Nosbisch beefs up ECC roster

Having concluded last year with a loss during the opening round of the playoffs, Elgin Community College men's basketball coach Reed Nosbisch put his team to the test in the off-season.

While returning athletes Chris Parks, John Placeres, Steve Bilisko and Nick Nohling were instructed to hit the weight room, Nosbisch carried his weight by adding local talent to this season's roster.

Back in the lineup, former Burlington Central standouts Parks (guard) and Nohling (forward) lead the team as captains. While Parks saw limited time last year, Nohling averaged roughly 2.5 points per game and expects to contribute much more in the upcoming weeks.

Bilisko returns to forward and currently leads the Spartan offense averaging 8 points per game, 3 rebounds per game and 2 assists per game. Placeres, who didn't log a ton of minutes last year, is back at guard and will look to be effective with more time on the court.

The foursome is joined by guards Chris Esterino (Larkin), Ryan Hayden (East Aurora), Eddie Gray Jr. (Plainfield Central), John Paden (Milwaukee Custer), Brett Manning (St. Edward), Tommy Krueger (Jacobs), Greg Sutton and Clem Bowens (South Elgin) and forwards Gustavo Herrera (Elgin), Derell Howse (Elgin), Kennen Knowles (Rockford Auburn), David Bernard (Dundee-Crown) and Tarnell Davis (Tech High School).

While the team is young and lacks experience, Nosbisch remains extremely optimistic, expecting athleticism to compensate for a lot.

"This group is very athletic," said Nosbisch. "Our ability to use that athleticism will play a crucial part in our success."

According to Nosbisch, Paden should give the Spartans an early push with his speed and his ability to get in the air. In two games, Paden has scored 13 points to lead ECC followed by Bilisko with 10 points.

"Our returnees are seeing some good minutes," Nosbisch said. "I'm hoping to see them push our rookies. The four we have back are excellent guys who have a great work ethic and are very good leaders."

Early goals are simple for the Spartans - improve every day and always play hard.

"We're making adjustments as we go," said Nosbisch. "We re-evaluate ourselves after each game, and we move forward."

Because of inexperience, Nosbisch expects mental preparations to be another key factor in team growth and success.

"We have 19 great guys here who all get along and always feed off one another," he said. "The plan is to play our game and not worry about anybody else."