Basketball 2024-25: The Southwest Regional Publishing X/Twitter previews

Boys

Acero-Soto: Wolf Pack looking to take step forward after 1-win season. Top 2 scorers return in senior Gs Cruz Lopez, Tony Macias. Also expected to contribute: G Favio Hernandez, C Alexander Bahena, PG Enrique Marquez.

Argo: With top 7 back from 9-23 team, looking to get to .500, be top-3 in SSC Red. Watch G Kassem Saleh (14 ppg), F Darron Greer (10 ppg/5 rpg), F Jayvon King (9.5 ppg/6.2 rpg), G Kenneth Martins (7 ppg/4 rpg), G Deuce Rayner (5 ppg/4 apg), G Yusuf Saleh, G Syncere Westbrook.

Brother Rice: 6-4 G Marcos Gonzales, 6-5 F Caden Workman return as starters from 31-4 team. Hinsdale South transfer Jack Weigus, a 6-3 guard, is a 4-year varsity starter. Expect the Crusaders to play fast.

Catalyst-Maria: Guard play a strength with seniors Marrecus Garrett, Jayden Haynes (also a top defender) and juniors Detoine Moore, Dwayne Jackson (out injured last season). Also watch G/F Keyon Williams. Aiming to be over .500.

De La Salle: Catholic League, sectional titles a goal for veteran team. 6-7 WF Charles Barnes (12 ppg/6rpg), 6-4 Rami Edwards, PG Morgan Travis all in third varsity season as juniors. Frosh PG Roosevelt Thomas was state’s top-ranked 8th-grader. Carlos Cueva can shoot.

Evergreen Park: 10 seniors graduated from 22-11 team that ended 49-year regional drought. 2 capable scorers back from in G Keshaun Vaval (14 ppg/5 apg), G Lonnie Mosley (11 ppg/4 apg). Senior Westinghouse transfer AJ Powell a big pickup.

Marist: Harvard FB commit Achilles Anderson (ACL) out for season. 6-8 Stephen Brown (broken collarbone) will miss 8 weeks. 6-3 Marquis Vance, 6-2 Adoni Vassilakis, 5-10 TJ Tate are solid vets. Transfers Karson Thomas (LW East), Rokys Zilys (Vermont Prep) will help.

Morton: G Donavan Johnson is lone returning starter. F Chas Ontiveros, G Jamari Watkins, F Owen Gansz add experience, but Mustangs will be young overall and not very big. Soph class shows promise, so better days could be ahead.

Mount Carmel: Several key pieces back from last year’s 32-6 Class 3A runner-up: seniors Grant Best (Air Force commit), Cameron Thomas and Dylan Fulbright, along with junior PG Noah Mister. Also watch Lindblom transfer George Gray, soph Logan Wessel, 6-6 Keith Jenkins.

Oak Lawn: Spartans (22-9 last year) will play fast, shoot lots of 3s. Donte Montgomery (20.5), Jack Dempsey (10 ppg, 40% 3pt) are proven scorers. G Ali Farhan ready to step up. Also watch 6-7 Lillard Gonzales, 6-4 Marc Harvey, 6-3 Omar Saleh, Mustafa Abunajim.

Riverside-Brookfield: Bulldogs (26-5 last year) move to Upstate Eight. Key vets are junior G Cameron Mercer (14 ppg/40% 3-pt), G Danny Loftus (9 ppg), G Vince Dockendorf, 6-6 Mantas Sleinys. Also watch 6-6 Colin Chimino, Ben Biskupic, 6-4 Walker Burns, Liam Enright.

Sandburg: 5 starters graduated from 16-16 team. 6-3 G Connor Gleason, 5-9 G Malachi Perkins return. Identical twins Jonah and Will Johnson are 6-2 juniors who should help immediately. Winning record and competing in SW Suburban are goals.

Shepard: SSC Red title a goal. 6-9 Jovan Thomas (9 ppg/8 rpg), elite 6-8 frosh Amari Williams provide solid inside presence. G Aurion Barnes-Lee (8.8 ppg/2.8 apg), G Danny McGovern (4 ppg/3 apg) also back as starters. Billy Massey, Zach Cosme also will contribute.

Stagg: Graduated 7 of top 8 from 20-12 team that won program’s first league title but 6-6 UI Springfield commit Domas Narcevicius (12 ppg/60% 3-pt in conf. play) returns. 6-3 Nikolai Zumerchik, Tre Washington also back. Watch Omar Barakat, Mohammed Farhan, Dovydas Zuperka.

Universal: New coach Mustafa Sulaiman will build around seniors Abdullah Elzebek, Ameen Muslah, Abdallah Sughayar, all of whom have all-conference potential. Two sophs to watch are PG Ahmad Massad, Omar Motan.

Girls

Argo: Argonauts are in second year of a rebuild after being very young last season. All but one player is back. Watch Alizza Quinones (9.8 ppg), who was the team’s leading scorer last year.

Chicago Christian: Knights look to improve after finishing 12-19 (0-6 Chicagoland Christian) last year. Senior Naima Hogue is top returner. Speedy junior PG Imani Frazier will push the tempo.

De La Salle: Former McAuley coach Tony Federici takes over team aiming to compete in GCAC White. C Kai Williams a solid scorer, defender. Others to watch: F Maggie Robinson, PG Jakiah Jackson, G Ellie Cabrera, G Kamarah Jamison, 5-10 F Aniya Hamilton, F Janelle Ochoa.

Evergreen Park: New coach George Shimko takes over team that was 15-14 last season. Top returners are junior F Tatum Harris, senior PG Trinity Jones, senior F Kyziah Lewis.

Horizon-McKinley: Winning record a goal for team coming off tough season. Back are senior G Victoria Medrano, junior G Cassandra Medrano, senior F Esmeralda Rau. Two freshmen to watch are PG Julissa Reyes, F Lauriah Penro.

Kelly: Trojans move up to Red Star section, return 9 players from 10-13 team. Starters back: C Delilah Lopez, G Sasha Arriaga Morales, G Luz Escudero, F Daeja West. Also returning: G/F Imani Jackson, F Amy Lora, G Alexandra Zaldivar, G Dulce Paredes Alonzo, C Amaranth Rincon.

Lyons: 6-2 Stanford recruit Nora Ezike (16.5 ppg/8.5 rpg) is one of state’s best. 6-1 Emma O’Brien (13.4 ppg/5.7 rpg) has Harvard, Loyola offers. Avery Mezan (5.6 ppg), 5-11 Gwen Smith also back. Watch frosh Sydney Munson, 6-0 soph Taylor Carroll. Aiming for a special season.

Nazareth: Roadrunners have 5 state trophies since 2018, inc. 2nd in 4A last year. Young but talented this year with Valpo commit Allia Von Schlegell, 6-0 Stella Sakalas, 6-2 Jane Manecke, Lyla Shelton, 5-11 Sophia Towne, 5-11 Samantha Austin, Molly Moore, 6-0 Emerson Hyland.

Mother McAuley: Junior PG Quinn Arundel (11 ppg/2 rpg/2 apg/2.3 spg) is 2-year starter, returning All-GCAC pick. Also back: soph G Taji Alexa, junior G Delia Sullivan, junior F Olivia Brown. Mighty Macs have one of state’s toughest schedules.

Oak Lawn: Senior-heavy team will look to F Danielle Dempsey, G Teagan Krzystof (76 3s last year), G Bianca Fleitas, soph G Olivia Perry. Dempsey, Krzystof are both 4-year varsity players. Went 18-13, won share of SSC Red title last year. Goals are conference, regional titles.

Reavis: Career scoring leader Isabel Lopez, 7 more seniors graduated from team that finished 13-12 (8-5 SSC Red). Keep an eye on G Delyana Arocho, C Alexa Pena Flores, freshman Dajiah Vidana.

Sandburg: Lots back from 19-15 regional champs. PG Zoe Trunk a proven scorer, defender. Ellie Driscoll (65 3s), Olivia Trunk (90% FT), Abby Janociak, Olivia Prodoehl also back. Frosh PG Makaleigh Terry, Maeve Overmyer, 6-2 Monique Nkwogu all will contribute.

Shepard: Finished 19-10, won share of first league title in program history last year. Three key vets are junior Jessica Manley (16.6 ppg/6.8 rpg), who led team in scoring last two years; three-year starting PG Brianna Spain, G Mia Stokes. Another SSC Red title a goal.

Stagg: 8 seniors graduated from 19-13 team. Back are junior G Abbey Hobart, who led the team in scoring, and 6-2 senior Shannon Earley, who broke 2 program blocks records.

St. Laurence: 2 AAU teammates lead way in soph G Aaliyah Flores (13 ppg/2 spg), 6-2 frosh F Marlee Coleman. Elle Rice also back for Vikings, who aim to win GCAC White.