WW South's turning heads
Not even Rob Kroehnke saw this coming.
Yes, Wheaton Warrenville South's girls basketball coach figured to see an improvement on last year's 6-win finish, what with the core of that team returning.
But a 15-5 record and a spot in the thick of the DuPage Valley Conference race has surpassed even Kroehnke's expectations.
"It's been a great ride," Kroehnke said. "The girls have all got a little better. Last year we were playing with teams; we just could not finish. That's something we've talked a lot about."
Two of WW South's losses are to unbeaten state-ranked Geneva and Rockford Boylan. The Tigers are 9-1 since that Geneva game, and on Saturday avenged an earlier loss to Naperville Central. The Redhawks were undefeated at the time of the first meeting.
WW South has complemented its always stingy matchup zone defense with an improved offense this winter. The Tigers are averaging 45 points (up from 40 a year ago), shooting 38 percent as a team (up from 32) and have trimmed their turnovers per game from 17 to 13.
It's a team without stars, but a lot of balance. Annie Shain averages 9.4 points, followed by Caitlin Schwark (7.4), Heidi Ansiel (7.0), Destiny Neal (5.8) and Katie Ottolin (5.0). Ottolin, a member of a nice senior core, is averaging a team-leading 5.8 rebounds per contest.
"We're doing all the little things," Kroehnke said, "and really coming together as a team."
WW South, which could get as high as a No. 4 seed in sectional voting this week, has a busy schedule ahead. The Tigers play eight games over the next three weeks, including two games with Wheaton North that could decide the DVC title.
Wheaton North is currently a game ahead of WW South and Naperville Central. The crosstown rivals meet Saturday at WW South and Feb. 12 at Wheaton North in the first game of a boys/girls doubleheader.
"You don't want to look ahead," Kroehnke said, "but it would be a lot of fun if the conference title was riding on that game."
Miami is nice: Wheaton Central alum Katie Meier and the Miami Hurricanes shook up the college basketball landscape this past week. Miami beat Maryland 80-77 last Friday, snapping the Terrapins' 48-game home winning streak.
Meier led Wheaton Central to a Class AA state runner-up finish in 1985, then went on to an All-American career at Duke. She is in her fifth season at Miami.
Can Hilltoppers get over hump? Glenbard West has a big weekend ahead, hosting Hinsdale Central on Friday before traveling to West Suburban Silver leader Proviso West Saturday.
Not an easy proposition for the 13-8 Hilltoppers.
Glenbard West took a three-game winning streak into last Saturday's Pack the Place Night in Glen Ellyn, only to lose to Oak Park 52-38. The Hilltoppers lost to both Hinsdale Central and Proviso West by double digits during a rough stretch in December when Abby Hastings was out with a concussion.
"The last couple of years we've had a lot of big games," Hilltoppers coach Mike Hofland said, "and we haven't been able to respond. We count that Oak Park game as a big game and we laid an egg.
"The theme today in practice was 'getting over that hump.' That is definitely what Friday will be. A game where we need to compete and play up to our potential."
It's not an ideal time for injuries, but junior forward Cayla Herbst has a pinkie injury that could be a break. She couldn't go in practice Monday but Hofland said "she's a tough kid. If at all possible, she'll play."
Two for the record books: Seniors Taylor Reaber and Abbey White both passed the 1,000-point plateau for their respective careers this past week.
Reaber, who played her first three years at Driscoll and is now the leading scorer for Immaculate Conception, scored her 1,000th point in a win over Chicago Christian last Friday. Glenbard West guard White did the same last Monday in a win over Neuqua Valley. White is the second Hilltopper to score 1,000 career points in Hofland's seven years at Glenbard West. The first, Kelly Krumwiede, was on hand in Glen Ellyn to present White an award for her achievement.
Coincidentally, both Reaber and White are committed to play next year for Illinois Wesleyan, ranked No. 1 in Division III.