As the boys basketball season tips off this week, here are previews of teams from around the Record Newspapers coverage area.

Newark

Coach: Kyle Anderson

Last season’s record: 18-14 overall, 9-1 (first) Little Ten Conference.

Returning starters: Reggie Chapman, sr., G; Cody Kulbartz, sr., F; Jimmy Kath, so., G.

Other returning players: Austin Reibel, jr., G.

Top new players: Tuckyr Vana, so., G; Kellen Westerfield, so., G; Dylan Kulbartz, fr., F; Nolan Anderson, fr., F.

Worth noting: The Norsemen have three returning starters, two of whom – Chapman and Cody Kulbartz – that coach Anderson calls two of the best players in the Little Ten for the defending league champs. It’s quite a young Newark team, with five sophomores and freshmen in the rotation. Chapman averaged 9.1 points, 6.9 assists and 3.2 rebounds, Kulbartz 7.3 points, 7.6 rebounds and 2.5 blocks and Kath 5 points, 3 rebounds and 3 assists last year.

“I think we have a team that is capable of competing at the top of our conference,” Anderson said. We may have some growing pains early as players fill new roles and get used to varsity basketball. We are led by two seniors who are two of the best players in our conference and can both have very big seasons and am excited to watch them lead our young team."

Oswego

Coach: Nick Oraham

Last season’s record: 12-20 overall, 4-12 Southwest Prairie Conference.

Returning starters: Ethan Vahl, so., G; Mariano Velasco, sr., G; Graham Schwab, jr.; Brayden Borrowman, sr.

Other returning players: Luke Roller, sr.; Jaxon Woods, sr.

Top new players: MJ Johnson, so., G; Cole Jansons, so., F.

Worth noting: Second-year coach Oraham expects to be competitive with six players back who started a game last season. Leading the way is Vahl, who averaged 18 points, 5 rebounds and 3 assists as a freshman and holds offers from Eastern Illinois and Incarnate Word. Johnson, Vahl’s cousin, will be Oswego’s starting point guard and comes off a strong summer. Jansons, a 6-foot-11, grew 3-4 inches since last year. Borrowman, Roller and Velasco return after getting their feet wet last year and Schwab started every game after getting moved up to varsity midway through the season. “He can score, rebound, and pass. He also brings a different level of competitiveness and desire to win that we need,” Oraham said. Velasco and Schwab could be late starters, both members of Oswego’s semifinal football team.

Oswego East

Coach: Ryan Velasquez

Last season’s record: 21-10 overall, 12-4 Southwest Prairie Conference.

Returning starters: Mason Lockett, sr., G.

Top new players: Dshaun Bolden, jr., G/F; Jacsen Tucker, jr., G/F; Joshua Ankumah-Saikoom, jr., F.

Worth noting: Lockett, a DePaul recruit, is one of the state’s top senior prospects. He was limited to 16 of the Wolves’ 31 games last season because of a concussion and foot injury, averaging 16.4 points, 6.4 rebounds, four assists and two steals per game. Back healthy, he’ll need to shoulder a big load as the only returning starter for an inexperienced group. Bolden, a 6-foot-5 wing with length and athleticism, and Tucker, a versatile 6-foot-5 wing and Oklahoma State baseball recruit, each had short spells on varsity last year. Velasquez said 6-foot-5 Ankumah-Saikoom has made great strides in the offseason and will take up a lot of space with his length on the defensive end. Oswego East has been a model of consistency under Velasquez, at least 20 wins in all seven of his full seasons not counting the COVID-shortened season. A challenging nonconference schedule includes shootout games with Curie, Waukegan, Evanston and New Trier.

Plano

Coach: Kyle Kee

Last season’s record: 18-15 overall, 9-5 (fourth) Kishwaukee River Conference.

Top returning players: Alan Contreras, sr., G; Kevin Martinez, sr., F; Ethan Taxis, jr., G; Matthew Herrera, sr., G; Eric Nunez, sr, G.

Top new players: Cooper Beaty, so., F; Braylon Schmidt, jr., G/F; Logan Martin, jr., G/F; Aiden Schimandle, jr., F.

Worth noting: Kee, in his 13th season, believes that this Plano group, should compete for the Kishwaukee River Conference title and be a 20-win team. There is depth at guard and experience with Taxis and Contreras, who each averaged 8 points per game last season. Kee is looking for the 6-foot-2 Martinez, who averaged 9 points last year, to take another step as a double-digit scorer and rebounder. Nunez and Herrera are shooters who should spread the floor.

“We are very quick and small,” Kee said. “The question will be how we defend and handle the lack of size.

Sandwich

Coach: Matthew Chalfin.

Last season’s record: 20-12, 12-2 (first) Kishwaukee River Conference.

Returning starters: Griffin Somlock, sr., G; Brady Behringer, sr., F.

Other returning players: Nick Michalek, sr., G; Nolan Oros, sr., G; EJ Treptow, jr., F/C.

Top new players: Kade Pace, sr., G; Wyatt Koley, jr., G; Amari Grey, jr., F; Kevin Surd, jr, G/F; Brayden Wachowski, jr., F; Devin Adams-Dunn, jr., G; Gage Judd, jr., G; Riley Moore, jr., F; Jared Dormer, jr., G; Anthony Wade, G; Ethan Geltz, jr., G; Eddie Ramirez, so., G; Seth Skillin, so., F.

Worth noting: Dom Rome, last year’s KRC Player of the Year for the league champion Indians, leaves big shoes to fill but Chalfin said there is talent for a competitive group. Somlock averaged 10 points last year, Behringer 5 points and 4 rebounds and Michalek 5 points.

“We are hoping to find some consistency with the group coming in,” Chalfin said. “There is definitely talent but there has been a big emphasis in the early going about consistency defensively and taking care of the basketball. We expect to have some early season struggles with some tough teams early on but if we can find the right pieces of the puzzle we will be a competitive group.”

Yorkville

Coach: John Holakovsky

Last season’s record: 13-17, 5-11 Southwest Prairie Conference.

Top returning players: Joey Jakstys, so., F; Braydon Porter, so., F; Gabe Sanders, sr., G; Frankie Pavlik, sr., G; Alonn Flint, sr., G; Nathan Kubin, sr., F.

Top new players: Joseph Christian, so., G; Jayden Ruth, so., G.

Worth noting: The Foxes return four starters but it’s still a young group with four sophomores on varsity and one or two sophomores who could potentially make an impact. Jakstys, a 6-foot-7 sophomore who started about 10 games last season, and 6-4 sophomore Porter, who scored 10 points per game as a freshman, were Yorkville’s best players over the summer and are both receiving Division I recruiting interest. “I think if we are going to have as big of a year as we want, it will depend on how big of a jump Joey Jakstys and Braydon Porter take this year,” Holakovsky said. Sanders was Yorkville’s leading scorer last year as a good lefty shooter and Pavlik returns as the starting point guard. Kubin, smart and scrappy, will probably be the fifth starter to start the season, Flint is a quick and high energy backup point guard and Christian and Ruth athletic sophomores.

“Our biggest challenge will be to continue to grow and improve as a team while playing some schools with a lot of talent or experience,” Holakovsky said “We play a tough schedule and have a lot of schools in our conference that have a lot of returning players which could make us struggle if our younger guys do not make as big of a jump.”

Yorkville Christian

Coach: Aaron Sovern

Last season’s record: 21-12

Returning starters: Jayden Riley, sr., G; Tray Alford, jr., G.

Other returning players: Jordan Purvis, jr., G/F; Kayden Maxwell, jr., G/F; Sean Drynan, so., G/F; Jack Versluys, sr., F; Jed Ogulei, sr., G.

Top new players: Blake Wells, jr., G; Carter Wells, sr., G/F; Jayden Alford, fr., G.

Worth noting: The Mustangs are looking up to Class 2A this season and looking to contend. Leading the way is All-State point guard and returning Record Newspapers Player of the Year Riley, an SIU-Edwardsville recruit who averaged 24 points, 8.5 assists and 4.5 rebounds last season. Also back is Tray Alford, who averaged 14 points and shot 40% from the 3-point line. Purvis averaged 9 points and has hit 150 3-pointers in two seasons.

“Excited about the defensive versatility the team can have on the perimeter with this group,” Sovern said. “The schedule is loaded, with games against 4A powers St. Ignatius, Whitney Young, Glenbard East, Metamora, and three trips to Wisconsin this season.”