After three straight 20-win seasons, DeKalb loses almost all its production

The Barbs may face one of their most challenging seasons in recent years. All five starters from last year are gone, including three-time Daily Chronicle player of the year Sean Reynolds. The team also loses Davon Grant, a big inside presence who is graduating early to attend spring football camp with Illinois. Most of the team’s key rotational players also graduated.

Bryan Miller, Myles Newman and Derrion Straughter will see bigger roles this year if the Barbs seek a third straight regional title and fourth straight 20-win season.

The Barbs haven’t won less than 20 games in a full season since a 19-13 mark in 2018-19 and last had a losing record in 2013-14, finishing 14-18.

Coach Mike Reynolds, entering his seventh season at DeKalb, hasn’t had a losing season as a head coach since Galesburg went 15-17 in 2016-17.

Sycamore brings in key scoring piece

Last year, Sycamore went 24-9 and won a regional for the first time since 2016-17. It was the Spartans’ first 20-win season since 2019-20 and matched their highest win total since a 24-4 mark in 2001-02.

A big reason for the improvement - the team was 24-39 in Ethan Franklin’s first two seasons - was finding a second scoring option alongside Isaiah Feuerbach. Unique Shaw filled that role last year but has graduated.

Marcus Johnson, however, transfers in from Genoa-Kingston after averaging 19 points, four assists and five rebounds per game. Feuerbach averaged 16 points per game and was a first-team all-area selection despite missing the last month of the year with a knee injury.

Kaneland loses a big piece, literally and figuratively

The Knights return most of their key starters and rotational players from last year’s supersectional team that won 30 straight and finished 32-2. But they lose 6-foot-7 forward Freddy Hassan to graduation after a 15-point, 10-rebound season in which he blocked 1.8 shots per game and shot 60% from the field and 32% from long range.

Fellow all-area first-team selection Marshawn Cocroft returns after averaging 17 points, three assists and 2.5 rebounds per game en route to being named player of the year in the Interstate 8. Also back is 6-9 forward Jeffrey Hassan, who shared court time with his brother last year but should see his role increased.

Even with the loss of the older Hassan, Kaneland seems poised for another deep playoff run and a shot at a fourth straight Interstate 8 title.

Indian Creek, Hinckley-Big Rock may see fortunes swap

Both Little Ten programs have had success the past couple years. Indian Creek went 21-42 in Nolan Govig’s first two seasons as head coach, but posted identical 20-12 records the last two years. The Royals have won 20 games in three of the last four seasons, regionals in two of the last three and won the Little Ten tournament and split the regular season crown last year. IC lost to H-BR in the tourney championship and finished third in the regular season.

But the Royals lose Martin Ledbetter, a 6-6 center who was a three-time all-area first-team selection. Max Hintzsche was a second-team selection last year after averaging 17 points per game to Ledbetter’s 21.4 points and 12.1 rebounds per game.

The Timberwolves lose Everett Willis, a 6-5 forward who averaged 10.6 points and 7.3 rebounds. But the rest of their rotation returns mostly intact, and pieces like Jason Brewer and Parker Murry, standouts in other sports, should bolster the team’s depth.

Coaching stability remains strong

Only Hiawatha has a new boys coach this year, bringing in Andrew Charles to replace Matthew Montavon. The other six coaches have been in their current spots for at least three seasons.

Ethan Franklin is 48-48 in three years at Sycamore, but he was at Genoa-Kingston for the four years prior. Griffin McNeal took over for him and is a graduate of the school. He’s 38-59 in his three years so far.

Like McNeal, Nolan Govig coaches at his alma mater, leading Indian Creek to a 61-66 mark in his four years. And like Franklin, a DeKalb graduate coaching at Sycamore, Hinckley-Big Rock coach Seth Sanderson is coaching at his alma mater’s rival. Sanderson is 135-106 in eight years with the Royals and is an Indian Creek graduate.

Ernie Colombe is 127-43 in six years coaching the Kaneland boys, and he won 199 games in 13 seasons coaching the Kaneland girls directly before that.

Mike Reynolds has coached six years at DeKalb, leading them to a 138-46 record, tying him with Colombe behind only Sanderson as the second-longest tenured coach.