Scouting Naperville Central girls basketball

Naperville Central

Coach: Andy Nussbaum.

Last year: 24-9 overall, 12-2 (tied for first) in the DuPage Valley Conference; lost to Bolingbrook 67-43 in the Class 4A Romeoville sectional semifinal.

Top players: Emma Donahue, sr., C; Victoria Trowbridge, jr., F; Jill D’Amico, sr., G; Jamie Cuny, jr., F; Shannon Ryan, so., G; Melissa Niggins, so., F; Sarah Lang, sr., G; Morgan Andreoni, sr., G; Laura Dierking, jr., F; Juliet Tassi, jr., G.

Scouting report: This could be the biggest team Nussbaum has had in his 24th year coaching the Redhawks, and it starts with Donahue. The 6-foot-3 Drake recruit and two-time All-Area selection averaged 11.9 points and 9.5 rebounds last year and is one of four returning starters. Graduated point guard Emma Ondik is a big loss, but soccer star D’Amico’s decision to stick with basketball stabilizes the backcourt. Trowbridge, at 6-2 always a hard worker, showed significant growth last year and the 6-foot Cuny shoots it well for her size. Ryan, who played some as a freshman, takes over at the point. “You don’t replace someone like Ondik,” Nussbaum said, “but where maybe these kids weren’t ready to play without Emma last year I think now they are ready to show how far she’s taken them.”