MaxPreps 2012 Preseason Xcellent 25 Basketball preview: No. 8 Whitney Young

Key returners:

Jahlil Okafor (6-10, Jr., C), No. 1 ranked prospect in MaxPreps Class of 2014 Top 100

Paul White (6-8, Jr., F)

Miles Reynolds (6-1, Jr., G)

Joseph Toye (6-4, So., G/F)

Newcomers:

L.J. Peak (6-4, Jr., G/F), transfer from Gaffney (S.C.)

Ausar Madison (5-10, Sr., G), transfer from Worcester Academy (Mass.)

Rodney Herenton Jr. (6-1, Fr., G)

Circle the date:
As usual, Slaughter has loaded the schedule with showcase event appearances against out-of-state powers. But perhaps the most highly anticipated game in the state of Illinois this season comes Jan. 26 against preseason national No. 1 and three-time defending state champ Simeon (Chicago). "That's the game everybody wants to see," Slaughter said. "Every time we play, it's like a state championship game."

Tournament time:
Whitney Young will take on the daunting task of sandwiching two of the top tournaments in the country around Christmas. First up is the prestigious City of Palms Classic, which features a dozen nationally ranked teams. The Dolphins went 2-2 during their last trip to Fort Myers in 2010 with wins over Melrose (Memphis, Tenn.) and Norfolk Christian (Va.). After the holiday comes the Beach Ball Classic in South Carolina, which Whitney Young also participated in a year ago.