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The boys basketball season tips off this week. Here are previews of teams from around the Kendall County Newspapers coverage area.
Newark
Coach: Rick Tollefson (15th season).
Last season: 17-18 overall, 5-4 Little Ten Conference, third place.
Top returners: Jared Slivka, sr., 6-0; Austin Tollefson, jr., 5-11; Grandon Mitchell, jr., 6-1
Key newcomers: Mitchell Kruser, jr., 6-0; Tegan Kruser, jr., 5-10; Lucas Pasakarnis, jr., 5-11; Travis Leggett, so., 6-1; Jake Kruser, so., 5-10; Joe Martin, so., 5-11; Zach Carlson, so, 6-0
Worth noting: Slivka, who averaged 7.7 points, 2.5 rebounds and 3.9 assists last year, Austin Tollefson (8.2 ppg, 2.7 rpg, 57 3s) and Mitchell (1.6 ppg) will be expected to lead the Norsemen this season after a strong late stretch last winter which ended with postseason hardware. … Coach Tollefson is 314-121 in his 14 seasons at Newark, with a 10th regional title last season. … “We have a very inexperienced team with only three players returning that saw varsity minutes last season,” said coach Tollefson. “It may take us a little while to get going, but we do have good team quickness.”
Oswego
Coach: Chad Pohlmann (fourth season).
Last year’s record: 18-12, 8-8 Southwest Prairie West, third place.
Top returners: Brady Peterlin, sr., G, 6-1; Xavier Howard, sr., G, 5-10.
Key newcomers: Deakon Tonelli, so., F, 6-6; Max Niesman, so., G, 5-10; Coby Allen, so., G, 6-3; Calib Wright, jr., G/F, 6-3; Kyle Zeck, jr., G, 5-10; Elijah Pierce, sr., F, 6-5.
Worth noting: The Panthers graduated all five starters, including All-Area guards Kobe Adams and Joey Niesman, from a team that started last season 18-4 before a late-season swoon ... it’s certainly a rebuilding year, with three sophomores expected to start and gain experience in a shortened season ... Peterlin averaged 6 points and shot 35% from the 3-point line as a junior coming off the bench, starting several games late in the season ... Howard is an excellent defender who has improved his shooting ... ... Tonelli played a few games on varsity as a freshman, hitting a game-winning shot at Yorkville – “He can really shoot the 3. He’ll be an outstanding player before it’s all over ,” Pohlmann said ... Pohlmann said the same about Niesman, a crafty guard who can shoot, pass and take it to the rim and Allen, a long and rangy guard who can finish around the rim and has improved his shooting touch ... Wright is an an athletic wing who can do a little bit of everything and Zeck a strong 3-point shooter ... Pierce, a transfer from Neuqua Valley, can play above the rim and has strong rebounding skills ... “Every game will be a chance for all our younger players to get better while giving seniors a chance to put on that jersey one more time,” Pohlmann said.
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Oswego East
Coach: Ryan Velasquez.
Last year’s record: 20-11, 13-3 Southwest Prairie Conference, first place in SPC West
Top returners: AJ Johnson, sr., G, 6-2; Odin Lium, sr., F, 6-7; Antonio Johnson, sr., G.
Key newcomers: Patrick Robinson, jr.; Devon Oregon, jr.; Jared Badie, jr.; Mekhi Lowery, so.; Darren Oregon, jr.; Peyton Ruth, sr.
Worth noting: The Wolves have posted 20 or more wins in each of Velasquez’s first three seasons ... All-Area players Jalen Tucker and Sam Schultz, the latter a three-varsity starter who topped 1,000 career points, are among eight seniors who graduated off last year’s team ... a strong junior class led Oswego East’s sophomore team to an undefeated record last year ... Johnson, who averaged 5 points and 2 rebounds, and Lium, who averaged 5 points and 3 rebounds last year are the Wolves’ top two statistical returners ... Lowery, 6-foot-4, has tremendous length, a ton of potential and can handle the ball and shoot it ... Robinson improves every year, and is a high-motor player always in the gym who has developed a jump shot ... Velasquez calls the Oregon twins “like sponges, gym rats” who can shoot it and handle it ... “It’s a hard-working group, coachable kids who have really put in a lot of time to basketball,” Velasquez said ... Badie is a high Division I football prospect with 10 scholarship offers.
“We’re taking it day-by-day,” Velasquez said. “The kids are excited to get back in the gym.”
Plano
Coach: Kyle Kee (eighth season).
Last year’s record: 23-10, 11-3 Interstate Eight Conference, first place.
Top returners: Mason Accidentale, jr., G, 5-11; Anthony Santoria, sr., F, 6-2; Stanley Smith, sr., G, 6-0; Zion Curry, sr., G, 5-10; Xavier Padilla, sr., G, 5-9.
Key newcomers: Carion Hale, jr., P, 6-5; Tristan Canfield, jr., P, 6-2; Romeo Goldsmith-Flint, sr., G, 5-11; Josh Padilla, jr., G, 5-10.
Worth noting: The Reapers finished last season strong, beating Sycamore in the regular season finale to win the program’s first conference title since 2017 ... Accidentale, though, is the only player back who saw any significant time as four of five starters graduated ... Accidentale, honorable mention all-conference as a sophomore, averaged 13.3 points and set the school record for made 3-pointers in a season with 86 at a 42.4% clip ... the Reapers lost all their height with Griffin Cross and Robbie Taylor graduating, so Kee will look toward juniors Hale and Canfield to step up down low ... “We have a lot of options and it will be interesting to see who steps up and takes the next step,” Kee said. “I think we are going to shoot the ball really well and if we get going I think we can really put some points up.”
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Sandwich
Coach: Kevin Kozan (first season).
Last year’s record: 10-21.
Top returners: Cade Miller, sr., G, 6-0.
Key newcomers: Marial Puou, jr., F, 6-9; Owen Sheley, so., F, 6-7;
Worth noting: Kozan takes the reins as Sandwich head coach. He scored over 1,000 points in a high school career at Providence, and was a two-time all-conference selection collegiately at Henderson State ... This will be Kozan’s first year coaching in high school, as he previously was a college assistant at Judson and Southeast Missouri State ... Sandwich started last season 0-9, but finished strong ... Miller, who missed the early going last season with a torn meniscus, is back for his second season and Kozan noted “can pull it from anywhere.” The Indians have some size ... An intriguing addition is Puou, a 6-foot-9 transfer from Mooseheart who Kozan said can score at all three levels ... Sheley, 6-foot-7, has great size and Kozan said competes every possession.
“Our goal this year since it will also be a transition into my offense with a new system is to compete and get after it on the defensive end,” Kozan said. “My up-tempo style of play will allow us to put up a lot of points and create turnovers into points. This year I will rely on my seniors to keep everyone engaged during this shortened season. The biggest thing for my team is to compete every game and bring energy.”
Yorkville
Coach: John Holakovsky (first season).
Last year’s record: 13-18, 4-12 Southwest Prairie West.
Top returners: Ryan Shimp, sr., F, 6-3; Cole Yearsley, sr., G, 5-10; Luke Hanson, sr., G, 5-9.
Key newcomers: Dougie Burson, sr., F, 6-3; John Swarn, jr., PG, 5-9; Justin Jakstys, jr., F, 6-6; Lebarron Lee, so., P, 6-3.
Worth noting: Holakovsky, who was on the staff at Hinsdale South the last five years, takes the reins as Foxes’ head coach ... he was varsity assistant last season for a Hornets’ team that won a program record 30 games and reached a sectional semifinal ... the 27-year-old Downers Grove South graduate’s first Yorkville group returns three who played on varsity last year ... Burson played varsity basketball as a sophomore, but did not play last year ... “We will be a senior-led team that will also play a couple juniors and a sophomore,” Holakovsky said. “This group will rely on our defense and work ethic to compete with teams in our conference. Just like in years past, we will be strong defensively. This group has bought in and has been working hard, preparing for a season.”
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Yorkville Christian
Coach: Aaron Sovern (seventh season).
Last year’s record: 24-10.
Top returners: Jaden Schutt, jr., G, 6-5; Brayden Long, so., G, 6-3; Elijah Fisher, jr., F, 6-3.
Key newcomers: Chase DiVito, sr., F, 6-4; Kyle Vasser, jr., 6-3; Tyler Burrows, 6-2, jr.; Dayvion Johnson, fr., 6-0; Jehvion Starwood, fr., 6-3.
Worth noting: The Mustangs won a program record 24 games last year, and their second straight regional title, while hitting 361 3-pointers, tied for fourth-most in IHSA history ... the sweet-shooting Schutt is one of the top juniors in the state who has 13 scholarship offers, including Michigan State, Ohio State, Illinois, Iowa and Creighton ... Schutt, Yorkville Christian’s all-time leading scorer, averaged 23 points and 9 rebounds and hit 130 3-pointers as a sophomore ... the Mustangs graduated Kendall County Newspapers Player of the Year Micah Schnyders, but Schutt will have support from what Sovern calls the deepest team he’s had at Yorkville Christian ... Long, who average 13 points and 6 rebounds as a freshman with 79 3-pointers, holds an offer from Bryant University in Rhode Island ... Fisher averaged 6 points and 5 rebounds ... it’s a very young group, with DiVito – a transfer from Yorkville – the only senior ... “Team is looking to set a frenetic pace on both ends of the floor and will have Yorkville Christian’s trademark 3-point ability as well,” Sovern said.