Scouting Streamwood Sabres
Streamwood Sabres
Coach: George Rosner (31st year coaching, 349-464; 307 wins at Streamwood)
Conference: Upstate Eight River
2010-11 record: 22-6 (10-2 UEC River)
Top returning players: Amanda Patterson (Sr. 5-4 G), Deja Moore (Jr. 5-7 G/F), Jessica Cerda (Jr. 5-9 G), Kelly Drawl (Sr. 5-9 F/C), Jessica Mitchell (Sr. 6-2 C).
Top newcomers: Hannah McGlone (So. 6-0 C), Holly Foret (So. 5-9 G/F).
Outlook: Two gaping holes to fill usually leaves a coach cautious. Not Rosner, the dean of area girls basketball coaches who will retire from teaching at the end of the school year but would like to return to coach both boys golf and girls basketball next year. "We lost two people you can't replace," said Rosner of graduated all-area standouts Emma Schmidt and Michelle Tomczak. "But we have three starters back with a ton of experience and McGlone played a lot last year after we brought her up." The Sabres' offense will start with all-area returnee Patterson, a 3-year starter and at point guard, who led the area last year with 4.4 assists per game as well as scoring 7.3 ppg. "Each year she's gotten better and she'll show even more leadership this year," Rosner said. Cerda, who played last year fresh off ACL surgery, hit 47 3-pointers and averaged 8 points per game. "She's much improved," Rosner said. And Moore, who averaged 7.2 points and 4.5 rebounds last year, is a nightmare for opposing coaches on both ends of the floor. "She's excellent on both ends," Rosner said, "she's just very intense." Rosner says Foret can run the floor well and shoot well, and that his team has the depth needed to challenge again for the UEC River title and possibly more. "I know coaches say this a lot but we have 12 people and all 12 can play," Rosner said. "It's a nice group and they're working hard. This could be the fastest group I've ever put on the floor." Fast or not, Rosner still looks for his team to be disciplined. "We have to run a half-court offense and have the discipline to move the ball and get a lot of touches," he said. "And we have to focus on rebounding. If we don't rebound we're going to have a problem."