Scouting Jacobs boys basketball

Jacobs Golden Eagles

Coach: Jim Hinkle (37th season, 520-500 overall, 437-372 at high school level)

Last year: 16-13, 7-3, second in Valley Division of the Fox Valley Conference; lost to Dundee-Crown 50-43 in a Class 4A Larkin regional semifinal

Top players: seniors Bradley Cleveland (5-8, G), Alex Glover (6-4, C), John Holbrook (5-10, G), Slobodan Mladenovic (5-10, G), juniors John Berndt (5-11, G), Nick Ledinski (6-3, F), Julian Lee (6-3, F), Patrick Nerja (5-9, G), Olamilekan “Lake” Ojo (6-3, F), Will Schwerdtmann (6-3, F),

Scouting report: The Golden Eagles will have a new look this season due to the graduation of all five starters from a team that challenged Huntley for the FVC Valley title last year. This team is expected to be led by senior John Holbrook, however, the point guard has missed the preseason due to an emergency appendectomy. He has been cleared to begin working out next week. “He’s our best ballhandler,” Jacobs coach Jim Hinkle said. “He’s definitely like our coach on the floor. He runs the game very well and those kinds of guys are in short supply. We’ve got some other guys who are names no one has heard of yet, but it’s their turn.” Bradley Cleveland will be the quickest guard on the floor most nights. Alex Glover gained experience in the low block last season and demonstrated a dependable scoring touch. Slobodan Mladenovic returns to the program after a year off. He’s a swing man and “crafty around the basket,” according to Hinkle. “I like him. He’s a good shooter. We’ll see what happens when the lights go on, but he’s been impressive so far.” Schwerdtmann gained some varsity minutes as a sophomore and is expected to be one of the team’s leading rebounders. Like Schwerdtmann, Ledinski is also 6-foot-3 and will fight for rebounds. Lake Ojo is “an instinctive player who sometimes does the right things by accident,” according to his coach. Patrick Nerja will back up Holbrook. Ryan Ross is a cross country runner who has a nice shooting touch. “It’s a nice combination of seniors and juniors,” Hinkle said. “We’re working real hard on the defensive end right now because we have to improve. And we have to cut down on our turnovers, though you never worry about turnovers too much because that will happen a lot when you play up tempo. I look for us to get better all around. It’s a long season.”