Scouting Elgin Maroons

Elgin Maroons

Coach Dr. Nick Bumbales (1st year)

Conference Upstate Eight

Last year 6-19 (3-7 UEC)

Top returners Seniors Abbey Houde (5-5 G), Brandi Hernandez (5-4 G), Danielle Lawry (6-1 C), Evelyn Boje (5-8 F/C), Katie Quick (5-8 F), Alex Haugan (5-5 G); sophomore Porsche Griggs (5-11 F)

Top newcomers Juniors Briana Hamilton (6-1 C), Anna Edwards (5-11 C), Jessica Williams (5-9 G/F)

Outlook "We're coming along," said Bumbales, the longtime team physician at Elgin High and a basketball fixture at Chesbrough Field House who took over the program in October when Angie Hudson stepped down after four seasons. "We're spending a lot of time on fundamentals and defense. I feel that's the crux of any good program and that's what we're working on. We're making progress and we're trying to find ourselves." Bumbales has some experience back in point guard Hernandez, who recently signed to play softball at Miami of Ohio. She averaged 6 points per game last season and has catlike quickness. Houde, Lawry, Boje and Quick all saw significant varsity time last season and give the Maroons a good nucleus to work with. There's also plenty of depth as Elgin is rostering 20 players and the program itself has nearly 50 girls out this year. "I expect for us to go out and compete every night," Bumbales said. "I'm focusing on things I know have made teams successful in the past. I'm big on fundamentals and playing defense." The Maroons have a tough schedule that includes only six home games and participation in the tough Geneva Thanksgiving tournament and the Wheaton North Christmas tournament. "There's a tough challenge ahead of us, but we're going to get better and by the end people aren't going to want to play us," Bumbales said.