By Michael Wojtychiw
The High School Boys Basketball season is upon us, so we here at the Chicago Public League are taking a look at some of the teams to watch this year and their prospects for the season
**All teams were reached out to for this article, however only teams that responded are displayed below. This will be a running preview list as more teams respond.
School: Chicago Academy
Last Year’s Record: 13 – 11
Social Media Handle: @ChiAcadHS
Starters returning: Isaiah Cortez – Jr, G
Key non-starters returning: Aram Salman – So – G; Kyle Orta – Jr – F; Xavion Duffie – Jr – G; Kaleb Crespo – Sr – G
Newcomers to watch: Ahmad Ahmad – Sr – C
Season outlook: Goal is to win the Blue North. Many new faces, but we have not lowered our goals.
School: Clemente
Last Year’s Record: 4-15
Starters returning:
Jamarion Latzzis, senior
John Rivera, sophomore
Paul Moore, junior
Key non-starters returning:
Sebastian Rivera, junior
Newcomers to watch:
Kaylan Colon. freshman
Derrick Carter. sophomore
Levarus Gardner
Season outlook: We’ve got a number of young guys and a first-year head coach this season.
School: Curie Condors
2021-22 record: 26-7
Social media: @CurieBball (Twitter)
Returning starters:
Jr. Guard Carlos Harris (12ppg)
Sr. Forward Chikasi Ofoma (14ppg)
Sr. Forward Jeremy Harrington Jr. (14ppg) (8 rebs)
Sr. Guard Shawn Brown
Key non-starters returning:
Sr. Guard Kros Barrett
Jr. Forward Taevion Collier
Newcomers to watch:
Sr. Forward Sherod Dent Jr.
Jr. Guard Christian Brockett
Season outlook: After falling short in the city championship game last year we return our entire team minus 1 senior! So we feel we have the experience, talent and depth to make a serious run at a city and state championship!
School: Excel Academy of Englewood
Last Year’s Record: 6-7
Social Media Handle: (IG) Excelacademyofenglewood
Starters returning:
Pravion Demus, G, Sr, National Honor Society
Aveon Daniels, G, Sr
Justin Patton, F, Sr
Jemele Jackson, F Sr
Key non-starters returning:
Antoine Lewis, F, Soph
Newcomers to watch:
Joshua Andrews, G, Sr
Season outlook: This will be an interesting season for Excel Academy of Englewood. We are looking to rebound from last year’s up-and-down season. We have high expectations for the season and am looking to win our division.
School: Fenger
Last Year’s Record: 17-12
Social Media Handle: fengerboysbasketball
Starters returning:
Jordan Rowls, F, 2023
Key non-starters returning:
Jihad Crume, C, 2023
Matthew Wilson, G, 2025
Newcomers to watch:
Bruce Standford, G, 2025
Season outlook: Reloading year… looking to compete in state 1A and win the White-South.
School: Foreman
Last Year’s Record: 7-15
Social Media Handle: @Athleti1Foreman (Twitter)
Starters returning:
Antonio Heron class of 23 ,PG, SG- SR
Isiah Stokes class of 24 , SF, Jr
Newcomers to watch:
Theodis Robinson Jr class of 24, SG- JR
Sherrod Chandler class of 24, SG- JR
Jamel Duke Class of 24, SG, SF – JR
Season outlook:
The Hornets will look to bounce back after a tough season under a new Head Coach. This year they will be led by two dynamic scorers at the shooting guard and small forward positions. Foreman will look to play dominant defense and fast pace on the offensive side.
School: Goode Stem Academy
Last Year’s Record: 16-9
Social Media Handle: Instagram: goodeboysbasketball Twitter: @GoodeBoysBball
Starters returning:
Michael Collins, F, Sr.
Fred Boyd, G, Jr.
Key non-starters returning:
Brandon Mixon, F, Jr.
Jamari Campbell, G, Sr.
Marion Potts, F, Sr.
Newcomers to watch:
Tyronn Black, G, Jr.
Season outlook: We are going to have to rely heavily on Fred, Brandon, and Mike to pick up the scoring that we lost from graduation. We’ll need to defend and try to keep the scores down in order for us to be successful.
School: Kennedy Crusaders
Last Year’s Record: 8-23
Starters returning:
Senior Guard Brett Gomez – All Conference White Central; 21 ppg, 7 apg, 6 rpg
Senior Forward Adrian Medina
Senior Forward Jeremiah Stigger
Senior Guard Nathan Carrero
Key non-starters returning:
Sophomore G/F Joseph Dahl
Junior Guard Vincent Carrero
Senior Guard Kenneth Villa
Senior Forward John Kurysz
Newcomers to watch:
Junior Guard Alfredo Calderon
Junior Forward Michael Gallas
Junior Forward Patryk Baliczek
Season outlook: Looking to reverse fortunes from the 21-22 season with 4 returning starters and 3 other key contributors. Led by all-conference guard and conference scoring leader Brett Gomez, shooting guard Nate Carrero the versatile Jeremiah Stigger and experienced depth, Kennedy expects to compete for a top spot in the White Central.
School: Lane Tech
Last Year’s Record: 19-12
Social Media Handle: IG: lanetechhoops / Twitter: @lanetechhoops
Starters returning:
Shaheed Solebo, G, JR., All-Conference as a sophomore
Jack Tzur, F, SR.
Key non-starters returning:
Lorenzo Aquino, G, SR.
Dalton Scantlebury, F, SO
Season outlook: Lane will be competitive in Red Northwest conference and very tough in non-conference schedule including Chicago Elite Class, D-Rose Shootout, Coaches United Shootout, Battle of the Bridge Thanksgiving Tournament and several out-of-state games.
School: Mather
Last Year’s Record: 6-24
Social Media Handle: Twitter: @matherhoops
Starters returning:
Terence Young, Guard, Senior
Key non-starters returning:
Yann Kwizera, Guard, Junior
Newcomers to watch:
Keontae Lewis, Guard, Senior
Romeo Diaz, Guard, Senior
Ezekiel Irving, Forward, Junior
Mario Parker Jr., Guard/Forward, Junior
Season outlook:
With only two returning players, the Rangers will be a young and deep squad that will rely on their quickness. Looking forward to the team’s development over the course of the season as it will take time to build team chemistry.
School: Morgan Park Mustangs
Last Year’s Record: 13-11
Returning starters:
Orlando James, PG, Sr
Fontain Thomas, G, Jr
Key newcomers:
Leon Cooks Jr. / F / Jr
Dwayne Halliburton / G/F / Jr
Dillon Fountain / G / So
Avain Jackson / G / Jr
Season outlook: Looking to build off last season’s CPS Elite 8 appearance and Class 4A (playing up) regional final. The conference schedule is top loaded, so this year’s team will be tested early and often.
School: Northside College Preparatory High School
Last Year’s Record: 15-11 (overall), 4-5 (conference)
Starters Returning:
Steven Tran (Jr., Guard)
Andrew Jarzyna (Sr., Guard)
Owen Amir-Arjomand (Jr., Guard)
Key non-starters returning:
Merwan Nur (Sr., Forward)
Ben Lavie (Sr., Center)
Newcomers to watch:
Matthew Sterniuk (Soph., Forward)
Derrick David (Jr., Forward/Center)
Jon Brody (Jr., Forward/Center)
Jayden Kim (Soph., Forward)
Kevin Adu (Jr., Forward/Center)
Season Outlook: Compete to win the White-North.
School: Ogden International
Last Year’s Record: 14-16
Starters returning:
Kamari Willis – G, F, Senior, Scholar Athlete
Travion Williams – G, Senior
Key non-starters returning:
Jaden Johnson-Gill, C, Senior
Andre Bolton – G, Junior
Marquette Lee – F, Junior
Alonte Reynolds – G, F, Junior
Newcomers to watch:
Alonte Reynolds – G, F, Junior
Andre Bolton – G, Junior
DeShawn Perry-Tucker – G, F, Junior
Marquette Lee – F, Junior
Antwoine Bolton – G, F, Sophomore
Season outlook:
Moved up to the White after going undefeated in the Blue West last year. We are younger, graduating 7 seniors last year, but have a strong Junior class and are looking to make a splash in our new division.
School: Walter Payton College Prep
Last Year’s Record: 13-12
Social Media Handle: twitter: @PaytonHoops ; instagram: @PaytonBasketball34
College commits (if available): Nate Raub, Hamilton College (pending admission)
Starters returning (Name, position, class, honors, stats if available):
Nate Raub, sr, forward, 6’8, 2021-22 All-White West Team; Brennan Moore, sr, guard, 6’3
Key non-starters returning (Name, position, class, stats if available):
Jaiden Lulla, sr, guard, 5’9; Sean Anderson, sr, guard, 6’0; Kyle Osterman, sr, guard, 6’0; Jejaw Jejaw, sr, guard, 6’0, Sam Litwinski, sr, forward, 6’3
Newcomers to watch (Name, position, class):
Kai Fogelson, jr, guard, 6’3
Graham Miller, jr, forward, 6’6
Yoshi Mack, jr, 6’1, guard
Grant Gugino, soph, 5’10, guard
Season outlook: Will be a competitive group that plays together on offense and defense. Playing a very strong schedule with 3 events – St. Patrick’s Thanksgiving Tournament, 79th Annual Centralia Holiday Tournament, Deerfield/Lake Forest 3A MLK Tournament. Looking to compete in the White West.
School: Prosser Career Academy
Social Media Handle: IG: Prosserhoops Twitter: Prosser Basketball
Starters returning: Latroy Henderson, Senior, Guard
Key non-starters returning: Xazayvion Bell, Senior, Wing
Newcomers to watch (Name, position, class):
Erik Peoples, Senior, Wing
Dwyane Flower, Junior, Guard
Ramsey Momon, Sophomore, Guard
Season outlook:
This year’s Prosser team has a new look from a year ago. Returning 2 starters and a host of newcomers. Prosser looks to make some noise in a tough Red North-West. Latroy Henderson is looking to start where he left off last season and Xazayvion Bell has a lot to prove to help the Falcon success. With some key newcomers we look to prove the doubters wrong. I believe this is the hardest working team I have ever coached, which is bringing the toughness our team needs to win games.
School: Raby High School
Last Year’s Record: 12-13
Starters returning:
Dorian Perry G, Sr.; All- Conference
JaJuan Folks G, Sr.; All-Conference
Omari Gunn, G/F, Sr.
Key non-starters returning:
Quayvone Hampton, G/F, SR
Newcomers to watch:
Nicholas Rogers, G, Soph
Sharvis Pipes, G, Soph
Season outlook: After losing 6 srs and having 4 transfers, the Raiders are looking to create an identity with everyone in new roles. We return All-Conference guards: JaJuan Folks and Dorian Perry, which will provide leadership. Seniors Omari Gunn, Jamontay Thomas and Quayvone Hampton are looking to expand their roles this season. We are expecting sophomore Nicholas Rogers to make a huge leap in his 1st year on varsity.
School: Eric Solorio Academy HS
Last Year’s Record: 12-7
Starters returning: Leo Lopez (’23) – guard. Will be his 4th year as a contributor on Varsity; Kaleb Aguilar (’24) – guard.
Key non-starters returning: Cruz Ochoa (’23) – forward; Oliver Altamirano Hernandez (’23) – guard
Newcomers to watch: Angel Tapia (’23) Forward; Isiah Gomez (’26) – guard
Season outlook: After losing All-City player Donovan Jones and 2 other multi-year starters on Varsity, we’ve dropped down to the Blue Conference this year. Our program is looking to rebuild a bit as we work with more players that are a bit newer to basketball. We should be competitive in this new conference thanks to the additions of a large number of seniors that are playing for us for the first time and the return of Leo Lopez and Kaleb Aguilar. Angel Tapia and Andew Alacron are two high-level baseball players that have decided to play basketball this year. Those two, along with newcomer Freshman Isiah Gomez, who ended the year as our starting quarterback for the football program, are still learning the game a bit but show signs of being key contributors. Brian Salinas (’23) – forward doesn’t yet know how good he can be and if he stays committed, he could be a real force in the middle. This culture along with the foundation Coach Rhymes built over the past few seasons gives us confidence that we can have success in the Blue Central and keep building our players into high-quality young men.
School: Steinmetz Silver Streaks
Last Year’s Record: 18-12
Starters returning: none
Key non-starters returning:
Demari Pinson
Tyquan Turner
Newcomers to watch:
Michael Mena
Anthony Garcia
Keith Tankston
Oscar Rivera
Season outlook:
Never had a team turnover as much in a season in my 20 years as head coach. Only 3 players dressed for a varsity game last year, only one saw any time playing, the rest of the team is completely new to the program. They are coachable…so if we put the work in, maybe we can surprise some teams this year. We’ll give it 100 percent.
School: Taft High School
Last Year’s Record: 17-12
Social Media Handle: Twitter: @TaftBoysBball Instagram: @taftboysbball
Starters returning:
Julian Martinez – Senior, Guard
Armin Aliloski – Senior, Forward
Key non-starters returning:
Lyle Scibor – Junior, Guard
Jayden Harris – Junior, Guard
Newcomers to watch:
Frank Paszkowski – Junior, Forward
Marty Dempsey – Sophomore, Guard
Nathan Serrano – Freshman Guard
Season outlook:
Taft is trying to improve on last year’s 17-12 record by bringing intensity with a defensive mindset. Senior and returning starters Julian Martinez, Armin Aliloski will lead the way. The program is filled with young talent – juniors Jayden Harris, Lyle Scibor, and Frank Paszkowski; Sophomore Marty Dempsey; and keep an eye on Freshman Nathan Serrano. The team consists of many returning young men who continue to grow together every day while playing basketball at one of Chicago’s finest neighborhood schools.
School: Chicago Vocational Career Academy
Last Year’s Record: 7-12
Social Media Handle: @CVS_basketball
Starters returning:
Antwan Green, SG/W, Senior
Key non-starters returning:
Stacey Clark, G/F, Senior
Newcomers to watch:
Carlton Davis, PG, Senior
Kyree Jones, SG, Junior
Season outlook:
This season will be very interesting due to having a team full of unproven players. With a lot of guards and a senior heavy team, this team has the potential to be really disruptive and competitive in the White South. As this group play more games together, they will be tougher and tougher to beat.
School: Westinghouse Warriors
Last Year’s Record: 16-12
Social Media Handle: @WWarriorsBball
Starters returning:
Isaiah Giles, Guard, 2023, 2022 IBCA all-state honorable mention
Key non-starters returning:
Isaiah Giles, Guard, 2023
Askia Bullie, Point Guard, 2024
Dartagnan Butler, Forward, 2023
Newcomers to watch:
Damien Bolden, Guard, 2024
Treyvon Ali, Wing, 2024
Season outlook:
A young junior core looking to compete for the Red North-West title. A class 3A contender for a state final appearance.
