Pioneer Press previews the area girls basketball teams in the West Suburban Silver ahead of the 2016-17 season.
Hinsdale Central
Coach: Tom McKenna
2015-16 record: 14-17 (4-8 West Suburban Silver), lost to Proviso East in Class 4A regional final
Backcourt: The Red Devils will start three guards to take advantage of their speed and athleticism. Senior Paige Bareck led the team in scoring last season at 13.7 points per game. She’s joined by fellow seniors Elle Schaefer and Gracie Hartzman. “They all can handle the ball together,” head coach Tom McKenna said. “They’re all good shooters, they all see the floor well and are really good passers.”
Frontcourt: Hinsdale Central uses two forwards instead of a traditional center. Senior Abbi Shaker has the team’s best offensive skills on the block, while fellow senior Riley Burr, second in scoring in 2015-16 at 12.9 points per game, plays more of a stretch-four game. McKenna said Burr is able to handle the ball and knock down 3s like a guard. No starter is taller than 5-foot-10, and McKenna said he may need to use zone defenses if the team plays against taller players with strong low-post scoring ability.
Did you know: Junior guard Reilly Revord finished 30th at the Class 3A cross country state final on Nov. 5, just five spots from being all-state. Her conditioning will be especially useful as Hinsdale Central plans to push the ball offensively and play a lot of full-court defense. “You don’t see that combination (cross country and basketball) often,” McKenna said.
Lyons
Coach: Paul Krick
2015-16 record: 20-8 (9-3 West Suburban Silver), lost to Whitney Young in Class 4A sectional semifinal
Backcourt: Coach Paul Krick expects the Lions to have a balanced offense this season. “Because everything revolves around the team concept, taking care of the basketball and shot selection (is important) to be an efficient offensive team,” Krick said. The offense will run through junior point guard Kaelan Lee and junior shooting guard Sidney Bugaieski, who Krick said will be counted on for scoring.
Frontcourt: Lyons will have good size down low that will make up for the loss of leading scorer Frannie Corrigan, now at Illinois State. That group will be led by 6-foot junior forward Emma Fink, 5-10 senior forward Claire Purcell and 5-11 freshman Lily Courier. Said Purcell: “We have nine new players and six returnees, but only three of them are seniors, so I think that leadership is going to come from the seniors, but it’s also going to come from our juniors.”
Did you know: Krick handed out full-sized clocks with the Lyons logo to each player at an early practice. Instead of timing digits, the clocks use letters to say, “Our time is now.” Krick explained his reasoning: “One of the things we’ve talked about is all opportunity has a shelf life. You can’t get time back.”
Oak Park-River Forest
Coach: J.P. Coughlin
Record: 16-15 (9-3 West Suburban Silver), lost to New Trier in Class 4A regional final
Backcourt: Senior point guard Molly Cullinane — 8.7 points, 3.4 assists and 3 steals per game in 2015-16 — is the top returning guard for the Huskies. “Her toughness (is her biggest strength),” coach J.P. Coughlin said. “She’s the smallest person on the court. She just competes, she loves basketball, she’s relentless.” Junior Joi Holman will also start at guard.
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Frontcourt: Senior forward Blair Ripley is OPRF’s top returning scorer (13.6 per game), rebounder (10.1) and shot-blocker (2.4) from last season. “Tremendous defender, really improved outside shot,” Coughlin said. “One of the best leaders I’ve ever coached. For her, everything is about the team and what is best for her teammates.” Junior forward Amaya Coleman will also be in the starting lineup. OPRF’s final starting spot will be filled by different players depending on matchup.
Did you know: The Huskies often use yoga as a way to improve physically. Coughlin said he’s had his players doing yoga for nearly a decade. “It’s often our cool down at the end of practice,” he said. “It’s good for trying to strengthen their cores.”
York
Coach: Maggie Ely
2015-16 record: 14-12 (5-7 West Suburban Silver), lost to St. Charles North in 4A regional semifinal
Backcourt: Senior guard Jaclyn Saco and junior guard Madison Park have set the tone defensively in practice, coach Maggie Ely said. Junior guard/forward Caylin Rufus, at 6-foot, returns as a varsity player and will contribute to the offense.
Frontcourt: Junior forward Danielle Dennis and sophomore Kathleen Levins return as primary scorers for the Dukes. Ely said she was excited to see her team develop offensively. “We have a healthy mix of upperclassmen that have very different styles of play on the offensive end of the court,” she said.
Did you know: This is Ely’s first season as the coach of the Dukes after a successful career at the University of Chicago, where she played guard.
Jakub Rudnik, Gregg Voss and Chris Vavra are freelance reporters for Pioneer Press.
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