Girls basketball: Scouting Round Lake

ROUND LAKE

Coach: Howard Conkling (fifth season)

Last season: 5-23, 0-12 in NSC Prairie, lost to Buffalo Grove in Class 4A Buffalo Grove regional play-in

Key players lost: G Destiny Brown, G Justice Clark, C Kelly Birch

Returning players: Sr. G Raven Nicoline (5-5), Sr. F Hayley Smith (5-8), Sr. G Mike Crisantos (5-5), So. C Amparo Vargas (6-1), So. G Lesley Diaz (5-2), Jr. F Tatyana Steadman (5-10)

Newcomers: So. F/C Mayra Payan (5-10), Jr. F Miyah Johnson (5-9)

Outlook: When the Panthers learned last month that Harvard's longtime Thanksgiving tournament wasn't going to happen, they went scrambling for a season-opening tourney. "They just said they're dissolving the tournament," coach Howard Conkling said. The Panthers found a new tourney at North Shore Country Day, and on opening night the Panthers found a win - 61-11 over Northtown Academy. Perhaps it will be a good omen. The Panthers graduated three starters, including guard Justice Clark (honorable mention all-NSC last season) but return several players. "We're still young in some ways," said Conkling, who has 12 girls on his roster. Senior Raven Nicolone is playing her third season on varsity. "She's a real tough girl," Conkling said. "She plays hard all the time." Seniors Hayley Smith and Mike Crisantos both played a lot last season too, as did 6-foot-1 sophomore Amparo Vargas. "She's gotten a lot better," Conkling said. "She'll play a lot of minutes." Sophomore Lesley Diaz, who played on varsity last season, has three-point range. Returning junior forward Tatyana Steadman scored 16 points in the Panthers' season-opening win. "She really, really has improved in a year," Conkling said. "Her presence in the post could be really good for us." Sophomore post Mayra Payan scored 10 points in the opener, while junior newcomer Miyah Johnson added eight. "We're still going to have our nights when we struggle a little bit," Conkling said. "Our division is going to be tough."