Scouting Benet girls basketball

Benet

Coach: Peter Paul.

Last year: 24-7 overall, 7-2 (tied for second) in the East Suburban Catholic Conference; lost to Bolingbrook 64-44 in the Class 4A Romeoville sectional final.

Top players: Sidney Prasse, sr., G; Nicole Valentine, sr., F/G; Christen Prasse, jr., G; Taylor Valentine, sr., G; Madeline Eilers, sr., G; Lauren Malley, sr., C; Shannon Martin, sr., F; Emily Schramek, fr., F; Eden Olson, so., G.

Scouting report: Of this Paul knows these Redwings will score. It doesn't take his 27 years on the sidelines to grasp that. Benet scored more than 55 points a game last year and hit 194 3s with great guards, and that won't change. "I will rank our guards up against anybody," Paul said. St. Xavier recruit Sidney Prasse is the top gun, after leading the team with 11 points a game and 59 3s. Her "little" sister, 5-foot-10 Christen, will run the point, and Paul said she has made gigantic strides. "The better she is," he said, "the better we are going to be." Eilers is another guard who can get hot from the perimeter. Nicole Valentine is Benet's toughest defender and doesn't back down inside despite standing just 5-8. How the Redwings defend and rebound with just one 6-footer on the roster could ultimately decide if another long playoff run is in the cards. "We caught fire last year," Paul said, "and they bought into the system. It takes a while to learn."