The top of the West Suburban has been as good as any conference in the state the recently, with downstate representatives the last two years. There should be a couple of teams with the makings of similar deep runs in March.

Addison Trail

Junior Luke Smith is on a legitimate pace to be a 2,000-point scorer after having another impressive showing last season. He will be one of the better offensive weapons in the conference, both as a shooter and passer when help comes or he is facing specialty defenses. Fellow juniors Dom Renc and Max Sobus will provide support and have increased responsibilities. Smith has the ability to keep them in games, and do so efficiently. The biggest differentiator will be consistent secondary and tertiary support.

Downers Grove North

Coach Thomas does a great job of getting his teams to play for each other and it continues to pay dividends. After finishing fourth in state last year, the Trojans bring back a significant core group led by Princeton commit Jack Stanton. Coming into last season, there were a lot of people who were relatively unaware of the proficient shot-maker. But after a historic postseason performance where he delivered like he has done consistently for years; he became the most highly recruited point guard in the class. Too add to his perimeter game, look for Stanton to play above the rim more and use his physicality on penetration. Both Owen Thulin and Jake Riemer (6-foot-8) are also back for their third years up. Thulin, a college-level football recruit, is tough as nails, allows Stanton to play off of the ball, and is the head of the snake defensively. Riemer, who continues to catch the attention from coaches across levels, is going to be a force as a roller, back-to-basket scorer, and defensive anchor.

6-foot-5 guard Alex Miller stepped up last year when injuries hit DGN and he is poised to take advantage of the increased playing time. The senior can score the ball in different ways and is especially effective as a spot-up shooter. Look for 6-foot-6 big Gytis Neverauskas to also step into a bigger role as an athletic, active frontcourt player. The junior class has some solid pieces to add depth, including fast-rising forward Bobby Grganto (6-foot-6), bouncy wing and volleyball star Aidan Akkawi (6-foot-5), and floor-spacing combo guard Jack Crowley. They will be a favorite to make a downstate run.

Downers Grove South

The Sveiteris brothers are back to form a potent frontcourt duo. Justin Sveiteris is a savvy, rugged post player at 6-foot-7 whose demeanor never changes. He just comes out, finishes inside with soft touch and good feet, and flirts with double-digit rebounds on a nightly basis with a non-stop pursuit of missed shots. Any high-academic Division 3 program should be calling him. Daniel Sveiteris has continued to fill out his 6-foot-7 frame, and now has a nice combination of strength, mobility, and elevation when he gets a head of steam. That will only help him get to the foul line more and keep defenders honest with his three-point shooting. He’s going to be really good. There should be some solid shooting around them this year.

Glenbard West

A handful of reliable seniors moved on to the college level, leaving point guard Bennett Schwanke in a leadership role. During the summer, he was excellent at getting into the paint and picking his spots to score. He is a tough-minded kid who will be a catalyst. I’m very confident in his trajectory to the D3 level, particularly high-academic programs. Junior Dom Seaney is going to look like a different player this year after starting last year as a sophomore. Around 6-foot-5, Seaney is an athletic direct driver who could get six to ten points a game on strategic cuts, transition attacks, and attacking closeouts.

Sophomore guard TJ Williams is still putting it all together, but his quickness and aggressiveness off the dribble stand out. It seems like he continues to improve, and his explosiveness is impacting both sides of the floor. There will be some good size in the 1-3-1 like past years. Big Mike, Michael O’Connell, is a space eater at 6-foot-7, 260 pounds. He keeps the ball high, can make push shots, and uses drop steps and pivots well. Logan Glover (6-foot-4) is a high-level athlete who plays like a true big around the rim with his timing as a shot blocker and high-flying dunks offensively.

Hinsdale Central

Multiple all-conference players graduated, without any starters back this year. Senior Daniel Orozco should be a productive shooter for the team. There will be a lot of responsibility placed on a junior group who was part of one of the better sophomore teams in the area last year. Tyler Thick (6-foot-7) was up with varsity last year and has regularly shown the potential to be a go-to option out of the low post. He has no issue playing through contact and crashing into crowds for rebounds. The size, instincts, and inside-out game are there to suggest that Thick will be a big to keep tabs on.

Dillon Orozco could be the primary ball-handler this year with how well he creates out of ball screen actions and sets the pace. The lefty can really shoot the ball from three and has some shiftiness to his game. Juniors Dillon Dell and Eric Kozys could help the perimeter game with their length and shooting at the guard spots. The team will be inexperienced but should be solid on the defensive end with kids who know how to play.

Hinsdale South

Three-year starter Jack Weigus has continued to grow and mature over the last few years. He has become a solid isolation player to work on the ball when he’s not running off of screens where he excels. The arrow continues to point up for Weigus. Brendan Savage (6-foot-3) is another multi-year player with serious upper body strength to play above his height and rebound with bigs like he will need to do this year. Savage is a long-range shooter who has proven to be effective on catch-and-shoots. Junior Ayden Farrare is the other three-year player for the Hornets, bringing downhill driving and athleticism to the shooting on the outside. Matas Peczulis also saw regular time as a shooter in the lineup.

Leyden

It was a struggle at times for Leyden last year. Their top two scorers graduated, but senior Drelyn Jones was around double-digits and is a mismatch with his size and length at the point guard position. This year’s group will rely on his ability to make plays for himself and teammates. Senior big Mike Medious is back along with guard Israel Rodriguez, both of whom were rotation players last year.

Lyons

They lost a decorated senior class to graduation. 6-foot-6 forward Brady Chambers, a Michigan State baseball recruit, is the returner who saw the most regular time. He was one of the better sixth men in the state last year using his wide frame and athleticism to do damage inside. Senior Caleb Greer had good moments as a junior, particularly as an on-ball defender and spark plug. 6-foot-7 forward Liam Taylor has a lot of natural ability putting the ball on the ground and using his athleticism to make plays inside. He’s going to be a breakout player in the conference and has tools that college coaches look for in wings.

Michael Reilly is another senior who learned and waited his turn last year but is going to have a chance to have a memorable final year. On this team, he should add value as a player who is wired to score and has some size at 6-foot-3 to play multiple spots. Athletic, stocky guard Max Hoffman will bring a ton of energy applying ball pressure on the defensive end and making extra effort plays on offense. The sophomore team from last year was near the top of the conference, with some players who could take advantage of the spot minutes they receive. One junior who could have an early impact is 6-foot-6 wing Ian Polonowski, a long-armed, 3-and-D player with a projectable game.

Morton (Berwin)

A couple of their main guys graduated, but there are a lot of seniors who should be in position to make up for the lost production. Fabian Tucker, a quick-twitch guard who defends in the full court, will show more offensive prowess this year. He’s lanky for his height and slashes to the rim well while also being able to hit threes with his feet set. Michael Barnes is a bit undersized, but he’s got a high motor and tireless mentality as a rim protector. They will be a team who pushes the pace, picks up full court, and gets teams out of their comfort zones.

Oak Park-River Forest

OPRF could sneak up on some teams this year. They will have a big lineup working around Max Johnson, a mainstay at point guard who is a lightning bolt with the ball in his hands. He’s got the running mates to make the most out of his end-to-end speed and remains as a very underrated lead guard in the area. Juniors 6-foot-6 wing Alex Gossett and 6-foot-5 guard Justin Bowen are both explosive and disruptive defensively with steadily progressing offensive games. Gossett creates mismatches at the four and five spot with his quick first step and pogo stick bounce around the paint.

Bowen has expanded his offensive game on the perimeter and has shown flashes of creating space and making stop-and-pop shots. After seeing the growth of 6-foot-10 junior Alex Vincent over the last six months, there’s good reason to believe that he will be a monster this year and going forward. Nothing is overcomplicated on offense, sealing hard and going over both shoulders to score. And he’s got a lot more vertical pop than you’d expect from a player his size. All four of their key pieces have some scholarship-level traits, which is not something that a lot of schools can say.

Proviso East

Proviso East understandably focused their gameplans around the dynamic, versatile 2023 group that they had last winter. One player who saw some minutes and will be a go-to scorer is senior guard Joaquin Dixon, who won’t hesitate to let it fly this year. Sophomore JR Swift has a lot to look forward to with a tight handle, long arms, and a good rotation on his three-point shot. I wouldn’t be surprised if he became a standout by year end. Seniors Michael Robinson and Denyell Rush Jr. also played good minutes and will be part of a pretty guard-heavy group.

Proviso West

Conference play was rough on Proviso West last year, but they weren’t devoid of talent. Some of those pieces are gone, but guard Drake Washington should be the star of this year’s group. After making some noise as a junior, his constant dribble penetration and confidence making tough shots will put him in a space to take on a volume role. They will look to some of their younger players to step up around Washington for this year after having a fairly inexperienced team last year.

Willowbrook

The focus is now on sophomore OJ Powell, who was one of a few freshmen up on varsity in the WSC last year. It will be an adjustment being at the top of opposing scouting reports, though Powell has the reactive instincts to go make a play. While slashing will be his primary mode of creating offense, Powell should have the room to develop his outside shot. Junior point KJ Rhodes lacks some size but is a going to apply steady pressure on defenses with his speed to the rim.

York

The Dukes are another team who is loaded in their senior class. Point guard AJ LeVine is among the premier scorers in the area, also showing in the summer that he can use his athleticism and long arms to be a shutdown defender. Low major and D2 programs will continue to keep their fingers crossed. 6-foot-6 senior guard Kyle Waltz is a kid who will blow up over the next few months. He was productive with his time as a junior but has transformed physically with the range, pull-up game, ball-handling ability, and natural athleticism to alter the trajectory of this team. Waltz is a Division 1 player hiding in plain sight.

Guard Brendan Molis (6-foot-3) saw good time a year ago and acts as that off-ball scorer who can go off any given game if defenses don’t pay him the right amount of attention. Braden Richardson (6-foot-6) is going to be a rock-solid post presence once again with the comfort inverting out to the perimeter as a high-post passer or shooter. The sophomore class is very deep as well, but this senior-heavy team has the firepower and size to make a deep run.