***High school coaches can continue to fill out the Season Preview Form to provide information on their teams. This is not required to be featured, but it does help provide context to put together the previews.

Saint Ignatius

Outlook:

Ignatius has been one of the most successful programs in the 2020s under Coach Monroe, making it downstate in two of the last three years. A very close-knit group with athleticism across the board could lead to an exciting, up-tempo style this year for a guard-heavy group. Northwestern commit Phoenix Gill could be the best player in the Catholic League this year and has the type of team-first approach that should allow his teammates to play freely. He’ll be an All-State player this year. 6-foot-6 junior Chris Bolte is going to emerge as a star at the forward spot with his shooting ability, explosiveness, defensive versatility, and motor. Bolte is still in the early stages of recruitment, but he will be a Division 1 prospect in his own right.

Gill and Bolte will be tasked with guarding all over the floor for a team that may lack traditional bigs. But the ball pressure and quickness should be a serious asset across the board. Seniors Alex Anaya and Ryan Cavanaugh will be in for much larger roles after seeing spot minutes as juniors. Look for plenty of scrappy defense and playmaking from both of them. Newcomer Grant Poorman is a productive, 6-foot-3 shooter who led the sophomore team in scoring last year. Sophomores Chris Chittaro and Duke Ross could also make an impact playing up. Chittaro is a lefty scorer on the perimeter with the ability to get hot quickly while Ross has a ton of upside as a wiry, versatile wing. Keep an eye on freshman Amir Tucker, who had some nice moments in the summer and has a bright future as a composed, dynamic playmaker. Now in 4A due to the state appearance factor, Ignatius will have a chance to make some noise come the postseason.

Key Players:

Sr – Phoenix Gill, (6’3 Guard) – 16.4 PPG, 5.7 RPG, 2.7 APG, 1.6 SPG

Jr – Chris Bolte, (6’6 Forward) – 5.7 PPG, 4.1 RPG, 38.9% 3FG

Sr – Alex Anaya (5’11 Guard) – 2.3 PPG, 1.1 RPG, 42.4% 3FG)

Sr – Ryan Cavanagh (6’0 Guard) – 2023-24 Season Stats (1.9 PPG)

Jr – Grant Poorman (6’3 Guard)

So – Chris Chittaro (6’2 Guard)

So – Duke Ross (6’4 Guard)

Jr – Nico Harris (6’0 Guard)

Sr – Teddy Koehl (6’4 Forward)

Sr – Will Horton (6’1 Guard)

Fr – Amir Tucker (5’9 Guard)

Prospect For College Coaches To Keep An Eye On:

Phoenix Gill (6’3 SG, 2025) – Northwestern Commit

The Northwestern commit seems to keep improving, coming off of a summer where he was a standout playing with Mac Irvin on the EYBL. Gill has effortless athleticism and has worked on his frame to be able to control games with his physicality. As a dribble penetrator, he is a force going to either hand with how well he maintains his driving lines and finishing in traffic. His ball-handling, shooting, and footwork have all made consistent strides over the last few years and should be on full display in what should be an exciting senior year.

Chris Bolte (6’6 SF, 2026)

Bolte is the type of high-energy, skilled wing that you can utilize in a number of ways. The physical, fluid lefty knocked down nearly 40 percent of his threes last season and has a seasoned dribble-pull-up and mid-post game that is aided by his ability to elevate over defenders. While playing with Breakaway during AAU, he really showed how effective he could be across the board defensively, regularly guarding bigs and having no issue switching onto guards. Also a reliable passer, tremendous rebounder, and high-academic/high-character kid, Bolte will be a wing who college coaches will feel safe about pursuing.