Scouting Hinsdale Central girls basketball

Hinsdale Central

Coach: Tom McKenna.

Last year: 3-26 overall, 2-10 (sixth) in the West Suburban Silver; lost to Downers Grove North 58-48 in the Class 4A East Aurora regional quarterfinal.

Top players: Mary Byrne, sr., C; Lauren Pavich, sr., G; Madison Grace, sr., C; Lilly Sarros, jr., F; Maddie Roglich, so., G; Jenna Broz, so., C; Gabrielle Rush, fr., G; Sydney Griffin, fr., G.

Scouting report: With a full off-season to work with second-year coach McKenna, the Red Devils are hoping for a quick turnaround. Seniors Byrne, Pavich and Grace return along with Sarros, but a good amount of Hinsdale Central’s optimism stems from the arrival of a pair of freshmen expected to make an immediate impact. Griffin is a transfer who will miss the first few games with an injury, but point guard Rush is billed as a smart player and good passer. She scored 29 points in her high school debut Tuesday, a 63-56 upset of Naperville Central. “She’s the real deal,” McKenna said. The key will be blending the freshmen in with that group of returning upperclassmen. Considering Hinsdale Central’s struggles last year, the goal is just to climb above .500. “I’m really optimistic,” McKenna said. “We have some good young players.”