2024-2025 Season Preview: 5 Teams That Could Hold The State Title

<!-- wp:heading {"textAlign":"center","level":3} --> <h3 class="wp-block-heading has-text-align-center">Illinois high school basketball isn't filled with the multiple powerhouse teams we've seen in the past. With the graduation of the talented 2024 class, many teams are rebuilding, and the race to make it downstate is honestly wide open. This season, it's any program's game, and predicting which team will win the title in each division ,let alone the teams that will take that trip is a challenge. However, in my opinion, the five teams listed below have a solid shot at taking the title home</h3> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:separator --> <hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity"/> <!-- /wp:separator --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Whitney Young</strong> - You can never count out the Dolphins from being a dominant team, and Illinois commit [player_tooltip player_id='335739' first='Destiny' last='Jackson'] is the key behind all of that. There will not be another player in Illinois like this kid for a long time; she's one of the last 5-star recruits in the state and will be able to make a huge case for Ms. Illinois Basketball this season. This program is young, but the talent at every position is there—[player_tooltip player_id='335765' first='Kiaya' last='Johnson'] (KJ), [player_tooltip player_id='769627' first='Alana' last='Shields'], Chelise Jones, [player_tooltip player_id='335809' first='Amaya' last='Henderson'], Nina Lloyd, and Gaby Domercant. The incoming freshmen are some of the most talented players in the 2028 class—[player_tooltip player_id='885956' first='Jordyn' last='Ellis'], [player_tooltip player_id='879727' first='Yanni' last='Smith'], and [player_tooltip player_id='879531' first='Morgan' last='Nelson'] are players who could see valuable minutes this season and be the reason that the Dolphins get back to the state finals. Playing as one, will be their key.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Loyola Academy</strong> - The Ramblers didn't see one loss the entire year last season, and even though they've lost two key pieces from this past graduating class, it's hard not to believe that they won't find a way to repeat. Last year's MVP and this year's potential Ms. Illinois Basketball, [player_tooltip player_id='352114' first='Aubrey' last='Galvan'], has shown her ability to be a dominant scorer just as much as she has with facilitating the offense. When you have players like [player_tooltip player_id='515526' first='Jacqueline' last='Lukic'], [player_tooltip player_id='509126' first='Clare' last='Weasler'], and [player_tooltip player_id='741838' first='Marycait' last='Mackie'] taking huge leaps in their games, and a rising sophomore like [player_tooltip player_id='758055' first='Emily' last='Naraky'] coming into her own, Loyola will find a way to be in that final game.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Fremd</strong> - In my opinion, there's not a team in Illinois that has multiple lengthy two-way players who can give you 15+ and hold their matchup to 10 or less like the girls on Fremd. [player_tooltip player_id='352113' first='Ella' last='Todd'] is leading the way this year, and it's no surprise if she averages 20+ for the season. Her ability to guard anyone on the defensive side of the ball is going to result in a lot of wins for this program, as well as some possible individual awards like Ms. Illinois Basketball. [player_tooltip player_id='352121' first='Coco' last='Urlacher'] and [player_tooltip player_id='335714' first='Ellie' last='Thompson'] are two wild cards that many teams don't have an answer for. Coco is lightning-quick and can get to the rim in a few dribbles, while also being a defensive nightmare. Ellie is a deep-range threat who also has the handles and vision to slide to the 1 position, spacing the floor even more. [player_tooltip player_id='493840' first='Greta' last='Thompson'] is my X-factor for this team—she's still growing into her game, but the ceiling is high for a player who is crafty, risky, and young, with all the abilities of a legitimate 3-level scorer.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Waubonsie Valley</strong> - This team made their way downstate last year by playing to the end of every game, and even though their graduating senior leaves a hole in their offense, there are still plenty of pieces around top player [player_tooltip player_id='514035' first='Danyella' last='Mporokoso'] that can contribute to a title win. [player_tooltip player_id='514036' first='Arianna' last='Garcia Evans'] is the glue for this program—she does every little thing the team needs out of her, and she does it well. [player_tooltip player_id='629556' first='Lily' last='Newton'] and [player_tooltip player_id='743621' first='Maya' last='Pereda'] can command just as much attention with their ability to shoot the ball from deep, get into the paint, and make plays. [player_tooltip player_id='841181' first='Maya' last='Cobb'] is one of those bench spark players who has the ability to go off for a large number of points as well. Their defense will be the deciding factor in how deep they can go, but I believe these girls have something to prove, and getting downstate once was not a one time thing.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Chatham (Glenwood)</strong> - Glenwood is coming back without a couple of seniors who were major keys to their success, but sophomore [player_tooltip player_id='852625' first='Alexis' last='Neumann'] is starting to come into her own, and she could be a dominant force for them again this year. Surrounding her is a cast of players that simply play their roles, and players like that are key to success. Katelyn Lehnen, Rowann Law, and Ava Bobb will be the ones to push this team toward a potential title win.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->