2018 Basketball Preview: 20 questions and answers

Twenty questions and answers on the upcoming season.

1. Who is the best player in the Chicago area?

This title is more up for grabs than any season in recent memory. Uplift senior Markese Jacobs begins the season as the area’s top player. But the DePaul recruit has several underclassmen pressing him for the spot.

Morgan Park junior Adam Miller and Young junior DJ Steward are both Player of the Year candidates along with a slew of senior guards including Brother Rice’s Marquise Kennedy and DePaul Prep’s Perry Cowan.

It also isn’t out of the realm of possibility that Rolling Meadows sophomore Max Christie, already highly-regarded nationally, is the area’s best player by March.

2. Which players are on the preseason All-State team?

Jacobs, Miller, Steward, Belleville West’s EJ Liddell and Bloomington’s Chris Payton.

3. Which teams are the favorites to win Class 4A?

Belleville West is the preseason favorite to repeat. Liddell, an Ohio State recruit, is the state’s top player. Point guard Lawrence Brazil III and forward Keith Randolph also return for the Maroons.

Young and Evanston are the most likely to make a run from the Chicago area. Bloom, Bolingbrook, Simeon, Curie and Oak Park are also more than capable of getting to Peoria.

4. Is there a team that could make a Cinderella run?

The hype around Waukegan has fallen off after the Bulldogs went 11-16 last season. But 6-5 senior Bryant Brown is one of the area’s best player and he is surrounded by talent, including point guard Andre White Jr., who transferred in from Harlem.

5. Who are the favorites in Class 3A?

This group is stronger than usual. Springfield Southeast, which finished second last season, brings back 6-4 Anthony Fairlee and guard Terrion Murdix. Morgan Park, the defending champs, have a loaded back court with Miller, Chris Roberts and Marcus Watson.

Bogan, St. Viator, St. Rita, Hillcrest and DePaul Prep are other major contenders in the area.

6. What’s the most interesting development for this season?

The future is wide open. There is no established pecking order. Will Christie become the area’s new headliner? Will it be Miller or Steward or Beard or a player that no one expects?

7. Which player has improved the most since last season?

Curie’s DaJuan Gordon became a high-major prospect over the summer. The 6-4 senior showed major flashes of potential at the end of last season and continued his strong play on the club circuit. He signed with Kansas State and should have a breakout season for the Condors.

8. Which players are worth traveling to see?

Make a trip to the suburbs to see Christie. Rolling Meadows should face some good competition over the holidays at the York Tournament.

9. Which freshman is a budding superstar?

The early talk is all about Simeon’s 6-7 freshman AJ Casey. Wolverines coach Robert Smith expects him to see significant playing time.

10. Who is the most important transfer?

Definitely Steward to Young. He elevated the Dolphins to preseason No. 1 status.

11. Who are the most under appreciated players in the area?

St. Viator’s Jeremiah Hernandez and Glenbard West’s Evan Taylor, both D1 recruits, do multiple things well on the court but have remained a bit under the radar

12. Which teams were overlooked in the preseason Super 25?

Expect there to be plenty of turnover this season. New Trier, Downers Grove North, Geneva, Providence-St. Mel, Orr, Kankakee and Carmel just missed the cut.

13. What is the must-see game of the year?

There isn’t a clear answer this season. The Pontiac Holiday Tournament in loaded with ranked teams. The title game there on Dec. 29 should be terrific.

14. What is the strongest conference in the area?

The Red-South/Central has a stranglehold on this. Simeon, Curie, Morgan Park, Bogan and Kenwood are all in the preseason Super 25.

15. Who are the top shooters?

Miller, Evanston’s Blake Peters, Loyola’s Connor Barrett, Geneva’s Mitch Mascari and Johnsburg’s Zach Toussaint.

16. Who are the top freshmen?

Casey and his Simeon teammate Jaylen Drane are the two biggest names. Also keep an eye on Larkin’s Damari Wheeler Thomas and Yorkville Christian’s Jaden Schutt.

17. Which sophomores will emerge as stars?

Christie and Simeon’s Ahamad Bynum are the two most likely. But the sophomore class has several other promising talents including Peters, Schaumburg’s Chris Hodges, Notre Dame’s Anthony Sayles and Zion-Benton’s Amar Aguillard.

18. Who are the area’s best big men?

Naperville North’s Tom Welch, Leo’s DaChaun Anderson, New Trier’s Ciaran Brayboy, Rashaun Agee of Bogan and Lemont’s Nate Ferguson.

19. Who are the top point guards?

Kejuan Clements of Simeon, St. Joseph’s Reggie Strong, Bolingbrook’s Joseph Yesufu, Bogan’s Jordan Booker and Morgan Park’s Marcus Watson.

20. Who are the new coaches to watch?

Austin Scott takes over a Hersey team that is expected to compete for the Mid-Suburban East title. Former Stevenson assistant David Hess is the new coach at Elgin.

Want to hear all about the Sun-Times’ preseason Super 25 basketball rankings? Michael O’Brien and Joe Henricksen go in-depth on all 25 teams in the latest episode of No Shot Clock, the Chicago high school basketball podcast. LISTEN HERE.