, open gyms, and through film and other clips sent. But to start off some of our preseason analysis on high school teams, we will be previewing some conferences and teams with a good number of college prospects. Today, we are looking at the Central Suburban League, which has a couple of teams with serious hopes of making it downstate in 4A.

Deerfield

The Warriors return a solid core from last season, led by a physical backcourt in junior all-conference, two-sport standout Quinn Schimanski and 6-foot-2 senior Charlie Robin. Schimanski brings that rugged, attacking style that sets the tone on both ends and allows him to create some offense for them. Robin is a reliable long-range shooter who has grit and leadership qualities that you like to see from a senior. I wouldn’t be surprised to see him have a big senior year as a scorer.

The big man combo of Drew Rodgers (6-foot-8) and rising sophomore Jake Pollack (6-foot-7) could be the difference. A three-year varsity player, Rodgers is built like a tank and can change games as a vertical threat around the rim and an anchor defensively. Pollack continues to show huge potential as a low-post scorer and perimeter threat to shoot it or attack off of faceups. And he’s only just starting to grow into his body. Junior Sam Hanus and sophomore Evan Nagler are both knockdown shooters who will provide some spacing, ball-handling help, and scoring. They will be x-factors this year from the perimeter.

Evanston

The majority of the production graduated after a very good season. Last year’s team was bolstered by some impact transfers, but this new-look group will lean on some players who have come up through the Wildkit program. Junior guard Theo Rocca (6-foot-3) looks primed to be a top scoring option with a lethal outside shot and understanding for how to get shots off of one or two dribbles. It will be a breakout year for him. Point guard Brandon Watson may lack some height, but he is a difference-maker with his ability to push the pace and guard the ball.

6-foot-5 forward Morgan Brown is another senior who will give them strength inside and defensive versatility. In the summer, he looked like a player who could create some mismatches as a slasher inside as well. Ian Peters is a crafty guard capable of lighting it up from the outside and playing both backcourt spots. There is a bright future in the pipeline as well with 6-foot-3 freshman Vito Rocca and explosive freshman guard Jaden Jean-Paul. The younger Rocca is going to be a problem.

Glenbrook South

GBS will have the talent and experience to be a favorite in the conference. It’d be hard to see a situation where Nick Taylor doesn’t consistently put up double-doubles. The energetic, quick-twitch 6-foot-7 forward has made tremendous strides since last season and will be a dominant interior player. His improved jumper is just an additional headache for opposing teams. D2-plus prospect. Expect Nate Kasher, another three-year player, to shoot it at a higher clip than a year ago despite likely seeing additional defensive attention. He has looked great this fall scoring in different ways.

Junior point guard Anestis Hadjistamoulou is just so steady with the ball. He was primarily a facilitator last year and will still handle a lot of playmaking duties this season. But look for him to be more aggressive as a scorer, where he can be a handful once he gets going with his mid-range game. That big three will be the driving force, but they have plenty of surrounding pieces willing to defend and knock down open shots.

Highland Park

After struggling last year, Highland Park will look to take a step forward with some of their younger players returning with more experience. Sophomore David Isaacson and junior Alex Kriser both saw some time last year and should be able to provide some outside scoring for a team who lacked consistent offense last year.

Glenbrook North

Losing Ryan Cohen (Wash U) will obviously hurt, as he was a three-year all-CSL player. But the guard-play is still strong. Their ceiling may hinge on the full return of dynamic point guard Josh Fridman, one of the more effective two-way players in the conference. He was the catalyst for GBN last year but is in the back end of his rehab on his knee. The good news is that they still have two high-level playmakers in Owen Giannoulias and Sam Lappin. Both are also excellent on-ball defenders. Giannoulias is as tough as they come and has the high-IQ needed to pick apart defenses as a scorer or passer.

Lappin had a big summer with All-In on the AAU circuit and has a knack for getting to his spots and scoring when needed. They do lack height on paper, but their backcourt makes up for it with their activity. 6-foot-7 Northwestern football commit Pat Schaller is back to control the back line of the defense and be an enforcer inside. They have the pieces to make a good run, especially if Fridman is at 100 percent.

Maine East

Maine West transfer Tre Himes will be additional firepower to a backcourt that has a quality pair in Tristan Walton and JJ Alphonsee. Alphonsee is a strong, downhill guard who will be a threat in the open floor, as a mid-range shooter, and as a spot-up guy from three. Walton brings some slashing in his own right to complement Himes, who may end up being the best transfer in the conference. When I saw them in June, they looked to have good chemistry and a collective commitment to playing hard.

Maine South

Only in the second year under Coach Wehman, the Hawks are in position for a breakthrough year. I have a ton of confidence in the feel, impact, and shooting of sophomore point guard Panayiotis Sotos. He started as a freshman and should have a lot more comfort with a year under his belt. The 6-foot-2 point guard could take a huge step forward. Junior guard Tyler Sierra had a really good sophomore year shooting the ball and making plays in space. Sierra has a quick handle and knows how to break down defenders.

Senior wings Ethan De La Navarre and Petar Bogicevic will be important playing inside and out on both ends. De La Navarre has been up since he was a sophomore and plays a lot bigger than his listed height. Bogicevic can really heat up when he gets in a flow. This team may not have a ton of a big-name college prospects, but Sotos and Sierra are rising stars in the CSL and the group has some maturity to lean on.

Maine West

In conference play, they were unable to get any traction. Losing Himes doesn’t make things easier, but expect them to lean on double-double threat David Hutchinson, a long-armed, 6-foot-6 forward who showed some nice flashes as a junior. He may be a player who ends up blossoming in college, but should be able to build on a year where he was among the top rebounders in the conference.

New Trier

I’ll miss watching Jake Fiegen (Cornell) go to war for them every night, but this should still be a top-10 three-point shooting team in the state. And that won’t be solely because of their elite shooters. The Trevians snap the ball around on offense, play off of two feet, and have excellent player movement with what will often be a five-guard lineup. 6-foot-4 point guard Logan Feller is the maestro of the group as a oldest starter from the downstate team. He could be among the area leaders in assists, though he will get to the rim and shoot when needed. It also doesn’t hurt to have two Division 1 playmakers in Colby Smith and Chris Kirkpatrick. Smith really came on as a sophomore and was a force in the summer. He’s got great footwork and ball control to go with athleticism and shot-making to create looks on command. Mid-major and Ivy-League type of kid.

Kirkpatrick looked the part as a freshman on JV last year and showed in June that he’s ready to take off. His skill level, shooting, and pure competitiveness and fearlessness will make him a fan favorite and meaningful asset for New Trier. He already picked up his first Division 1 offer this summer. Sharpshooting 6-foot-5 wing Ian Brown will have plenty of games as the leading scoring with how well he shoots it and drives closeouts, especially if he is matching up against opposing five men. Similar to Feller, Brown will make some Division 3 program very happy. They have a deep sophomore class as well, including 6-foot-3 Danny Houlihan who will be a three-point specialist this year. Don’t count them out from making another deep run in March.

Niles North

There isn’t a better junior core in the CSL than what Niles North possesses. Yaris Irby and Reid Olson are an elite backcourt and both complement each other incredibly well. Olson, a Division 1-level shooter, won Player of the Year on their side and made over 100 threes. A tremendous worker who has made big strides since the spring, Olson is faster, stronger, and more refined at making reads to set up teammates. Irby led the team in scoring last year, able to shake even the best defenders to get separation and be a proficient off-the-dribble scorer. He’s also capable of acting as a pure point guard with some serious court vision and passing creativity. Both should be scholarship-level recruits.

6-foot-6 forward Hunter Gawron put a lot of people on notice last year, finishing everything around the rim and doing so in a tenacious fashion. Rebounding and rim protection almost seem to come naturally for him with his nose for the ball. His low-post game is progressing well and his magnetic hands and leaping ability make him a great outlet for Olson and Irby. Kaiden Chatham also played up as a soph, but seems like a player who could take on a larger complementary role. Listed at 6-foot-2, he plays more like 6-foot-5 with his wingspan and sheer speed and athleticism. He will take on tough defensive assignments while likely providing boosts off of dribble penetration and spot-up threes. The Vikings have a starting five that is right there with any team in the area.

Niles West

It all will start with Davee Flowers once again for Niles West. Oftentimes the focus of entire defenses, Flowers showed last year that he can manufacture shots even when there aren’t a ton of openings readily available. This season will likely be more of the same, as he remains one of the better individual scorers in the CSL. Fellow seniors Aidan Custovic (6-foot-4) and Jason Fowler (6-foot-5) return with some length and athleticism up front. Both should benefit from the defensive attention that Flowers receives. Timothy Matthew projects as a secondary ball-handler and another shooter when off of the ball.

Vernon Hills

Some of the key options graduated from a team that was .500 last year. Junior Anthony Morgan Jr. is quite the athlete and finisher in transition. He rebounds above the rim and has some raw tools that make him a problem in and around the paint. There are a handful of returning seniors who played good minutes a year ago, but they will miss the presence of Milan Raval. There will be chances for players to step up this year.