Wauconda grows with Luetschwager

With the hiring of Scott Luetschwager as its new head coach, Wauconda's boys basketball team has experienced a significant growth spurt.

At 6 feet 10, the 240-pound Luetschwager (Lit-schwager) stands more than a foot taller than former coach Rich Wolf, who resigned this summer after nine seasons to become a dean of students at Maine West.

Luetschwager, 29, coached Wauconda's sophomores last season. He coached on the freshman level before that and will be going into his seventh year as a math teacher at Wauconda.

He doesn't have to do the math to know he's significantly taller than the man he's replacing on the Bulldogs' bench.

"During a practice last year we were making fun of Gibson (Gaite) for being so small," Luetschwager said of the 5-8 Gaite, who was the team's senior point guard last season. "Coach Wolf was guarding Gibson and we were like, 'Wow, Gibson is actually taller than Coach Wolf.' "

"Not a chance," refuted Wolf, who says he's 5-8 or 5-9.

Where Luetschwager would like to see Wauconda show significant growth is on the court.

And it could happen in the 2009-10 season.

The Bulldogs are coming off a 3-25 campaign but graduated only one senior starter in Gaite. The expected returners include a pair of talented incoming seniors in 6-3 shooter Matt Stonis and 6-4 forward Eric Hartnett, who had 19 points and 13 rebounds in the Bulldogs' state tournament loss to Richmond-Burton.

"I've coached all these kids before and I'm excited to see them grow," Luetschwager said. "I like this group of seniors. I'll look for a lot of senior leadership from them. I think it's going to be a fun group. Last year we were very young and inexperienced. Now we got a group with a lot of returning players and a lot of experience, and we'll get to sprinkle in some juniors, as well."

Luetschwager played three seasons of high school basketball at Wausau West in central Wisconsin, graduating in 1998, before going on to play four years as a center for Trinity International University in Deerfield.

For Wauconda, he figures to run similar offense and defense that Wolf ran.

"I'd like to see us improve defensively," Luetschwager said. "I'd like to see us improve our attitude a little bit."

Wolf is confident Luetschwager is the right man for the job.

"I've definitely seen Scottie grow as a coach," said Wolf, who'll no longer be coaching himself, other than his three young children. "Like all of us, you've got to have a starting point. Hopefully I did a good job as a mentor as far as preparing him to be a varsity coach. He's good with the kids and he'll do a good job. This is a good thing for Scottie."