Scouting Cary-Grove boys basketball
Cary-Grove Trojans
Coach: Ralph Schuetzle (eighth season, 109-92)
Last year: 12-16, 4-6, tied for fourth in the Valley Division of the Fox Valley Conference; lost 44-27 to Huntley in a Class 4A Prairie Ridge regional semifinal
Top Players: Seniors Ryan Arquette (6-2, F), Jake Bianchi (5-1, G), Ben Bradshaw (6-3, F), Zach Taylor (6-2, F),
Scouting report: Time in the weight room could make Elroy Fitzgerald Gymnasium a tough room for Cary-Grove’s opponents this season. “I think we’ve got some solid players who have gotten a lot better because they’ve played a lot of AAU basketball and they’ve really hit the weight room,” Trojans coach Ralph Schuetzle said. “I’ve seen a lot of individual skill improvement. Guys have really gotten better.” Two such players are forward Ben Bradshaw and point guard Jake Bianchi. Bradshaw plays much bigger than his 6-foot-3½ frame. He is crafty, able to score on jump hooks or other shots if outsized. Bianchi has Nick Richter’s big shoes to fill at point guard. Schuetzle said the 5-9 senior had a great summer after gaining some playing time late last season. Zach Taylor’s shot has apparently improved enough “that people will have to guard him,” his coach said. Ryan Arquette was the leading scorer for this senior class when they were freshmen and sophomores. The Trojans will need his point production this season. Camporese is a quick point guard who will see minutes. The 6-6 Crowley could give the Trojans a strong inside presence alongside Bradshaw if he continues to develop. The Trojans held opponents to an average of 48.7 points per game but totaled only 43.9 ppg themselves. “I hope we can score better,” Schuetzle said. “We’ll just have to play our tempo and keep games close. We don’t have superstars but we have some kids who play well and play hard and are pretty smart. We’ll have to out-frustrate them and outplay them. We have five seniors who didn’t get a lot of playing time as juniors, but they know the program and are playing more maturely. I’m hoping this group can get it done. I think we can be in the upper part of the conference ”