Scouting Neuqua Valley girls basketball

Neuqua Valley

Coach: Mike Williams.

Last year: 20-8 overall, 9-5 (third) in the Upstate Eight Conference Valley Division; lost to Naperville Central 46-41 in the Class 4A East Aurora regional final.

Top players: Megan Doody, sr., G; Amber Smith, sr., F; Malia Smith, so., G; Niki Lazar, so., G; Najee Smith, so., F; Lauren Deveikis, so., G; Brenna Dunckel, so., C; Allison Hedrick, jr., F.

Scouting report: Williams knows "we're not going to sneak up on anybody" after a bounce-back 2010-11 season, and that's OK by him. The bulk of the Wildcats return a year older, stronger and wiser. Few teams exert as much pressure defensively and on the boards as Neuqua. The offense is centered around Doody, committed to St. Norbert College, who averaged 13.8 points a game with 59 3-pointers as a junior. Williams expects her load to lighten. "The monkey is off her back," he said. "She will not have to take all the 3-point shots." Hedrick, a quiet force, has grown by leaps and bounds. Williams said the jump for all his returning sophomores has been substantial. The young Wildcats will be showcased at the McDonald's Shootout against Fenwick. "Last year was a catalyst for the next couple years," Williams said. "They really want to seize the moment."