kcc prep basketball preview 2013-2014

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Kane County CHRONICLE 2013-14 PREP BASKETBALL PREVIEW SECTION TRANSITION GAME MENTAL, PHYSICAL CHALLENGES ABOUND FOR ATHLETES PIVOTING FROM FOOTBALL TO BASKETBALL SEASON. PAGES 12-13

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Page 1: KCC Prep Basketball Preview 2013-2014

Kane County CHRONICLE

2013-14 PREP BASKETBALL PREVIEW SECTION

TRANSITION GAMEMENTAL, PHYSICAL CHALLENGES ABOUND FOR ATHLETES

PIVOTING FROM FOOTBALL TO BASKETBALL SEASON. PAGES 12-13

Page 2: KCC Prep Basketball Preview 2013-2014

Larkin is the defending Upstate Eight Conference River boys bas-ketball champs. St. Charles East returns its top six players from an above-.500 teams. And Geneva coach Phil Ralston has size, shoot-ing, depth and star power with which to work.

Without discounting the UEC River’s other four teams, that trio alone ensures this winter isn’t going to be a run-of-the-mill title chase around the conference.

“It’s going to be just an absolute dogfight, it really is,” Ralston said. “It’s going to be just nasty going between these games.”

Deliciously nasty for area bas-ketball fans.

While Larkin graduated stal-wart guards Quantice Hunter and Quentin Ruff, other key pieces return, none of whom will draw as much preseason buzz as towering freshman Christian Negron, who could dunk as a middle-schooler. St. Charles East coach Pat Woods is showing preseason deference to the defending champs.

“I think we’ll be in a position to compete for a conference title,” Woods said. “That will be one of our goals. However, it won’t be an easy task. I mean, Larkin, with the players they have coming back and the addition of [Negron], he’s a really good player and he’s going to help them a lot, so I think right now if you look at it, they’re the

team to beat, in my opinion.”Perhaps, but if East has a better

health shake than it did last year, the Saints will command every team’s full attention. The Saints will be virtually impossible to press with two potential future Division I point guards – Dom Adduci and Cole Gentry – playing alongside one another, and East has plenty of additional shooting, athleticism and size to throw at opponents.

“I really think St. Charles East has everything you need, every piece of the puzzle you need,” said St. Charles North coach Tom Poulin, whose new-look North Stars were labeled an underrated group by several conference coach-es. “They’ve got varsity experience at every position, multiple leaders, but they can rely one of the best floor generals in the state in Ad-duci. He’s a coach on the floor. His basketball IQ is off the charts, and you know he’s coming back [from labrum surgery] hungry.”

As formidable as Larkin and East appear to be, this is not going to be a two-team race.

The splashiest offseason news involving Geneva might have been

the defection of hotly recruited marksman KJ Santos to a prep school in Vermont, but Geneva is nonetheless capable of making lots of in-season headlines for more uplifting reasons.

The Vikings won 21 games last year, and returning standout for-ward Nate Navigato is surrounded by experienced guards and an in-flux of size that has Ralston eager to take on all comers.

“I’d go to battle with these kids any day of the week,” Ralston said. “As a coach, it really makes it fun. Not that I’ve ever not looked forward to preparing for a game, but there are games you’re making preparations and working with the slimmest of slimmest of margins. There are going to be times where this group is going to make it feel like our margin maybe is not as small as we think.”

Those nights, though, are unlikely to come against the UEC River’s upper-tier teams, with others such as North, Batavia, Elgin and Streamwood capable of punishing contenders for an off night, as well.

“I think it’s going to be games of surviving more than anything,” Ralston said.

of the Kane County Chronicle. He can be reached at 630-845-5382 or [email protected].

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2KANE COUNTY CHRONICLE’S

2013-14 PREP BASKETBALL PREVIEW

Cover photo –

Sandy Bressner – [email protected]

Team preview capsules by Kevin Druley,Jay Schwab and Jake Powers

Eventual hoops year on tap

PAGE 3

Terrific 10

PAGES 4-8

Boys scouting reports-

PAGES 9-11, 14

Making the transitionCOVER STORY:

PAGES 12-13

Girls scouting reports-

PAGES 16, 18-20

Names and games

PAGES 20, 22-23

PREP ZONE

Jay Schwab

St. Charles East’s David Mason is one of numerous key returning players for a Saints team that should compete in an intriguing Upstate Eight Conference River Division race.

River title chase to be ‘absolute dogfight’

Page 3: KCC Prep Basketball Preview 2013-2014

2013-14 PREP BASKETBALL PREVIEW | 3BOYS BASKETBALL

Special events jam hoops calendarBy JAY SCHWAB

This year more than most, several area boys basketball teams have

turned to innovative sched-uling touches, with Kaneland leading the way.

The Knights have added a pair of major events to their 2013-14 scheduling mix – a Jan. 4 meeting with Geneva at the United Center, and a new shootout the Knights are host-ing on Feb. 15 in the spirit of Batavia’s tradition-rich Night of Hoops.

“I think it really pumps up the guys, knowing we get to play where Derrick Rose plays,” Kaneland senior Ty Carlson said. “And definitely the shootout will be really cool because we go to a lot of those, like at Wheaton Academy, Batavia’s (Windmill City) tournament, but it will be cool to have our own – kind of start a tradition.”

The inaugural year of Kaneland’s event – titled “Kaneland’s Day and Knight of Basketball” – features St. Charles North against Peoria Richwoods, Larkin against North Chicago and Kaneland against Hillcrest.

Kaneland coach Brian Johnson is enthused about luring several highly regard-ed programs to Maple Park, and said the event will have fundraising components for the school and community.

“The format’s similar to [Night of Hoops], but I think we’re definitely doing a lot of different things to kind of add our own flavor to it,” Johnson said.

North Stars coach Tom Poulin is glad to lend some local flavor to the shootout field.

“I think he’s off on the right foot,” Poulin said of Johnson. “It’s going to be a blast.”

As for the United Cen-ter matchup, it will be the third time in six seasons the Knights and Vikings will clash on the west side before a Bulls game later that day.

Kaneland isn’t the only program with noteworthy scheduling wrinkles this season. Among the other

highlights:

out a new promotion Jan. 10 called “Brawlers and Ballers,” a rare wrestling/basketball doubleheader in the Saints’

Instead of a sophomore game before the varsity – the

-house – a varsity wrestling meet will precede the boys basketball game.

wrestling coach Jason Potter]

coach Pat Woods said. “We all try to support each other’s programs, and we think this is one way we can work together to kind of highlight

both sports. … Who knows, maybe we’ll start a trend and we’ll see some other teams and schools doing things like that.”

Vikings will play on the Uni-versity of Illinois’ court Dec. 7 against Bloomington as part of a shootout in Champaign.

Factor in that the Vikings are also part of the United Center matchup with Kane-land – not to mention a trip to downstate Quincy that Ralston always considers a great experience – and Ralston thinks this year’s squad is a lucky bunch on the schedul-ing front.

out its new shootout this win-

ter, Batavia is tweaking the format of its signature Night of Hoops.

The Bulldogs are adding a fourth game to the traditional varsity tripleheader. For the first time, Mooseheart will join the Night of Hoops lineup, taking on defending 3A state semifinalist Bartonville Lime-stone.

“We wanted to kind of just bring in two more really good teams and kind of give an op-portunity there,” second-year Batavia coach Jim Nazos said. “And Mooseheart being in our backyard and as good as they are, I think it is a good opportunity for people to see how good they really are.”

The other Night of Hoops

games will be Stevenson vs. Benet, St. Patrick vs. West Aurora and Batavia vs. St. Joseph.

Night of Hoops will still include sophomore matchups, but this year, they will take place two-at-a-time on sepa-rate courts.

-orate the 25th anniversary of its 1989 team that finished in fourth place in Class A at its Jan. 25 home game against Prairie Ridge.

“Coach (Mike) Harper was their coach, and he’s still here as a teacher and a great sup-porter of our team,” Spartans coach Bob Ward said. “He still stays in touch with those guys.”

Kaneland coach Brian Johnson has a new home shootout and game at the United Center to look forward to this season.

Page 4: KCC Prep Basketball Preview 2013-2014

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4

What did you work on most during the offseason?

-

What do you think is on other teams’ scouting reports about your game?

Do you consider yourself more of a vocal leader or more lead-by-example?

Who’s the toughest guy to score on in practice?

DOM ADDUCI

What did you work on most during the offseason?

What do you think is on other teams’ scouting reports about your game?

-

Do you consider yourself more of a vocal leader or more lead-by-exam-ple?

-

year.

Who’s the toughest girl to score on in practice?

LIZA FRUENDT

�TERRIFIC 10 – THE AREA’S TOP PLAYERS TO WATCH

Page 5: KCC Prep Basketball Preview 2013-2014

2013-14 PREP BASKETBALL PREVIEW | 5�TERRIFIC 10 – THE AREA’S TOP PLAYERS TO WATCH

What did you work on most during the offseason?

What do you think is on other teams’ scouting reports about your game?

year.

Do you consider yourself more of a vocal leader or more lead-by-example?

Who’s the toughest guy to score on in practice?

-

MICAH COFFEY

What did you work on most during the offseason?

What do you think is on other teams’ scouting reports about your game?

Do you consider yourself more of a vocal leader or more lead-by-example?

Who’s the toughest girl to score on in practice?

AMANDA HILTON

Page 6: KCC Prep Basketball Preview 2013-2014

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6 �TERRIFIC 10 – THE AREA’S TOP PLAYERS TO WATCH

What did you work on most during the offseason?

What do you think is on other teams’ scouting reports about your game?

Do you consider yourself more of a vocal leader or more lead-by-example?

Who’s the toughest guy to score on in practice?

COLE GENTRY

What did you work on most during the offseason?

court.

What do you think is on other teams’ scouting reports about your game?

Do you consider yourself more of a vocal leader or more lead-by-example?

Who’s the toughest girl to score on in practice?

MICHAELA LOEBEL

Page 7: KCC Prep Basketball Preview 2013-2014

2013-14 PREP BASKETBALL PREVIEW | 7�TERRIFIC 10 – THE AREA’S TOP PLAYERS TO WATCH

What did you work on most during the offseason?

What do you think is on other teams’ scouting reports about your game?

Do you consider yourself more of a vocal leader or more lead-by-example?

Who’s the toughest guy to score on in practice?

ALEC GOETZ

What did you work on most during the offseason?

What do you think is on other teams’ scouting reports about your game?

Do you consider yourself more of a vocal leader or more lead-by-example?

Who’s the toughest girl to score on in practice?

MORGAN ROSENCRANTS

Page 8: KCC Prep Basketball Preview 2013-2014

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8 �TERRIFIC 10 – THE AREA’S TOP PLAYERS TO WATCH

What did you work on most during the offseason?

What do you think is on other teams’ scouting reports about your game?

Do you consider yourself more of a vocal leader or more lead-by-example?

Who’s the toughest guy to score on in practice?

NATE NAVIGATO

What did you work on most during the offseason?

What do you think is on other teams’ scouting reports about your game?

Do you consider yourself more of a vocal leader or more lead-by-example?

-

Who’s the toughest girl to score on in practice?

athletic.

SIDNEY SANTOS

Page 9: KCC Prep Basketball Preview 2013-2014

2013-14 PREP BASKETBALL PREVIEW | 9

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Page 10: KCC Prep Basketball Preview 2013-2014

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Page 11: KCC Prep Basketball Preview 2013-2014

2013-14 PREP BASKETBALL PREVIEW | 11

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Last season’s record:

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About coach Tom Poulin:

Last season’s record:

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Page 12: KCC Prep Basketball Preview 2013-2014

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12 2013-14 PREP BASKETBALL PREVIEW | 13

Alternate routes to

hoops season available

By JAY SCHWAB

While football-to-basketball is the most preva-lent transition male athletes make this time of year, there are other ways to stockpile varsity letters.

Futbol to basketball is an especially popular path at Burlington Central, where Rockets boys basketball coach Brett Porto said the majority of guys on his roster spent the fall with Central’s soccer program.

Central’s boys soccer team advanced to a 2A sectional final before falling to Wheaton Acad-emy.

“Nine of them getting through a regional championship and getting to a sectional championship, they can bring some of that experience in,” Porto said. “And camaraderie-wise, they enjoy being around each other, so that always makes it good when you’re going to be in the gym with each other for four months.”

St. Charles East junior Zach Manibog isn’t bringing eight of his soccer buddies with him onto the Saints’ basketball roster, but the projected defensive stopper for the Saints basketball team certainly sharpened his footwork on East’s con-ference and regional championship soccer team.

And Aurora Central Catholic sharpshooter Sean Harreld was able to enjoy a successful fall sports season with minimal risk of injury after qualifying for the IHSA Class 2A Boys Golf State Finals this season.

SEASON’S GREETING CAN SEEM ABRUPTArea basketball players find it tricky to adjust from football to new season

Geneva’s Mike Landi (left) and Daniel Santacaterina chat during a recent practice. Landi and Santacaterina played on the Vikings’ football team this fall.

By JAY SCHWAB

Kaneland senior John Pruett prepared to begin a preseason basketball workout last week, present in body if not entirely in spirit.

Pruett, a standout receiver on the Knights’ football team and also among the school’s most talented bas-ketball players, was less than 100 hours removed from a football playoff defeat to Joliet Catholic, and Pruett acknowledged spending many of those hours brooding over what went awry in the game.

“I’m happy [to play basketball] but football will always be in the back of my mind,” Pruett said. “I’d say by Janu-ary I’ll only be able to focus on basketball, not football. That’s what I’m hoping.”

But basketball season starts in November, making for a tricky transition for athletes such as Pruett. While it’s common for some football players to also play basket-ball, the prevalence and prominence of those cases this season around the Tri-Cities area is greater than usual.

Kaneland’s top three returners – Ty Carlson, Drew David and Pru-ett – were all football starters, and the Knights have nine total varsity players sliding over from football.

A pair of returning St. Charles East forwards – AJ Washington and David Mason – suited up for football this fall after not playing in the past, while St. Charles North is experiencing the opposite phenom-enon, with football-first athletes such as Chase Gianacakos and Gar-rett Johnson coming out for bas-ketball this winter, joining fellow North football/basketball combo athletes Jack Callaghan, Erik Mill-er and Camden Cotter.

Batavia (leading basketball scorer/football quarterback Micah Coffey, Tucker Knox) and Geneva (expected contributors Mike Landi, Loudon Vollbrecht and Pace Tem-ple) also are doubling down with some of their school’s top multi-sport athletes.

Many variables play into the de-gree of difficulty in transitioning from football to basketball, but the challenges are both physical and mental. In some cases, they are not easily conquered.

The physicalAfter St. Charles East’s first-

round football playoff loss to Ste-venson, Washington turned his

attention to preseason basketball workouts, expecting to be in prime shape.

Wide receivers, after all, are known to cover ground quickly.

But St. Francis boys basketball coach Bob Ward observed that foot-ball players often find “the walls start closing in on you” once bas-ketball conditioning begins, and now Washington can attest.

“After football, I felt like I was going to go into basketball really conditioned,” Washington said. “And then I saw myself going up and down the floor, and I was one of the tired kids, one of the only ones with my hands on my knees.”

The constant motion, lateral movement and leaping required in basketball quickly reveals which athletes did basketball-specific con-ditioning during the fall.

Given Batavia football’s extend-ed playoff run, Coffey not only will have to navigate an abrupt fitness crash course, but do so through aching muscles.

“The whole getting back into shape those first couple weeks, every part of your body is hurting because you have a whole different set of muscle memory you have to refocus yourself on,” Coffey said. “It’s tough, but I wouldn’t trade any basketball experience for the expe-rience I’m getting in football [dur-

ing the playoffs], so I’ll take being sore any day.”

As football-to-basketball con-verts seek to restore their cardio-vascular capacity, many find that their shooting and dribbling touch also have deserted them, especially if they couldn’t carve out any time in the fall to make a few open-gym cameos.

“Whenever you play basketball during football season with your buddies, you’re just kind of screw-ing around,” said David, Kaneland’s quarterback in football and point guard in basketball. “The focus isn’t really about making the right pass and stuff, you’re just messing around. When you get to the sea-son, everything’s got to be crisp. It’s just kind of something you’ve got to take some time to get adjusted to, not turning the ball over, not mak-ing showboat passes and stuff like that.”

Potentially far worse than com-ing in out of basketball shape or a rusty jumper is the ever-present risk of football injuries spilling into

basketball season.Geneva quarterback Daniel

Santacaterina, Marmion running back Jordan Glasgow and David are among several area basketball play-ers likely to miss the early stages of the season while mending football injuries.

“With our football team just getting knocked out of the playoffs [in the second round], my question mark is who is going to be healthy, when,” Marmion coach Ryan Para-dise said. “That’s never a good thing, but I want to make sure our guys are healthy for the long-run rather than trying to rush them back for a Thanksgiving tournament.”

Once football players return to the court, keeping them there can be a challenge, too.

There is a tendency for some football athletes – physical beasts by nature – to run into foul trouble early in a season as they acclimate to the reduced level of contact al-lowed in basketball.

Ward has a simple solution to that dilemma.

“I just tell them not to foul,” Ward said. “The one great teacher of somebody that has foul problems is the bench. You can’t play if you’ve got foul trouble, so usually that will work itself out.”

The mentalFootball is a grueling sport. It’s

an emotional sport. And it’s also a supremely popular sport.

Considering all those factors, it’s not uncommon for football players to experience, as Vikings basketball coach Phil Ralston puts it, “a sense of loss” when their football family breaks up.

And depending on how long a football team’s season lasts, some-times there’s virtually no time to work through those emotions be-fore it’s hoops season.

If an athlete considers himself to be a football player first-and-foremost, replenishing competitive juices for basketball season can be problematic.

“I don’t tell our players basket-ball has to be their No. 1 sport,”

Ralston said. “I don’t care if it’s No. 3 as long as when they’re with us they make it their priority. That’s the only thing we ask, when you’re playing with us, you’re invested in us.”

Pruett intends to take that ap-proach at Kaneland, but it won’t come easy.

Although a potentially ban-ner basketball season awaits him this winter, Pruett said “we had a plan to do big things in football this year,” and moving on quickly from Kaneland’s second-round playoff loss was hard to fathom. The hurt in Pruett’s voice was evident as he grappled with a change in seasons that came much quicker than he en-visioned.

“Right out of football’s the hard-est,” Pruett said. “This year’s the hardest for me just because I know next year [for football] doesn’t count anymore for me. I’m a senior. I’m done after this year.”

Kaneland coach Brian Johnson said he gives the transitioning foot-ball players “a little leeway here

and there” if they’re not completely cut-in, mentally – to an extent.

“Things that we do a lot no mat-ter what the time of year it is, as far as if it’s the summer or in the sea-son, I expect them to be able to do,” Johnson said. “It’s the new things that I understand they’re going to struggle with a little bit.

“One thing that’s unacceptable is a lack of hustle. If you know they’re not working hard, then they’re go-ing to hear about it. We’re definitely a team that needs to work hard to be successful.”

St. Charles North coach Tom Poulin knows all about the emo-tional peaks and valleys of a school year, being a three-sport coach himself. He doesn’t anticipate his contingent of football-to-basketball athletes to shortchange him on ef-fort this season.

“If you’ve done everything you can [in football], which I know those guys have, you’ve given everything you can give, now it’s time to do the same thing in the winter, and they’re really looking forward to having a successful senior season in the winter,” Poulin said. “I had a meeting a couple weeks ago and you could just feel it. Not to sound corny, but you could feel it in the air that they wished they were starting up that day.”

Crisp ball movement and coor-dinated motion are critical in bas-ketball, and cultivating that level of chemistry often begins with a cohe-sive locker room.

That, too, can require some catch-up for football players.

“[The non-football players] kind of got their own thing going, and me and a couple of other football guys kind of got our own thing going,” David said. “So we kind of come to-gether, and it’s just kind of differ-ent for a little bit. But once you get a week or two into it, everything’s back to how it usually is with the guys.”

The payoffWhile the changeover from foot-

ball to basketball is seldom seam-less, basketball coaches also point to potential upside from having play-ers go through the football grind in the fall.

“No matter how hard you work out in the gym, no matter how hard

you train, you can’t simulate game experience, whatever sport you’re playing,” St. Charles East coach Pat Woods said. “So [Mason and Wash-ington] were both in pressure situa-tions. They had to do that. No mat-ter what they did in the offseason, they can’t replicate that environ-ment, so I think that makes them better as players as well.”

Woods also thinks the 6-foot-7 Mason’s months of banging bodies on the Saints football team’s defen-sive line might make him a fiercer competitor this season.

“I’m hoping it made Dave more aggressive, being on that D-line and going after people,” Woods said. “I’m hoping we’ll see that trans-late into a more physical presence maybe, especially defense and on the boards.”

Poulin has a soft spot generally for multi-sport athletes, especially ones that have thrived in other sports. He said several players’ multi-sport backgrounds factored into the deepest-advancing basket-ball team he’s coached in 2008-09, when North made an IHSA Class 4A sectional final.

“You had student-athletes that were successful and were commit-ted and had multiple responsibili-ties,” Poulin said. “They weren’t just guys who played football, they excelled on the football field. They weren’t just guys who played base-ball, they excelled on the baseball field. And they come in and expect nothing less from their teammates and their coaches over the winter.”

Johnson hopes that notion ap-plies to his Knights, and there is some evidence it might.

Last year’s Knights added a bas-ketball Northern Illinois Big 12 East championship a few months after winning a football conference title, with largely the same cast of char-acters.

“You can’t beat the competition that they go through on a Friday night,” Johnson said. “Some will say there’s no bigger stage than Friday night. It’s nice that they go through that because I think it carries over to basketball from football.”

Give their lungs, hearts and minds some bounce-back time, and teenagers’ trademark resilience should be on display in a gymna-sium near you.

Brett Porto

Aurora Central Catholic sharpshooter Sean Harreld will make the transition to basketball after spending his fall competing with the Chargers’ golf team.

Page 13: KCC Prep Basketball Preview 2013-2014

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St. Francis’ Kilian Brown takes a shot during the 2013 IHSA Class 3A NIU Supersectional against Limestone at Northern Illinois University. The Spartans lost 55-50.

Page 14: KCC Prep Basketball Preview 2013-2014

2013-14 PREP BASKETBALL PREVIEW | 15

GIRLS BASKETBALL

Seniors aim to push Bulldogs into River mixBy KEVIN DRULEY

Erin Bayram and Liza Fruendt still were refining the whole com-

munication thing when they first knew each other.

Ten years later, the undisputed leaders of the Batavia girls basketball team are concise in their message: If you’re not here to work, kindly step aside.

Friends since second grade, Bayram (Boston Uni-versity) and Fruendt (Mis-souri State) both committed to NCAA Division I programs entering their senior seasons, heightening the credibility of a program on the rise.

Batavia welcomed that distinction again last season, climbing from 13 wins in 2011-12 to 18 victories while seemingly running on fumes. The Bulldogs had just eight players in 2012-13.

Coach Kevin Jensen welcomed 11 girls to the team this time, but given the group’s relative youth – Bayram, a post, and Fruendt, a combo guard, are the lone seniors – challenges certainly remain.

“It’s going to be something that Erin and I are going to have to adjust to the whole entire year,” Fruendt said. “You go from a team that’s basically upperclassmen to now having to adjust a bunch of people to varsity basket-ball. It’s just constantly, every single day, we have to stress you have to go as hard as you can because they don’t know what the pace is like. So if they’re going as hard as they can, at least they’re doing something to benefit them.”

Jensen is no stranger to being on the go himself, dou-bling as an assistant for the football team and habitually

shuttling between November practices since his days as a lower-level boys basketball coach.

He took the reins of the girls program three seasons ago, and happily has watched both Bayram and Fruendt develop into strong personali-ties and leaders. Bayram tore her left ACL in December 2011 but remained supportive as Fruendt cultivated her scoring touch.

The injury certainly had no bearing on the girls’ laugh-ing, joking and hanging out, which eased the transition until they could collaborate on the court again.

Bayram was playing without restraint during a January home game against Upstate Eight Conference River Division rival Larkin, collecting the assist on the first-quarter 3-pointer that vaulted Fruendt past 1,000 points for her career.

“We’ve had a lot of discussions with Erin and Liza about this being a very meaningful year for them. They already have college lined up, but they want to go out with a very special year,” Jensen said.

“They’ve been big on want-ing to go out. They’ve been very demanding with leading and conditioning before the season. I’ve kind of made it clear to everybody that they’re going to be busting their tail and everyone else in the program is going to be expected to do the same and follow their lead.”

One object of increased fo-cus is a Upstate Eight Confer-ence River Division title. The Bulldogs aren’t the only ones anticipating a tough race. Entering last season, Geneva had lost just one conference game since the beginning of 2008-09, but needed outside help to take last season’s

league title outright with a 10-2 conference record.

St. Charles East split a pair of overtime games with Geneva, while the Bulldogs lost to the Vikings by 14 combined points in two meet-ings. St. Charles North also appears to be on the upswing under first-year coach Sean Masoncup.

“It’s going to be tough,” Vi-kings coach Sarah Meadows said. “East, North. North’s got the new coach. They had young kids last year, now they have experience. And Batavia is always tough. And I know they’ve done a lot of work over the summer, so they’ll be ready to go. It’ll be tough.”

Those last three words might as well be the start of the motto of Batavia’s work-outs.

Behind Bayram and Fruendt, the Bulldogs hope to tack on, “But it’ll be worth it.”

Batavia’s Liza Fruendt (left) and Erin Bayram receive instruction from assistant coach Sarah McEwen during practice Nov. 13 in Batavia.

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Batavia, Geneva, Kaneland,

St. Charles, Burlington Central,

Marmion, West Aurora, East Aurora,

Aurora Central, Aurora Christian

By Game

KIRHOFERí SSPORTS

2112 W. Galena Blvd., Aurora630­ 897­ 2322

Facebook.com/kirhoferssports

ï Boys & Girls Jacketsï Sewing & Embroidery

Not valid with any other offer or sale. Onecoupon per purchase.

Expires 1/31/14

KIRHOFERí S SPORTS

$10 OFFany purchase of

$50 or more

�GIRLS SCOUTING REPORTSAURORA CENTRAL CATHOLIC CHARGERS

About coach Mark Fitzgerald:

Last year’s record:

Returning starters:

Insider Information:

Beyond the stat sheet:

Bottom line:

AURORA CHRISTIAN EAGLES

About coach Jerry Tokars:

Last year’s record:

Returning starters:

G.Insider information:

Beyond the stat sheet:

Bottom line:

BATAVIA BULLDOGS

About coach Kevin Jensen:

Last season’s record:

Returning starters:

Insider information:

Beyond the stat sheet:

Bottom line:

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A Catholic, College­ PreparatoryHigh School for Young Women

Christmas CoffeeFor Prospective ParentsDecember 11, 9 to 11 a.m.

Tuesday ToursShadow DaysEntrance Exam

January 11, 2014, 8 a.m.http://rosaryhs.com/admissions

901N.EdgelawnDrive |Aurora, IL | 60506 | 630­ 896­ 0831 x12 |www.rosaryhs.com

The Rosary Difference! A Rigorous College­ Prep Program! A Values­ Based Faith Community! 100% College Attendance Rate! $13.4 Million Awarded in College Scholarships óClass of 2013

! 2013 ACT Average 25.7! 30+ Leadership & Service Programs! Scholarships & Financial Aid! Athletic Complex with Fitness Center! 9 Competitive Sports Teams: Cross Country,Basketball, Golf, Soccer, Softball, Swimming &Diving, Tennis, Track & Field, and Volleyball

! McEnroe Auditorium for the Performing Arts! Bus Transportation from TriCities

For Girls in Grades 5­ 8Presented by Rosary coaching staff and players

December 27 and 28at Rosary High SchoolGrades 5­ 6: 8 to 11 amGrades 7­ 8: Noon to 3 pm

Registration fee: $35(includes t­shi rt)Register online:http://rosaryhs.com/holiday_hoops

ROSARYHIGH SCHOOL

Holiday HoopsBasketball Shooting Camp

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Any furnace service, repair or installation will receive a gift certi� cate to

Paisanoí s Pizza & Grill orEddie Gaedel Pub & Grillgift certi� cate compliments of J&R Herra, Inc.

Eddie Gaedel Pub & Grill and Paisanoí s Pizza & Grill. Offer expires 3/31/14.

LICENSE # 055­ 004642Check out our facebook for EVEN MORE specials & discounts

Ask about J&R Herraí s

ServiceAgreement

Includes a spring& fall exclusive

precision tune­ up 24 HOUR EMERGENCY REPAIR SERVICEFREE IN­ HOME ESTIMATES

Over 35 years family owned & operated

250 W. Nebraska St., Elburn630.365­ 6266

[email protected]

�GIRLS SCOUTING REPORTSBURLINGTON CENTRAL ROCKETS

About coach Mark Smith:

Last season’s record:

Returning starters:

Insider information:

Beyond the stat sheet:

Bottom line:

GENEVA VIKINGS

About coach Sarah Meadows:

Last season’s record:

Returning starters:

Insider information:

Beyond the stat sheet:

Bottom line:

KANELAND KNIGHTS

About coach Ernie Colombe:

Last season’s record:

Returning starter: Insider information:

Beyond the stat sheet:

Bottom line:

Page 18: KCC Prep Basketball Preview 2013-2014

2013-14 PREP BASKETBALL PREVIEW | 19

2130 W. Roosevelt Road, Wheaton, IL 60187630­ 668­ 5800 x1120

www.sfhsnet.org

UPCOMING EVENTS FOR INTERESTED STUDENTS:

ï Thru November ñ 8th Grade Student Shadow Visit DaysScan the shadow visit link or call 630­ 668­ 5800 x1120 to schedule a dayon our campus.

ï December 6, 2013 ñ Pack the Place Basketball EventCome see our school spirit as our defending IHSA Sectional ChampionVarsity basketball team plays in front of the biggest home crowd ofthe year. Performing this night: Basketball, Pep Band, Cheerleading,Defending State Finalist SFHS Dance Team, and our Chamber Choir.

A Community in which Minds and Spirits Thriveï College Preparatory

ï Small class sizes for individual academic attention

ï Multi­ level athletic programs in 12 sports for boys and 12 sports for girls

ï Active Student Ministry: grade level retreats, class retreats, Kairos, and Darst retreats

ï Active Arts Programs including instrumental Music, Vocal Music, Visual Arts, and Performing Arts

SHADOW VISIT LINK

�GIRLS SCOUTING REPORTSST. CHARLES EAST SAINTS

About coach Lori Drumtra:

Last season’s record:

Returning starters:

Insider information:

Beyond the stat sheet:

Bottom line:

ST. CHARLES NORTH NORTH STARS

About coach Sean Masoncup:

Last season’s record:

Returning starters:

Insider information:

Beyond the stat sheet:

Bottom line:

ST. FRANCIS SPARTANS

About coach Mike Phillips:

Last season’s record:

Returning starters: Insider information:

Beyond the stat sheet:

Bottom line:

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20 �GIRLS SCOUTING REPORTS

ROSARY ROYALS

About coach Jessie Wilcox:

Last season’s record:

Returning starters: .Insider information:

Beyond the stat sheet:

Bottom line:

WHEATON ACADEMY WARRIORS

About coach Beth Mitchell:

Last year’s record:

Returning starters:

Insider information:

Beyond the stat sheet:

Bottom line:

GIRLSAURORA CENTRAL CATHOLIC

AURORA CHRISTIAN

BATAVIA

BURLINGTON CENTRAL

GENEVA

KANELAND

�2013-14 BASKETBALL SCHEDULES

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ROSARY

ST. CHARLES EAST

ST. CHARLES NORTH

BOYSAURORA CENTRAL CATHOLIC

Aurora Christian

Batavia

Burlington Central

Geneva

Kaneland

Marmion

St. Charles East

St. Charles North

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2013-14 PREP BASKETBALL PREVIEW | 23

�2013-14 BASKETBALL ROSTERS

BOYSAurora Central Catholic

No. Player Yr. Ht. Wt. Pos.

Head coach:

Aurora ChristianNo. Player Yr. Ht.

Head coach:

Burlington CentralNo. Player Yr. Ht. Wt. Pos.

Head coach:

GenevaNo. Player Yr. Ht. Pos.

Head coach:

KanelandNo. Player Yr. Ht. Pos.

Head coach:

MarmionNo. Player Yr. Ht.

Head coach:

St. Charles EastNo. Player Yr. Ht. Wt. Pos.

Head coach:

St. Charles NorthNo. Player Yr. Ht. Wt. Pos.

Head coach:

St. FrancisPlayer Ht. Yr.

Head coach:

Wheaton Academy

Head coach:

GIRLSAurora Central Catholic

Head coach:

Aurora ChristianNo. Name Yr.

Head coach:

BataviaNo. Name Ht. Yr. Pos.

Head coach:

Burlington CentralNo. Name Yr. Pos.

Head coach:

GenevaNo. Name Ht. Yr. Pos.

Head coach:

Kaneland

Head coach:

RosaryNo. Name Yr.

Head coach:

St. Charles EastNo. Name Ht. Yr. Pos.

Head coach:

St. Charles NorthNo. Name Ht. Yr. Pos.

Head coach:

St. FrancisName Yr.

Head coach:

Wheaton AcademyNo. Name Ht. Yr. Pos.

Head coach:

EDITOR’S NOTE:

�2013-14 BASKETBALL SCHEDULES

St. Francis

Wheaton Academy

� � � � � � � � � � � Tell us what you think. Send Letters to the Editor to [email protected].

Page 23: KCC Prep Basketball Preview 2013-2014

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