Girls basketball: Scouting Vernon Hills

VERNON HILLS

Coach: Paul Brettner (15th season)

Last season: 25-6, 10-2 in NSC Prairie, lost to Carmel in Class 3A Ridgewood sectional final

Key players lost: F Sydney Smith (University of Vermont), F Lauren Webb (Bowling Green State University), G Katherine Koczwara

Returning players: Sr. F Kasey Firnbach (5-10), Sr. G Haley Lieberman (5-5), Sr. F Monica Bahlmann (5-10), Sr. F Katie Brettmann (5-10), Sr. G Mia Polisky (5-8), Jr. G Danielle Comitor (5-8), Jr. G Dana Meline (5-8), So. G Becky Bahlmann (5-8)

Newcomers: Sr. G Kristin Guglielmi (5-6), Sr. G Tori Smith (5-7), Jr. F Tatiana Lehocky (5-7), Jr. G Katie Long (5-8), Jr. G Serena Panos (5-5), So. G Katie Burrows (5-6), So. G Sophia Lehocky (5-7)

Outlook: There's Brettmann and Brettner. And then it gets real tricky. The Cougars count seven sister combinations in their program, plus sophomore guard Katie Burrows and her brother Brad, a team manager. The varsity also has junior forward Tatiana Lehocky and sophomore guard Sophia Lehocky and senior forward Monica Bahlmann and sophomore guard Becky Bahlmann. Senior forward Katie Brettmann has a freshman sister in the program. Senior guard Mia Polisky has a sophomore sister. "No fighting," coach Paul Brettner joked of the siblings. "They all seem to get along just fine." Team chemistry could be important for a varsity squad that graduated two of the best players in program history. The Division-I duo of Sydney Smith (school-record 1,659 points) and Lauren Webb (1,205 points) each played four seasons on varsity. Smith averaged 19.7 ppg last season and was the captain of the Daily Herald's Lake County all-area team. For the first time since the 2011-12 season, the Cougars do not have a D-I player. While there is no Smith, Webb or Meri Bennett-Swanson (DePaul), the Cougars boast a pair of three-year varsity players in senior forward Kasey Firnbach and senior guard Haley Lieberman. Firnbach is a good three-sport athlete who earned all-conference honors for Brettner last winter. Lieberman started on the state runner-up squad two years ago. In Smith and Webb, the Cougars lost more than just points and rebounds. "Syd and Lauren were real vocal as leaders," Brettner said. "That's a big void. It'll be interesting to see who steps up and who wants to take certain roles." Firnbach, the Bahlmann sisters and Polisky are potential double-digit scorers. Monica Bahlmann, Polisky, Brettmann, Dana Meline and Danielle Comitor all saw plenty of playing-time last winter. Seniors Kristin Guglielmi and Tori Smith are back in the program after a year away. Guglielmi, who's a soccer player as well, was rehabbing an injured knee last winter, while Smith was focusing on volleyball. "Hopefully everybody will chip in," Brettner said. "That's the plan. I don't think we're going to have anybody that's going to score 20 (points per game), but I'm hoping we got plenty that can score between 6-12."