Boys basketball: Scouting Hoffman Estates
Hoffman Estates
Coach: Luke Yanule (first year)
Last year: 6-20, 0-10 (6th MSL West)
Key losses: Matt Pahl (G, 8 ppg, 21 3s), Joey Havel (G, 2.8 ppg); senior Mark Roberts (G, 3.4 ppg)
Returning players: Seniors Austin Terry (6-2, all-area G, 13 ppg, 6.2 rpg, 31 3s), Eric Saubert (6-4, C, 5.2 ppg), Brian Cvitkovich (6-3, F, 2.3 ppg), Alex Bonds (5-10, G, 5.6 ppg), Sammy Wilks (5-8, G)
Newcomers: Senior Gulam Asfar (6-0, G); juniors Connor Schwarz (5-11, G), Eddie Duray (6-1, G), Neil Kolweier (6-1, G), Marcus Hatchett (5-9, G), Marcel Curry (6-3, F), Treyvon Genry (6-0, G), Takuro Azumaya (5-7, G), Joseph Biko (6-4, C), Darion Brown (6-3, F)
Outlook: It's a new era for one of the MSL's most successful programs as Yanule comes over from Schaumburg to replace the retired Bill Wandro. But there are also a lot of familiar faces back for the Hawks after just their second winless division finish in history. "They're hungry to be successful and coach (Schaumburg's Matt) Walsh always says experience is your best teacher," said Yanule, who brings 14 years of it as a high school assistant. "Part of that hunger starts from last season and that's more than understandable." And Yanule has seen that from his top returnee in Terry. "For us to be good we've told him, 'You need to defend at a level you've never defended before,'" Yanule said. "When a guy like Austin Terry works as hard as he did in the summer everything else falls into place." Terry and Bonds, who are the co-captains, have led the way with their work ethic and will also provide plenty of versatility on the court. Cvitkovich will provide the inside strength with Saubert out until late January or early February for surgery on a shoulder he injured in the final football game of the season. Asfar will also help provide depth with Schwarz, Duray, Kolweier and Hatchett. "In 14 years of coaching I've never had a team work harder than this group," Yanule said. "It's very refreshing to see. The kids are working very hard and they want to be successful."