Scouting St. Charles North North Stars

St. Charles North North Stars

Coach Colleen Brennan

Last year 20-9

Postseason Lost 41-37 in overtime to St. Charles East in Class 4A South Elgin regional final.

Key losses Kelsey Smith, Anna Conrad.

Top returnees Kiley Hackbarth (sr., G, 5-4); Jenna Bell (sr., F, 5-10); Dana Sibley (sr., F, 6-0); Sydney Russell (jr., G, 5-5); Tess Fischer (jr., G, 5-10)

Newcomers to watch Kate Booe (jr., F, 5-7); Megan Booe (so., G, 5-6); Lauren Pozna (jr., G/F, 5-8)

Outlook After spending the last seven years in South Carolina - six as a coach - this 1995 Wheaton Warrenville South graduate Brennan returns to Illinois. Brennan, who teaches special education, couldn't be happier to be at St. Charles North. She was able to get to know her team a little at the job interview, then in summer leagues and fall open gyms, but is really finding out what she has to work with in the past two weeks at practice. And she likes what she sees, a team that still has plenty of talent even after graduating four-year All-Area player Kelsey Smith to Michigan State. "We have a lot of talent on the team," Brennan said. Brennan's backcourt is in good hands with Hackbarth, who just committed to Rhode Island earlier this month. "She's a very talented kid who works hard," Brennan said. "It is very nice to have a skilled player like that who is always giving it 100 percent." With Bell and Sibley (a St. Xavier recruit) inside, the North Stars should still be able to have a strong post game while two sophomores who got limited minutes last year - Russell and Fischer - will take on a much bigger scoring load this winter on the wings. "Bell, I think is fabulous, she is just an athlete," Brennan said. "She is one of the quickest posts I've ever seen. Her ability to get to the open spot on the court and get there quickly is very fun to watch." Kate Booe provides depth off the bench as will her sister Megan, one of two sophomores brought up to varsity, but who is rehabilitating from an ACL injury but hopes to return during the season. Above all, Brennan wants to see an intelligent team in her first year. "I'm trying to teach them the savvy part of the game of basketball," Brennan said. "You see a weakness in defense and you play off it. I think we have potential to be extremely successful. We just need to continue progressing and working hard and put it all together."