Lake Zurich girls basketball season preview

Lake Zurich Bears

2014-15 record (13-16)
Coach: Chris Bennett 
Key losses: Rachel Dawson, Megan Holbrook, Elly Daleske, Allison Trybula
Key returning players: Abby Pirron (Sr./G), Rachel Kuehr (Sr./G), Frankie Nasca (Sr./G), Vanessa DiVincenzo (Sr./G), Grace Kinsey (So./F/C), McKenna Zoebel (So./F/C)

 

 

The Bears, who return nine varsity players from a year ago, could be one of the area's sleeper teams.

 

Expect coach Chris Bennett to play an up-tempo style when the opportunity arises, as the Bears figure to be more guard-oriented than they were a season ago in part out of necessity.

 

Senior guards Frankie Nasca (5-3) and Vanessa DiVincenzo (5-2) may lack height, but their experience, awareness and keen passing skills should be a huge asset.

 

When the Bears want to add height at their guard spots, look for seasoned veteran seniors Abby Pirron (5-9) and Rachel Kuehr (5-6) to give Bennett ample options.

 

Despite the added emphasis on guard play, Lake Zurich has several talented post players. Among them are sophomores McKenna Zoebel (5-11) and Grace Kinsey (5-10), who both logged important, skill-building minutes at the varsity level a year ago.

 

Bennett noted during the summer that there could also be a few freshmen who make the varsity team.

 

"The key word is 'could,' " Bennett noted at the time.

 

Insight: "I think our division could be up for grabs this year," Kinsey said during the summer.

 

Lake Zurich returns players who proved a year ago they can impact the varsity game in a big way, and with an extra year under their collective belts, this could be a team that catches some off-guard.

 

Remember, this is a Bears team that took sectional qualifier Buffalo Grove (21-11 in 2014-15) to the wire in the playoffs last year, losing by just four points. They played fearless, confident basketball despite having a losing record and going through a few slumps, and gave NSC Lake champion Stevenson -- and Mundelein -- fits in stretches during the regular season. Defense will be the key, as Bennett thinks his team is in any game where they can hold the opposition under 40 points.

 

 

Mundelein girls basketball season preview

Mundelein Mustangs

2014-15 record (11-19)
Coach: Martin Pazanin (First year)
Key losses: Maggie Mahar, Maria DeVito, Maddie Zazas, Natalie Busscher
Key returning players: Amy Richards (Sr./G), Madison Davis (Sr./C/F), Kendall Wald (Jr./G)

After winning 20 games in 2013-14, the Mustangs struggled a year ago and had a setback despite returning the majority of its key players.

Gone is well-respected longtime coach Brian Evans, who led the Mustangs for 16 seasons and complied 400 wins, but decided to retire from coaching hoops to spend more time with his family.

Enter Martin Pazanin, a former Antioch grad who played boys basketball just over a decade ago here in Lake County. He used to coach at Illinois Valley Central, downstate near Peoria, before deciding to take the Mundelein job. He'll make his season debut tonight at the Mundelein Thanksgiving Holiday Tournament at 7:30 p.m.

Expect the Mustangs to use a pack-style man-to-man defense, which attempts to prevent teams from driving to the basket, and instead forces outside shots as often as possible.

Offensively, the Mustangs will rely heavily on Madison Davis, a skilled 6-foot center Pazanin would like to see handle the ball more, and may even use at the four-spot away from the basket at times due to her versatility and ability to attack the basket off the dribble --- as well as in the post.

"She's a matchup nightmare for teams," Pazanin said over the summer.

Also keep an eye on Amy Richards, a player Evans referred to a year ago as the "oil that keeps our team moving." She's an impact leader who's become more vocal, works hard and hustles on defense. She also has an extremely underrated first step when driving the lane, and her aggressiveness will be a huge factor if the Mustangs' offense hopes to thrive.

Junior Kendall Wald, meanwhile, can get hot in a hurry from beyond the arc. Look for Mundelein to be aggressive crashing the offensive glass looking for second-chance points, as this is a scrappy bunch that's looking to rebound from last season.

Insight: Expect the Mustangs to improve upon their 11-win season from a year ago, but how they'll fare is largely up to them, and how well they mesh with Pazanin's new style of play. There were moments during the summer when the Mustangs looked red-hot, but at times they also had some difficulty creating open shots. The NSC Lake will be tough, as usual.

-By Tim Froehlig