Scouting Rolling Meadows girls basketball
Rolling Meadows
Coach: Todd Hatfield (fourth year)
Last year: 19-12, 5-5
Graduated players: Maddie Conlin, Colleen Clark, Sara Shumaker
Returning players: Amanda Gunn (5-8 Sr. G), Jackie Kemph (5-6 So. G), Josie Suchecki (5-8 Sr. F), Ann Marie Lynch (5-8 Sr. G-F), Alexis Glasgow (5-10 So. G-F), Julie Unti (5-7 Sr. G), Emma Simonson (5-8 Sr. G-F), Jenny Vliet (6-1 So. F-G), Morgan Keller (6-0 Jr. C), Emma Simonson (5-8 Sr. G-F),
Newcomers: Melissa Whowell (5-8 Jr. G-F), Ashley Montanez (6-1 So. C), Jessica Laing (5-9 Jr. F), Katie Shewmon (5-11 So. F-C)
Scouting report: Mustangs fourth-year coach Todd Hatfield says the biggest goal this season is “staying healthy and staying focused.” Last year’s squad was plagued with the injury bug for the entire season and didn’t play a game with its starting five. “It never seemed to fail — as soon as one got healthy, another one dropped,” Hatfield said. Despite having a season with more than five different starting lineups, the Mustangs still managed to put together the best start in school history (9-0) along with the second most wins in school history (19). Without a home gym early this season (a new floor is expected to be ready in early January), the girls have practiced in multiple gyms before school, after school and late night. “There’s no hiding how huge of distraction this is, but there’s nothing we can do about it,” Hatfield said. “We have to rally together through this difficult time or else it has the potential of completely derailing the entire season.” The Mustangs return nine players, seven who started on numerous occasions. “It’s an interesting group because on paper, we’re still young but at the same time there’s a lot of varsity experience here as well.” Hatfield said. Four returners include senior captains Lynch, Gunn and Suchecki, who have a combined 11 years of varsity experience. “Those three, in particular, have seen it all. It’s been fun sharing this experience with them because we all walked into this together (four years ago).” Three-year varsity player Keller is back for her junior year with seniors Unti and Simonson. Keller will miss the first few weeks with a bruised femur in her right leg. The trio of all-area guard Kemph (10.7 ppg, 4.2 assists), Vliet (all-area special mention) and Glasgow return for their sophomore campaigns. “Our three sophs played a lot of hoops this offseason and have seen significant strides in their games,” Hatfield said.