After Tuesday’s West Suburban Conference Silver Division road win over Hinsdale Central, York coach Mike Dunn tried to explain the formula for his team’s success this season.

At 16-3 and in first place in the division with a 6-0 record, the Dukes have been one of the surprise teams in the area this season. The Dukes did welcome back their frontcourt from last season – 6-foot-9 Hunter Stepanich and Costa Kampas – but had a dearth of guards with significant varsity experience.

Early this season, the Dukes endured a few rough points in games due to the development of their guards, essentially leading to growing pains against a tough schedule.

Yet, the Dukes remain on course for a memorable 20-win season and are in the driver’s seat for the conference title. Dunn joked that he’s even perplexed at the stunning start for his team.

“We weren’t playing very good this summer, mainly because we didn’t have our big guys who played football,” Dunn said after Tuesday’s double-digit win over Hinsdale Central. “We were basically very young. All the guards were young, but they’ve played extremely hard. We play tough defense, but the key is our rebounding and our pressure. We’re averaging 10 plus offensive rebounds per game, giving us extra possessions.”

York has reeled off eight wins in its last nine games since losing a buzzer-beater to Batavia in the first round of the Jack Tosh Holiday Classic, beating Willowbrook, Lyons, Stevenson and Hinsdale Central in a current four-game winning streak.

The Dukes have relied on a multitude of scorers to force defenses to cover every ounce of the court, plus can rely on a deep collection of talented frontcourt players. Junior guard Joseph Lubbe is one of the key factors in the run, scoring 18 against the Red Devils. He scored 30 points in Saturday’s win over Stevenson, while junior guard Sawyer Asgedom added nine points in Friday’s victory at Lyons.

“Joseph can really stroke the ball,” Dunn said. “He’s shot really well and has a scorer’s mentality and plays within our system. We run everything through our bigs, but that opens up the outside for him. He’s shot well over 40% on threes, which is unbelievable.”

The 6-foot-7 Stepanich, a Princeton football and volleyball recruit, said the Dukes rely on a collective effort to win games.

“The key to our success is the willingness of every single person to buy-in to our program, from the coaches cutting up film, to our starters relishing their roles and even to our bench for being the best in the state,” Stepanich said. “Everyone’s buy-in allows us to play hard and to play for each other.”

As a three-sport athlete, Stepanich is familiar with the delicate nature of team chemistry and the role togetherness plays in winning.

“This team is the closest group of guys I have ever played with,” Stepanich said. “Coming into the year, as a new team, we had no idea who we would be, but we quickly found our identity and have grown together as a team. It’s incredible to see how we take pride in playing with each other and that our chemistry has become of our keys to success.”

Glenbard West on right track

Before the season, Glenbard West lost two key players slated to be key players for this season.

Glenbard West veteran coach Jason Opoka said his team experienced some tough losses, but they are slowly moving in the right direction for a strong finish.

The Hilltoppers (7-9, 3-1) reside in third place in the conference, just behind York and Lyons (10-5, 3-1).

“As a unit, we need to stay positive and build some momentum,” Opoka said. “We have to find a defensive identity and grind offensively to put ourselves in a position to win games. The second half of the conference is very important.”

Senior guard Josh Abushanab is the focal point of the offense. He passed the 1,000-point career mark, becoming the seventh documented player to hit the four-digit barrier in the past 25 years in the program.

The 6-6 Abushanab is an elite player, averaging 22.2 points, 6.5 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 2.0 steals per game and shooting a sizzling 39.1% from 3-pointers. The Hilltoppers have relied on his scoring to carry the offense, but his ability to pass the ball and find open teammates could be a difference-maker down the stretch.

“I think this year, Josh is doing things offensively you don’t see a lot,” Opoka said. “His numbers are pretty impressive. We always knew he was talented, but this is the first time he’s been able to showcase his game as the main scorer. He’s been our primary scorer, which is a different role for him than in the past.”

R-B on track for 20 wins

Riverside-Brookfield (12-5) is on track for another 20-win season after a 61-56 win over Nazareth. Senior guard Cameron Mercer scored 27 points, this coming after adding 24 points and five steals against Streamwood