Boys basketball: Scouting the NSC Prairie
NORTH SUBURBAN PRAIRIEANTIOCH SEQUOITSCoach: Jim White (4th season)
Last year: 9-20 (3-9 NSC)
Last year's tournament: Lost in regional semifinal to St. Patrick, 51-42.
Key players lost: G AJ Marsiglio, Hamza Abdellatif (CLC)
Key players returning: F Matt Powers, sr., G Josh Bell, sr., F Jack Kovach, sr., F Jason Mrkonich, sr.
Newcomers: G Kyle Gofron, jr., Trevor Koch, Brandon Dade, Weston Fox, Nathan Borries, Danny Brito.
Outlook: Antioch rode a strong finish to the season right into a productive summer. The Sequoits finished February with a winning record and lost to host and eventual regional champion St. Patrick by only 7 points in the regional semifinal. “We finished very strong last year and we are coming off a very positive summer,” Antioch coach Jim White said. “We played 30 games and got a lot of our first-year juniors reps at this level.” Kyle Gofron is a junior, but is not in his first year. He started as a sophomore last year when healthy. He'll give the Sequoits a boost at the guard spot. “He is 6-foot-1 and athletic,” White said of Gofron. “And he has springs in his feet.” Gofron will join four seniors who all saw significant time last season, including Matt Powers, a 6-foot-4 center. “He is athletic and can be a presence around the rim,” White said of Powers. Jack Kovach, Josh Bell and Jason Mrkonich are the other veteran seniors. “Josh is a poised, collected point guard who runs our stuff very well and gets his teammates in good position to be a threat. He is a team captain with a great basketball IQ,” White said. “Jack and Jason are both strong forwards that crash the glass hard and can create for themselves offensively.” Griffin Hill, a star running back for the football team who is already taking visits to Illinois and Notre Dame, will also be an important part of the basketball team from the guard spot.
Opener: Monday vs. Woodstock at the Woodstock Hoops for Healing tournament.
GRANT BULLDOGSCoach: Wayne Bosworth (7th season)
Last year: 14-14 (7-5 Prairie)
Last year's tournament: Lost in the regional quarterfinal to McHenry, 53-41.
Key players lost: G Ryan Noda (Cincinnati, baseball), F Steve Dunning, G Mike Burns, G Matt Malmberg, G Rayvon Jones, F Devan Bald
Key players returning: G Alec Montagno, sr., F Jason Kaye, sr., G Mikel Graves, sr., G Jacob Hanlin, sr., F Dylan Lipp, sr.
Newcomers: F James Mobley, jr., G Logan Lewis, soph., G Ben Kusiak, soph., F Andy Kaye, soph.
Outlook: With only 1.5 points per game and 1.1 rebounds per game returning, Wayne Bosworth will be guiding, by far, the least experienced team of his seven-year tenure at Grant. But that doesn't mean the Bulldogs have no reason for optimism. Bosworth, who was at the other extreme last season when 10 veterans returned, is excited about some promising younger players. And he will have at least one pseudo veteran to lean on. Junior forward James Mobley has some varsity experience, just not in a Grant uniform. Mobley grew up in the Grant district but moved to Round Lake as a freshman. He started on varsity for the Panthers that year. He then transferred to Libertyville last year and played mostly underlevel basketball there. Now, Mobley is back at Grant and will likely be the Bulldogs' go-to player. “We've got him back finally,” Bosworth said of the 6-foot-2 Mobley, a versatile scorer from inside and out. “It's a tough situation for him, because this is his third system in three years. But he's picking things up and he's learning quickly and we're excited. He can fill whatever role we need. He raises the energy level on our team. He's talented, he's very coachable and he's not afraid to speak up and be vocal.” After Mobley, the starting lineup is a big question mark. Only guards Alec Montagno and Mike Graves as well as forward Jason Kaye saw any kind of action last season, and it was limited for all three. Then there are sophomores Logan Lewis, Ben Kusiak and Andy Kaye, Jason's younger brother. They are fighting for spots, too. “Pretty much everyone is fighting to be in that mix,” Bosworth said. “We had our first scrimmage (on Nov. 15) and I said, ‘I can't pick five guys yet.' Everyone has different strengths. We're going to have to be patient as we figure it out.”
Opener: Monday vs. Urban Prep West in the Grant Thanksgiving tournament.
LAKES EAGLESCoach: Chris Snyder (5th season)
Last year: 13-16 (9-3 NSC)
Last year's tournament: Lost in the regional semifinal to Richmond-Burton, 43-37.
Key players lost: G/F TJ Edwards (Wisconsin, football), F/C Michal Tomasiewicz
Key players returning: G Jake Balliu, sr., F Ethan Sage, sr., G Ben Haviland, sr., F/G David Milostan, sr., F/C Jack Monson, sr., F Jordan Mercure, jr.
Newcomers: F/C Dalton Solbrig, sr., F Colton Jewell, jr.
Outlook: Senior leadership should never be in short supply at Lakes this season. The Eagles return four senior starters in Jake Balliu, Ethan Sage, Ben Haviland and David Milostan. “We have a group of seniors who are looking to leave their mark on the program,” Lakes coach Chris Snyder said. “These four received some great learning experiences last year and we are hoping to see them take the next step as players. We are hoping to see some great senior leadership from those guys.” Balliu, the Eagles' point guard, made the North Suburban all-conference team last year after averaging 9.3 points and 3.2 assists per game. Sage was an honorable mention all-conference performer and averaged 9.1 points and 7 rebounds per game. Haviland and Milostan were both at about 6 points per game. Junior Jordan Mercure, the quarterback of the football team, is also back. He was pulled up midway through his sophomore year last season and made his way into the regular rotation. “He played very valuable minutes for us,” Snyder said of Mercure. Newcomer Dalton Solbrig, another senior, has also impressed in practice. He'll get minutes in the paint. “We are excited to have him out for his senior year,” Snyder said of Solbrig. “I think he can have a great impact on the team.” Lakes struggled at times last season and finished below .500 (13-16) but did have an impressive record in NSC Prairie Division play (9-3). “I think the NSC Prairie will be extremely competitive this year,” Snyder said. “For us to be successful, we need to really defend. We have an athletic group and I think we can be strong defensively. We will be looking for some players to step up on the offensive end and become consistent scorers for us. We have guys who are capable of it, it will just come down to confidence.”
Opener: Monday vs. Chicago Uplift at the Mundelein Thanksgiving tournament.
ROUND LAKE PANTHERSCoach: Jeremy Fisher (2nd season)
Last year: 5-23 (0-12 NSC)
Last year's tournament: Lost to Prospect in the regional quarterfinals, 68-49.
Key players lost: G Karnell Wright (CLC)
Key players returning: G/F Michael Green, jr.
Newcomers: Javari Goodwin, jr., Zach Kuligoski, soph.
Outlook: There's nowhere for Round Lake to go but up. The Panthers struggled through a winless 0-12 campaign in the North Suburban Prairie Division last season and won only five games overall. “I feel that last year's record will be motivation for us to be better,” Round Lake coach Jeremy Fisher said. “We embrace the challenges that will come our way this season.” There will be some right out of the gate. The Panthers must figure out how to replace the versatile Karnell Wright, who is now playing at CLC. He led Round Lake in scoring last season with 21.4 points per game. He had a season-high 34 points against North Chicago, one of the top Class 3A teams in the state. He finished with nearly 1,000 career points. Michael Green, a junior who is already a three-year varsity player, will be counted on heavily for production, as will top newcomers Javari Goodwin and Zach Kuligoski. Goodwin returns to the program after wrestling last season as a sophomore. “We are younger, most of our team graduated last year,” Fisher said. “But I feel we had a good summer. We had guys make the commitment to be in the gym and weight room from spring through fall. I think our chemistry will be better this year.”
Opener: Monday vs. Woodstock North at Woodstock Hoops for Healing tournament.
VERNON HILLS COUGARSCoach: Matt McCarty (12th season)
Last year: 16-10 (6-6 NSC)
Last year's tournament: Lost in the regional final to Carmel, 49-43.
Key players lost: G Mike Mariella
Key players returning: G Robby Nardini, sr., F Matt Weaver, sr., C Lem Turner, sr., G/F Sam Rattner, G Cory Levin, sr., G/F Bo Manso
Newcomers: F Davion Brown, sr., G Jacki Li, sr.
Outlook: Matt McCarty wears multiple hats at Vernon Hills. Not only is he the head coach, he's also the team historian. He is, after all, the most qualified for that job. Since Vernon Hills opened in 2000, he's been a part of every boys basketball season at the school, serving either as an assistant coach or the head coach. So, his perspective on this year's team is particularly keen. “Having seen all the teams at Vernon Hills since our inception, I think this team has the most depth in school history,” McCarty said. “They share the ball as well as any group that has gone through Vernon Hills.” Not only does McCarty have a deep, unselfish team, he's also got an experienced one. The top six players from last year, including all five starters, return. Guard Robby Nardini was one of the most prolific scorers in the North Suburban Conference last season at 22.5 points per game. He set the school record for 67 made 3-pointers in a season. Leading rebounder Matt Weaver (5.5 rpg, 9.5 ppg) also returns as does Lem Turner, the Cougars' top shot-blocker. Turner, who will be playing volleyball on scholarship next year at Ball State, averaged 3.5 blocks per game and also pulled down 5 rebounds per game. “Lem is the best shot-blocker I have coached in my 23 years of coaching high school basketball,” McCarty said. “He has unbelievable timing and the ability to keep the ball in play to start our break.” Sam Rattner and Cory Levin led support to Nardini on the perimeter. Rattner knocked down 41 3-pointers last year, second-most on the team while Levin dished out 3.8 assists per game. Best defender Bo Manso is also back. “The top six players have been playing together a long time,” McCarty said. “They have a great understanding of what each individual brings to the table. We have several players who can make threes, which helps us spread the floor for our drivers. With some of the top teams in the Prairie Division being very equal, I think the team that can find a way to steal a road victory or two will come out on top.”
Opener: Monday vs. Maine East at the Northridge Prep Thanksgiving tournament.
WAUCONDA BULLDOGSCoach: Scott Luetschwager (6th season)
Last year: 14-14 (5-7 NSC)
Last year's tournament: Lost in the regional semifinal to Gordon Tech, 47-26.
Key players lost: G Dion Head (Quakerdale Prep), G Joey Lovelle
Key players returning: C Ben Carlson, sr., F Ricky Sidlowski, sr., F Matt Bulgarellil, sr.
Newcomers: F Zac Lahrman, jr., G Danny Stanley, jr., G Bryan Nee, jr., G Parker Fink, jr.
Outlook: The numbers are moving in the right direction at Wauconda. “We have increased our winning percentage for five straight years,” Wauconda coach Scott Luetschwager said. That means the Bulldogs are on pace for a winning record this season. They finished just shy of that last year with a 14-14 mark. The trick will be to find a way to replace the production of guard Dion Head, who topped Wauconda in scoring last year at 14.2 points per game. Guard Joey Lovelle, who also graduated, accounted for 9.1 points per game. Junior guards Danny Stanley, Bryan Nee and Parker Fink will be stepping into those shoes on the perimeter. Meanwhile, the frontcourt should be in good hands with the return of big men Ben Carlson (6-foot-8) and Ricky Sidlowski (6-foot-6). Carlson averaged 8.7 points, 7.8 rebounds and 2.3 blocks per game. Sidlowski was at 8.4 points and 7.4 rebounds per game. Matt Bulgarelli (6-foot-4) returns at forward and will be joined by newcomers Paul Redmann (6-foot-6) and Zac Lahrman. “I think this junior class of guards will mesh nicely with our post-heavy senior class,” Luetschwager said. “We had a solid summer, we have a lot of kids who can play multiple positions. We used the summer to get looks at different players in different positions.”
Opener: Monday vs. Elgin at Richmond-Burton