200PREPBASKETBALLPREVIEW The ChroniCle /kcchronicle.comPage 2 � Thursday, November 19, 2009
82009-10 OUTLOOK
Teams could
excel despite
little experience
Basketball teams are always
starting over this time of year.
On the boys side, teams are
really starting over around the
Tri-Cities.
Geneva lost its entire start-
ing five. St. Charles North lost
all but one of its starters, and it
might take until January before
North coach Tom Poulin stops
drawing up plays in the huddle
for departed pillars of the pro-
gram Jonathan DeMoss and
Nick Neari.
St. Charles East also returns
only one starter while Batavia
said farewell to an excellent
backcourt of David Bryant and
Ben Potter, both of whom now
are playing college ball.
From a personnel standpoint,
Kaneland is in better shape, but
must acclimate to a new coach.
But before basketball fans go
into hibernation for the winter,
realize that it still is going to
be an intriguing season of local
hoops, one that might even yield
a conference championship or
two.
Batavia, Geneva, Kaneland
and St. Charles North all enter
the season with compelling rea-
sons to believe they'll be in the
mix for titles.
Of those four, Geneva might
appear like the biggest stretch
based on the Vikings needing to
break in a brand-new starting
lineup. But the Vikings have
some guys ready to produce, in-
cluding promising guards Nolan
Block and Scott Wendt, and Phil
Ralston has been coaching hoops
long enough to know when he
has a contender.
The second-year Vikings
coach thinks he has one.
"I don't think there are many
teams that lose that much fire-
power and pick up where they
left off," Ralston said. "However,
with as strong of a group of
sophomores from last year and
the kids we have coming back,
the level of commitment we've
seen from these kids, if there's
any group that can do it, it's this
one."
If Geneva can make a
push, this year's Western Sun
Conference race will be every bit
as dramatic as last season, when
Geneva, DeKalb and Glenbard
South all shared the conference
championship.
Batavia was just off the pace
but the Bulldogs are likely to be
right back in the mix for a cham-
pionship � usually a rite of win-
ter in Batavia. Returnees Ricky
Clopton, Adam LeTourneau,
Jesse Coffey and Levi Maxey are
a nice core to build around, and
you can bet the Bulldogs will
weave some talented newcomers
into the mix.
Count Kaneland among the
squads likely to jumble the WSC
race well into February. New
Kaneland coach Brian Johnson
should be able to breathe life
into the Knights' program
quickly, thanks in part to
6-foot-8 senior Dave Dudzinski.
"They're itching to really
make a statement," Johnson
said of his players. "I've told
some of those kids they could
be a group we look back on and
say, `Dave Dudzinski and Ryley
Bailey and guys like that really
set the tone for the program
and put us the map, and started
that success we've been talking
about,' and they're excited about
that."
Those who fear change can
take some solace on the girls
side, where there are more fa-
miliar names on area rosters.
Geneva might not win 33
straight games like last season
but a double-digit winning streak
or two is well within its reach
with starters Kat Yelle, Lauren
Wicinski and Kelsey Augustine
back. Bartlett transfer Ashley
Santos will be fun to watch, too.
Veteran St. Charles East
coach Lori Drumtra has four
starters back, and across
town, North point guard Kiley
Hackbarth returns to run the
show for the North Stars for her
fourth straight year.
If you're dreaming big, the
Geneva girls seem like the best
bet to make a push downstate.
If you're like me, and just flat-
out looking forward to watching
some basketball, the time has
come.
Fresh starts can be a good
thing, and by March, greatness
isn't out of the question.
� Jay Schwab is sports
editor of The Chronicle. He can
be reached at 630-845-5382 or
jschwab@kcchronicle.com.
Tri-Cities teams relying on fresh faces
JAY SCHWAB
WHO WiLL CHALLenge genevA?
Sandy Bressner � sbressner@kcchronicle.com
Sara Fruendt and
the Batavia girls
basketball team,
like the rest of
the Western Sun
Conference teams,
will be aiming to
knock Geneva from
its perch atop the
conference. The
defending champs
return all but two
players from last
season's team,
which finished
fourth in the state
in Class 4A.
STORY On PAge 17
The Chronicle's 2009-10
PreP BasketBall Preview
Cover photo by Sandy Bressner � sbressner@kcchronicle.com
Looking for clutch players
Local boys coaches in search of their go-to players after
many teams were hit hard by graduation.
PAGES 3
Boys scouting reports
Previews and analysis of the 10 area teams' upcoming
seasons.
PAGES 4-5, 14
Terrific 10
A photographic look at some of the top girls and boys
players worth keeping an eye on this season.
PAGES 7-11
Beating the press
COVER STORY: Players and coaches describe how to
handle and get past full-court pressure.
PAGES 12-13
girls scouting reports
Previews and analysis of the 10 area teams' upcoming
seasons.
PAGES 18-21
names and games
� Local boys schedules and rosters. PAGES 15-16
� Local girls schedules and rosters. PAGES 22-23

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