Scouting Conant boys basketball

Conant

Coach: Tom McCormack (26th year, 414-274; 27th year overall, 433-281)

Last year: 15-12, 6-4 (second in West)

Key losses: Christian Sotos (all-area G, 12.9 ppg, 42 3s, Carroll College), Taylor Peterson (F, 9.3 ppg, Wisconsin-River Falls), Garett Gatz (G, 10.2 ppg, 55 3s, Harper), Andrew Spangler (F, 6.2 ppg), Nate Rummel (C, 4.4 ppg), Kevin Chua (G), Kevin Reddington (G)

Top returnees: Seniors Brian Wadsworth (6-4, C, 2.5 ppg), Dylan Bartuch (6-0, G), London Dokubo (5-10, G), Avery Osby (6-6, C), Kyle Lee (6-2, F-C), Joey Pontarelli (6-2, G-F)

Newcomers: Senior Kenny Kalish (6-5, C); juniors Sean Burke (6-3, F), Josh Copher (5-9, G)

Outlook: Losing last year's starting lineup hardly means all is lost for a program that has finished below .500 just once since 1988-89. “It will be typical of what we do,” McCormack said. “We'll be able to play the way we like to play and we'll be able to put pressure on teams.” Dokubo will do that at the point with and without the ball. “He's an absolute rocket and strong,” McCormack said of one of the MSL's most dangerous return threats in football. “He's probably one of the better defenders we've had and that's a mouthful for me to say.” Wadsworth is smart and a good defender, rebounder and passer. Bartuch is a good shooter, Osby's game has improved and Lee will provide tough defense and a lot of hustle plays. Pontarelli, Burke and Copher, a backup point guard who has progressed a lot in two years, figure prominently. Kalish, one of the area's top offensive linemen, is out for the first time. “We don't have a lot of playing experience but it's a program-experienced group,” McCormack said. “We have a lot of good, solid role players and it will be very difficult for anybody to take away one player from us offensively.”