An early look at some of next season's top boys high school basketball teams

Lockport’s Nojus Venckus (10) drives to the basket as the Porters defeat Joliet West 58-30 in the 4A regionals last season. Yes, the month of June is a platform for players to get in front of college coaches. But it’s also the best time to get a sneak peak at what’s to come during this winter’s high school basketball season from a team perspective. It doesn’t take long to figure out East St. Louis --- _Source: [Sun-Times High School Sports](https://chicago.suntimes.com/high-school-basketball/2026/07/13/an-early-look-at-some-of-next-seasons-top-boys-high-school-basketball-teams). Rewrite & add original reporting before publishing._