Coaches and/or athletic directors, please email info on your team to mobrien@suntimes.com. Only emails will be accepted. I’ll send out a preview on every team that sends information. You can follow along on X @michaelsobrien or read the previews here. All Illinois schools are eligible, not just schools in the Sun-Times’ coverage area. Please include the following:
School:
Coach:
Phone number:
Outlook for this season:
Top Returning Players (Position, Height, Year in school):
Top Newcomers (Position, Height, Year in school):
Top teams in your conference:
Players on your team and in the conference to consider for the list of the area’s best:
Interesting story idea about your team:
This story will be updated nearly every day until the start of the season. Here’s everything that has been sent out so far:
Deerfield: Jack DiMatteo takes over as coach after the best season in school history. An exciting group is back, led by Washington University recruit Tommy Donahue. Sophomore Drew Schnurman, junior Charlie Yellen and senior Carter Hart are the other top returners.
Glenbard North: New coach Nicholas Healy has two of the area’s best seniors back in Lamari Carpenter and 6-6 Oturo Redento. Senior Caeden Chilton and junior George Schager played vital roles last season and improved significantly over the summer.
Highland Park: This was a feisty team last season that opened some eyes at York. Eleven seniors return, including leading scorer Gray Kanter and fellow starters Zach Baum, Peter Dimitriou and Max Stevens.
Naperville North: Young group improved over the summer. Defense and rebounding will be key. Senior guard Jack Zitko is the lone returning starter. Sixth man Reid Montanari, a 6-5 senior, will step up. Nolan Scarbrough will have an expanded role and Clark Roush, Sam Steele and soph Toby Kapusta are the top newcomers.
Schaumburg: New coach Garrett Gatz has just one starter back, 6-3 junior Masyn Harrell. Seniors Aaron Shogren, Donovan Manning and Caden Williams will play important roles.