Scouting Round Lake Panthers

Posted November 19, 2009 10:00 pm

By Patricia Babcock McGraw

Round Lake Panthers

Coach Howard Kravets (2nd season)

Last year 4-23, 3-9 NSC Prairie

Key players lost F Jeff Nicoline,

Key players returning F Jon Martinez, sr., G Juddon Carter, soph., F Jake Paulsen, jr., F Nick Lange, jr., G Tim Kelley, sr., F Bryan Cassidy, sr., G Nick Reiter, jr.

Outlook After a rough first season in which his team won only four games, second-year Round Lake coach Howard Kravets thinks his team could actually be pretty good this season. But the key word is "could." "Things are looking up right now, we've got a lot of positive things going on right now," said Kravets, citing an increase in numbers and the addition of some exciting transfers. "But we have a number of X-factors. I mean, you could really call us the X-Men. This season is going to depend a lot on how some of these X-factors pan out." One big X-factor is junior forward Jake Paulsen. Kravets knows exactly what he'll get out of Paulsen on the court, a gritty slasher and banger who has a knack for scoring and averaged a team-high 15 points per game last season. However, Paulsen has been hampered by a few off-court issues. In fact, he will start the season on a three-game suspension for an athletic code violation. "Jake had a rough fall, some personal things he had to work through," Kravets said. "But over the last month or so, he's really turned it around and he's doing great. If Jake can stay the course, he's going to have a really nice season." Chances are, Round Lake will, too. Kravets said that over the summer the Panthers were .500 with him in the lineup and just 2-13 without him. "He means a lot to us," Kravets said-Guard Juddon Carter could also be just as vital, but considering he is just a sophomore, he might be a bit of an X-factor, too. Ditto for 6-foot-4 newcomer Nick Lange, a junior who is one of the tallest players on the team. Meanwhile, only time will tell how a pair of transfers, Marquis Jones and Trevor Clippard, assimilate-Point guard Tim Kelley and forward Jon Martinez could help tie it all together. They started last year. "We are pretty young and inexperienced," Kravets said. "But we've got some good players who are working hard. We're feeling really positive."

Opener 7 p.m. Tuesday vs. Woodstock at Hoops for Healing tournament at Woodstock/Belvidere

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