Scouting Glenbard West girls basketball
Glenbard West
Coach: Mike Hofland.
Last year: 14-14 overall, 8-4 (third) in the West Suburban Silver; lost to Wheaton North 49-31 in the Class 4A Glenbard West regional semifinal.
Top players: Claire Riley, sr., PG; Becca Folan, sr., F; Ellen Nighbor, jr., C; Natalie Noland, jr., G; Sarah Lindquist, sr, G; Abby Keirnan, jr., G; Caitlin Soane, jr., F; Tracy Flood, jr., G.
Scouting report: How athletic is Soane? The 6-foot-3 junior, brought up to varsity for the playoffs last year, announced her arrival by grabbing the rim in warmups. "That was my eye-opener," Hofland said. Soane, a soccer player pre-high school, leads a junior class that went undefeated in the Silver and won 24 games for Glenbard West's sophomore team last year with three sophomores playing varsity. Riley, the lone returning starter, will run the show. Offensive rebounding should be a strength with the likes of 5-11 Folan and 6-foot Nighbor. Hofland is emphasizing more motion offensively than in the past to spread the floor and take advantage of skilled posts like Soane who can shoot. He likes how this team communicates defensively, but they can get better. "This group is very athletic," Hofland said.