Preseason Team Rankings: 35-31

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Here's my next round of rankings featuring teams ranked 35-31 this preseason.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>35. Glenbard North</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Some of us PH scouts believe they'll be the favorites in the DuKane Conference this year. This group has a pair of 2027 wing duo's ranked top 20 in their class. 6'4" F [player_tooltip player_id='2125660' first='Lamari' last='Carpenter'] is one of them. A lengthy prospect with some outstanding defensive capabilities. They also have Oturo Rendeto, a terrific all-around athlete with so much upside. Leadership will come from 6'4" Sharpshooter [player_tooltip player_id='2404186' first='Matt' last='Welch']. Welch is a top-70 2026 prospect in Illinois that is also one of the best shooters in the state. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>34. Hersey</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Hersey had a very strong season last year in the Mid Suburban League and bring back a ton to build off that. [player_tooltip player_id='2416503' first='Charlie' last='Pomis'] is a guy I've covered for a while and has a wide range of skills for a 6'3" SG in 2026. Pomis's running-mate [player_tooltip player_id='1552439' first='Logan' last='Luxem'] is another 6'3 guard in 2026 that makes everyone better as a high-level passer. 2026 G [player_tooltip player_id='2813043' first='Kyle' last='Irwin'] rounds out a highly experienced backcourt. Hersey has arguably the most experience in the MSL this season.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>33. Brother Rice</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The 3A runner-up Crusaders lost a ton from last year's team. Their top two returners are [player_tooltip player_id='2823126' first='Joseph' last='Niego'] and [player_tooltip player_id='2832910' first='Zach' last='Grabowski']. Both top-200 players in 2026. But the additions of 2027 [player_tooltip player_id='2455406' first='Kevinas' last='Salkauskas'] and 2028 [player_tooltip player_id='2632084' first='Daniel' last='Salkauskas'] as transfers cannot go unnoticed. This brother duo will create a strong front court as top-30 prospects in their respective classes. I also saw a bunch of 2028 guys from Bother Rice play together on the prep hoops circuit this summer. It will be interesting to see how many of them get varsity minutes. But that will be huge for a program long-term from a chemistry perspective.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>32.Homewood-Flossmor</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Now two years removed from a 4A state championship. Top-10 2028 G [player_tooltip player_id='2467517' first='Darrius' last='Hawkins'] stood out this summer with his ability to shoot from many different areas and create for others. 2027 G Daniel Ruffin is an underrated athlete that shows elite-level explosiveness with and without the ball. [player_tooltip player_id='2540205' first='John' last='Brown IV'] headlines the front-court. He's a lengthy 6'6" F in the 2028 class. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>31 O'Fallon</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1501486' first='Ben' last='Akoro'], one of the states top 2026 prospects headlines this roster. The UW-Milwaukee commit is a very strong rebounder as a 6'5" wing with an ability to hit shots from all three levels. They'll also have [player_tooltip player_id='2454165' first='Lawson' last='Bynum'], a 6'4" forward also ranked inside the top 100 in his class. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->