Local college basketball: Scouting DuPage County

Top teams: Wheaton, North Central.

Top players: Benedictine: Nate Green, G, sr.; Dario Jokic, G, jr.; College of DuPage: Yeremiah Crutcher, F, so.; DeAndre Dennis (Glenbard East), F, fr.; Jake Martin (West Chicago), F, fr.; Xavier Biles (Waubonsie Valley), G, fr.; Elmhurst: Zack Boyd, G, sr.; Mike McCurdy, G, sr.; James Robertson, G, jr.; North Central: Landon Gamble, F, so.; Derek Raridon (Neuqua Valley), G/F, so.; Kevin Gillespie, G, jr.; Wheaton: Tim McCrary, F, sr.; Spencer Schultze, F, sr.; Jeremy Pflederer, G, sr.

Outlook: Wheaton and North Central figure to wrestle with preseason coaches poll favorite Augustana for the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin championship this season. Wheaton brings back four starters from a team that went 18-8 a year ago, most notably two-time All-CCIW selection McCrary, who averaged 16.7 points and 9.4 rebounds per game. #147;He is such a versatile player,#148; coach Mike Schauer said. #147;There is nothing on the basketball court he doesn#146;t do well.#148; McCrary was named a preseason first-team all-american by D3Hoops.com, and the site also ranked the Thunder No. 25 in its preseason poll. North Central didn#146;t quite crack the top 25, but CCIW coaches actually picked the Cardinals to finish second in the conference this season #8211; one spot ahead of Wheaton. Coach Todd Raridon described the 6-foot-6 Gamble as #147;a true post player,#148; and he#146;ll be a focal point of the offense after averaging 14.1 ppg and 5.2 rpg last season. But North Central#146;s strength lies in its balanced offense #8211; the Cardinals are 2-0 so far this season and have five players scoring at least 9 ppg. #147;I don#146;t think you can shut down just one individual,#148; Todd Raridon said. Elmhurst struggled to a 3-11 record in CCIW play last season, and was picked seventh in the preseason coaches poll. The Bluejays are three years removed from an NCAA Tournament appearance, and will rely on the perimeter play of Boyd, McCurdy, Robertson and junior point guard D#146;Ante Foster. Benedictine is expected to challenge for the Northern Athletics Conference title after being picked second in the South Division in a preseason coaches poll. The Eagles won the South Division last season with a 13-3 record in league play, then won the conference tournament to advance to the NCAA Tournament. Green was an All-NAC selection a year ago, and is averaging 22.7 ppg for the 1-2 Eagles this season. He is one of two starters returning for Benedictine. Speaking of new starters, College of DuPage had to find five of them this season. Crutcher is the only returning player who saw significant minutes last year, and coach Don Klaas will rely heavily on a large group of freshmen. #147;It#146;s a whole new team,#148; said Klaas. All except Klaas, who enters his 34th year as the Chaparrals#146; head coach looking to build on his total of 813 career wins.

Key dates: Dec. 14 Elmhurst at Benedictine; Dec. 17 Benedictine at North Central; Dec. 21 Whitman and Wheaton; Jan. 7 Wheaton at Elmhurst, North Central at Augustana; Jan. 8 College of DuPage at Joliet; Jan. 14 North Central at Wheaton; Jan. 19 Aurora at Benedictine; Feb. 7 North Central at Illinois Wesleyan; Feb. 8 College of DuPage at Triton; Feb. 21 Augustana at Wheaton.

Women#146;s basketball season preview

Top teams: Wheaton, Benedictine.

Top players: Benedictine: Tracey Walsh, G, sr.; Michelle Gaede, G, so.; College of DuPage: Alexandria Capeles (Glenbard West), F, so.; Katrina Reyna, F, so.; Elmhurst: Meghan Merklein, G, sr.; Megan Ney (Glenbard North), C, sr.; North Central: Emily Collins (Waubonsie Valley), F, sr.; Helen Muleya, G, sr.; Wheaton: Laura Karsten, G, jr.; Lindsey Brenneman, G, sr.; Brooke Olson (Wheaton North), G, jr.

Outlook: Wheaton is off to an uneven start in its first full season under coach Kent Madsen, going 1-2 through three games after drawing preseason consideration for the D3Hoops.com Top 25. But the Thunder have been playing without all-everything guard Karsten #8211; a member of the Wheaton soccer team that advanced to the NCAA championship semifinals Saturday #8211; and relying on freshman Lauren Graham (Wheaton North) as a third scorer. #147;We look like we#146;re just trying to develop chemistry,#148; said Madsen, who described his transition from assistant coach to head coach as #147;pretty smooth.#148; Karsten was the CCIW#146;s Most Outstanding Player last season as Wheaton went 19-7 and finished second in the conference. #147;Laura is a very versatile player,#148; Madsen said. Elmhurst is looking to bounce back from a disheartening 10-15 campaign that saw the Bluejays struggle to fill the gap left by All-America and CCIW Player of the Year Lyndsie Long. Elmhurst was 18-9 in 2009-#146;10, and the Bluejays#146; 3-0 mark this season could be a sign that the program has recovered. #147;They#146;re moving the ball offensively really well,#148; coach Tethnie Carrillo said. #147;Last year we struggled with some other players picking up the scoring in tight moments.#148; This year, Elmhurst will look to Merklein and Ney #8211; the only two seniors on the roster #8211; in those tight moments. The 6-foot Ney is comfortable playing with her back to the basket or shooting from 15 feet out, and Merklein has been an offensive force, averaging 22.3 ppg this season. #147;Merklein is a player who has even elevated her game from last year,#148; Carrillo said. North Central was picked to finish seventh in the conference by CCIW coaches, and is coming off of an 8-17 season that included a 4-10 mark in league play. The Cardinals are 1-2 in 2011-#146;12, earning their first win of the season against Blackburn Friday. For Benedictine, first-year coach Kristen Gillespie inherits a team that rode a stingy defense to a 16-10 record last season. The Eagles#146; offense runs through Walsh, who is averaging 17.0 ppg as one of only two Eagles averaging double figures. Gaede is the other, emerging as the team#146;s leading 3-point threat in her second season. Benedictine was picked to finish second in the NAC South Division in a preseason coaches poll, behind last year#146;s South Division winner Dominican. College of DuPage is getting 16.3 ppg from Capeles, but has lost five consecutive games after starting the year 2-0. The Chaparrals have been beaten by an average of 26.8 ppg during that stretch.

Key dates: Nov. 29 Wisconsin-Stevens Point at Elmhurst; Dec. 20 Muskingum and Benedictine; Jan. 7 Wheaton at Elmhurst, Wisconsin Lutheran at Benedictine; Jan. 14 Triton at College of DuPage; Jan. 18 Carthage at Wheaton; Feb. 4 Augustana at North Central; Feb. 15 Benedictine at Dominican; Feb. 18 Elmhurst at Illinois Wesleyan; Feb. 22 Joliet at College of DuPage.