Scouting Buffalo Grove Bison

Buffalo Grove Bison

Coach Ryan O'Connor (10th year, 149-100)

Last year 16-11, 6-4 (T3rd MSL East)

Key losses James Hurley (9.9 ppg, 38 3s), Dan Wichmann, Matt Newman, Andrew Cohler

Returning players Seniors Kevin Mulligan (5-11, G, All-Area, 12.4 ppg, 4 rpg, 2.7 apg), John Angotti (5-10, G, 4.7 ppg), Mike Cornely (6-2, F, 10 ppg), Matt Love (5-11, G); juniors Nick Prus (6-3, G, 4.4 ppg, 15 3s), Dan Recht (6-2, F), Kevin Tennenbaum (6-4, F-C)

Newcomers Juniors Jeff Zabrin (5-8, G), Connor Cheever (5-11, G), Brian Akialas (6-1, F), Steve Ellingsen (5-11, G), Tom Ricciardi (6-1, G); sophomore Sam Wacker (6-5, F-C)

Outlook The three-headed monster of Mulligan, Angotti and Cornely goes from leading a winning football season to trying to extend BG's run of winning seasons to six. "We have a lot of guys who can contribute and if we get everybody to step up and show up on game night I think we can be pretty good," O'Connor said. "We have to be consistent defensively. We can't give up easy points because we may have trouble scoring at times." Angotti is an excellent on-ball defender and Mulligan can use his strength to guard players outside and inside. "Those are two solid guards as good as there are around defensively," O'Connor said. Cornely will be counted on for inside scoring and rebounding and O'Connor is looking for inside help from Tennenbaum and Wacker. Prus started toward the end of last season and is a long-range threat with Cheever, Recht will do a lot of dirty work and Zabrin fits in the Mulligan-Angotti mold. "We may not have one guy put up huge numbers night in and night out," O'Connor said, "but all of these guys are capable of having good nights."