Over the last few years, the Southwest Suburban conference has seen a bit of a revival, with a few teams remaining competitive while others have quickly knocked on the door. We are looking at the ten-team conference.

Andrew

The Bolts will have a new look with some of the length graduating from last year’s team. Not all is lost though with a solid returning inside-out duo to build on in 6-foot-10, 285-pound senior Grantas Sakenis and junior point guard Athan Berchos. Sakenis continues to look like one of the more intriguing, unique bigs in the class. He may be a bigger body, but he has good footwork inside and gets off of the ground well. In a conference with a number of talented bigs, Sakenis will demand double teams in most matchups. Berchos is always fun to watch with how well he orchestrates the offense. As a sophomore, he balanced scoring and passing well. The shot-making will go up, but his ball screen prowess and creativity will also be on display more often.

Bolingbrook

This will be one of the better combinations of youth and experience that Coach Brost has had in recent years. Always a tenacious, defensive-minded group, look for the guard play to keep up a similar DNA. Senior Josh Aniceto has become a favorite for Division 3 programs in the area in part because of his ball-handling, IQ, and savvy on the defensive end. His scoring output will increase this year as well. DJ Strong is also back after making good strides as a junior on and off of the ball. Another senior, KJ Cathey, should help keep the pace going for the Raiders while Jason Lawani (6-foot-5) will be a bruiser inside.

The new additions are just what this returning group needed. Usually I play a wait-and-see approach with freshmen, but Davion Thompson’s footwork, finishing ability, and efficiency as an outside shooter are beyond rare. On top of the immense skill, he comes across as a great teammate who prioritizes winning and effort. He’s a high-major/top-50 type of kid. Fenwick transfer JT Pettigrew is around 6-foot-7 with a budding perimeter game to complement his shot-blocking and force on the inside. He is quickly coming into his own and will cause mismatches at the five spot this year. I love the way sophomore guard Trey Brost plays. The 6-foot guard is quick off the dribble, able to defend baseline to baseline, and a knockdown shooter. He’ll be a scholarship-level guard as well and will be part of a great backcourt for years to come with Thompson.

Bradley Bourbonnais

More people need to know about 6-foot-11 center Nick Allen. The athletic, long-armed junior has continued to fill out physically, expand his offensive package, and set himself up to be in the all-state discussion. A legitimate high-major ceiling with numerous offers and looks already. If senior wing Anthony Kemp can get back to full strength, he will provide a big playmaker who has a keen passing sense and a versatile, all-around two-way player to lean on in conference play. Senior Brandon Harris is a capable scorer who may be the top perimeter scorer this year. Also look for tough, multi-sport athletes Ethan (senior) and Gavin (junior) Kohl to play good roles for them.

Homewood Flossmoor

Coach JD has turned this roster over into one of the most talented in the entire state in a matter of two years. Columbia commit Gianni Cobb transferred in as a top-notch lead guard who thrives at making plays with the ball in his hands and causing havoc on the defensive end. A lot of decision making will be placed in his hands. Late in the summer, Bryce Heard also finalized a transfer to HF. It doesn’t hurt to bring in a 6-foot-6 guard who can handle the ball, sky above the rim, and score from the perimeter. Heard is a Power-5 recruit who will be hard to gameplan for with so many other weapons on the team.

That’s without mentioning their top returner, JD Tyler, who is a terrific decision maker with a smooth game. He had a breakout season as a sophomore and put the state on notice before pulling in multiple mid-major offers on the AAU circuit while playing up a grade level. 6-foot-3 senior Carson Brownfield is also a standout from last year who will see fewer shots but will have a chance to make impacts with his passing and defense. Those three will lead the way outside, but there is some reinforcement in the frontcourt in LWE transfer Mac Hagemaster (Lewis commit) and 6-foot-6 returner Gakobie McNeal. Hagemaster has an endless motor, has good hands, and doesn’t need touches to control a game. McNeal showed a similar, athletic energy that should translate as a screener and dump off finisher.

Lincoln-Way Central

Senior Ben McLaughlin is expected to be a driving force for this year’s team. The lefty guard can score through contact inside and has extended range as a shooter. He’ll be an all-conference player. Will Gehrke is another senior who should be an impact player for this group as a rebounder and energy-giver. There are a number of returning juniors who saw some time as sophomores as well who are worth keeping an eye on going into the season.

Lincoln-Way East

Returning sophomore BJ Powell had a huge freshman season on a senior-heavy group. Now he will be keyed in on by more opposing defenses, but he’s got the game to take a nice step up in his production. Junior guard Brenden Sanders also played a big role as a sophomore, now up to around 6-foot-4. Sanders is a well-rounded athlete who kind of fits the physical profile that you look for in a wing. Expect him to be more assertive this year. A player who is going to blow up in the next year is 6-foot-3 sophomore Karson Thomas. He’s got a compact, athletic build, has next-level explosiveness, gets to his mid-range well, and projects as one of the better long-term prospects in the conference. Junior Brent Taylor will also help the new-look group who will thrive in transition.

Lincoln-Way West

LWW wasn’t hit as hard by graduations and transfers as some of the other conference teams. Eli Bach (6-foot-3) was an all-conference player last year and should be among the more productive players this year. He seems to find ways to get his shot off and has an uncanny way of scoring in a hurry. Forward Jacob Bereza saw some solid time as a junior and projects as a volume rebounder and inside option for them. Senior point guard Jacob Willis will help initiate the offense and knock down open shots.

Lockport

Now with new leadership, Lockport will look to lean on their backcourt after losing a couple key pieces to transfers. Senior Logan Cooper can fill it up when getting to the paint and using acrobatic moves to score in crowds. I’d anticipate him taking a lot more outside shots this season as well given the need for offense. Bryce Turner got called up mid-way through last season and never looked back. The junior is a scrappy, dynamic point guard who stretches the floor and uses his craftiness inside well. Look for Turner to emerge as one of the better floor generals in the conference. They will need some help up front but are looking to establish an identity early on.

Sandburg

Sandburg struggled last year in conference-play. There aren’t a ton of big names on the roster, but they do have a few returning bigs to help battle inside. The player to watch for is 6-foot-2 sophomore Carlos Cueva, who is a long, skilled guard blessed with plus athleticism. He will emerge for this group this year as they are likely to lean on some youth to compete with going forward.

Stagg

Senior Connor Williams will return as a focal point and all-conference/all-area level player. Williams does so many things well, from shooting the three, to passing off the bounce, to using his athleticism as a rebounder and defender. More high-level D3 programs should be pursuing him. Junior Domas Narcevicius is going to break out. His bounce and quickness have improved while he has become leaner without losing his strength. Narcevicius is an elite outside shooter who can go on scoring tears with pull-ups and threes, even with a hand in his face. Big man Yousef Jarad can be a load on the block and will do the dirty work for them this year.