A handful of sophomores will spend the next three seasons battling for the top spot in the Class of 2026. 

Benet’s Gabe Sularski had a sensational summer and is the hot name right now. Marist’s Stephen Brown was the first to emerge. He was in the RedHawks rotation last year, played plenty of minutes, and gave tantalizing glimpses at what the future could hold. 

“[Brown] has as much talent as anybody in the state and when he plays hard he’s as good as anybody in the state,” Marist coach Brian Hynes said.

Brown opened his sophomore season on Monday in Blue Island. The 6-8 wing, just a few weeks removed from playing wide receiver on the football team, is beginning to deliver on his early promise. Brown had 18 points, four rebounds, two steals, two blocks, made a three-pointer and threw down a soaring dunk. 

“Stephen has the potential to make it to the league,” Marist senior Darshan Thomas said. “His talent is crazy. He’s the real deal.”

Brown says football has helped with his stamina and conditioning. He’s ready to accept the challenge and all the hype that comes with competing for the top spot in his class. 

“I just have to play my heart out and not worry about everything else,” Brown said. 

Marist knocked off Eisenhower 77-37. It was a dream debut for the No. 8 Redhawks. Thomas, a transfer from Fenwick, instantly clicked with his new teammates, producing 18 points and 14 rebounds. 

“They made me feel at home and that’s why I’m so comfortable,” Thomas said. “I really appreciate them.”

Thomas is the only senior starter. Marist starts two other talented sophomores, Adoni Vassilakis and TJ Tate, along with Brown. Junior Achilles Anderson, a 6-5 forward, is another young starter and junior Marquis Vance added 13 points off the bench. 

“When I first met them a lot of them couldn’t even drive,” Thomas said. “I’ve been trying to build a bond with them and take them underneath my wing and give them everything I have.”

It seems too soon to put high expectations on such a young team and RedHawks coach Brian Hynes is taking things slow. 

“They had so much experience last year and to bring in a senior leader like Darshan has really made our locker room special,” Hynes said. “[Vassilakis] is the most competitve kid I’ve ever seen. So we will see.”

Marist has featured talented young teams in the past, before Hynes, and lost players to other schools—especially Public League powers. 

“That won’t happen,” Brown said. “We’ve talked about it and we love each other and playing here and we are sticking together”

Eisenhower’s leading scorer, senior AJ Abrams, went down with an injury five minutes into the game and didn’t return. Darrion Pippen led the Cardinals (0-1) with 18 points. 

“We wanted a test early and maybe it is a little humbling now to see where the bar is set,” Eisenhower coach Neil Miguez said. “But that’s we know where we have to get. We’re small. We have to be athletic and we have to be fast. We weren’t today.”