School: Lincoln-Way East
2016-17 record: 20-11, 6-4 Southwest Suburban Blue
Postseason results: Lost to Joliet Central in Class 4A regional finals.
Players to watch: Senior Sam Shafer is a 6-foot-6 sharpshooter who is committed to Southern Illinois. Shafer is one of the area's biggest perimeter threats and he is an All-Area candidate. Senior point guard Joe Buggemi proved himself on the varsity level as a capable floor leader last season while senior Zach Parduhn had bright spots on both ends of the floor.
Why they're in the power rankings: Lincoln-Way East is coming off of a 20-win campaign in which they knocked off Class 4A third-place finisher Bolingbrook late in the regular season. The program also scored its first varsity basketball win over Homewood-Flossmoor. With a bonafide scorer in Shafer and an experienced backcourt, Lincoln-Way East is ready to make some noise.
Did you know? Known primarily as a football school, Lincoln-Way East has made 17 consecutive trips to the IHSA state playoffs on the gridiron, spending most of this season at No. 1 in Edgy Tim's NBC Sports Chicago football power rankings. On the hardwood, the school is hoping to earn its first regional title this season.
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