Scouting Warren boys basketball

WARREN

Coach: Chuck Ramsey, 18th season

2009-2010 record: 14-11, 8-4 Lake

2009-2010 IHSA tournament results: Lost to Stevenson in regional semifinal, 49-44.

Key players lost: G Craig Burton, G Marquise Thomas, F Shahron Thomas, F Matt Dickinson

Key players returning: F Jeremiah Jackson, sr., G Tanner Erbach, sr., G Jameris Smith, jr., G Brandon Fergusen, sr., G Kendell Harris, sr., G JoVaughn Gaines, jr, G Jon Geske, jr., F Darius Paul jr., F Nathan Boothe, jr.

Top newcomers: F Roman Schultz, jr., G Mitch Munda, jr., G Jordan Duncan, jr., G Greg Robinson, jr., F Conner Bowcott, jr., F Darrick Ellis, jr.

Outlook: Warren returns plenty of veterans. But the fact that many of them aren’t seniors is a reminder of just how young the Blue Devils were last season. Warren counted heavily on five sophomores last year. “We were real streaky last year and I’m sure (the young roster) had a lot to do with it,” Warren coach Chuck Ramsey said. “Our first 13 games, we went 3-10. Then we won 11 in a row to tie for the (Lake) division. We had a nice run in those last six to seven weeks of the season as we got more experience. We then lost in the regional and we’re hoping that the kids are hungry this year to prove that they can go out and finish the job. We’re still a young team, but we’ve got experience and depth now.”…In fact, the Blue Devils have so much depth that, a week before the season, Ramsey isn’t sure who his starters will be. “Over the summer that was the case and it still hasn’t cleared itself up, in terms of who should start and get the most minutes,” Ramsey said. “Everything is so wide open with this group in terms of roles and starting spots and playing time. We don’t really have one go-to guy or anything like that. We’ve got a lot of guys who should be able to get the job done. We just have to find a way to put that into basketball terms and translate that into a rotation.”…Warren’s 15-player roster features just four seniors, but all four, led by Jeremiah Jackson and Tanner Erbach, should see plenty of minutes. Juniors Darius Paul and Nathan Boothe, siblings of two of Warren’s biggest basketball stars in schools history (Brandon Paul and Sarah Boothe) could emerge as team leaders after gently easing in last year as sophomores.

Opener: Vs. Lake Forest Academy at North Chicago, 5:30 p.m. Wednesday