Area teams on display at Shootout

This year's installment of the McDonald's Shootout has quite a local flavor.

Seven teams from DuPage County are among the field at the 22th annual McDonald's Shootout Jan. 13-16 at Willowbrook High School.

Highlighting that is a matchup between two-time defending Class 3A champion Montini and Chicago Public League power Whitney Young on Jan. 16. That game will be followed by Benet vs. Waubonsie Valley in a rematch of last year's sectional semifinal, then another marquee matchup between defending 4A champion Bolingbrook and Morgan Tuck vs. Niles West and star Jewell Loyd.

Host Willowbrook will play opening night Jan. 13 against St. Ignatius. On Jan. 14 Wheaton North will play Morgan Park, followed by Wheaton Warrenville South against New Trier. Saturday's finale pits Neuqua Valley against Fenwick.

Swift return to the court:

It seems Zoe Swift's slick moves aren't confined to the soccer field and basketball court.

Her latest maneuver should benefit Naperville North.

The Huskies junior told basketball coach Jacquie Discipio days before tryouts that she wasn't coming out for the team, choosing to focus on soccer and school work. Then, the night of the season opener, Swift came to Discipio to tell her she had a change of heart.

Swift sat out the next three games, then scored 8 points in her first game back last Saturday.

Her return reunites Shannon Bushman with a running mate in one of the area's better backcourts.

"Shannon was super-excited to have her back," Discipio said, "but it is tough coming into a team that's done preseason workouts without a kid and then she comes back. To Zoe's credit she's been here and done all the stuff in practice. She missed it."

Swift, who committed to Kentucky for soccer a month ago, said it was her dad's decision to keep her out of basketball. It is quite a juggling act this time of year.

Swift goes to basketball practice from 3:30 p.m.-5:30 p.m., goes home for dinner, then goes back to soccer practice from 7-9. Then it's back home for school work.

"It's challenging, but after a while you know how to balance things," Swift said. "My soccer coach said it's a good idea to play more than one sport so I don't get burned out."

Swift will miss Thursday's game against Wheaton North to attend a soccer tournament in Georgia, but Discipio hopes to have her back by the weekend.

"It's tougher to fold her into the team dynamic," Discipio said. "We've always had soccer players in the program, and sharing athletes is part of the territory. It's hard because I want them here."

The rich get richer:

Neuqua Valley already was loaded with good young talent.

The rich are even richer this year.

Junior guard Shay Robinson transferred in from Plainfield North last spring, and over the summer sophomore forward Kristen Moore and sophomore guard Amarah Coleman moved into District 204 from Plainfield North and Naperville North, respectively.

The kids can play, too.

Coleman, All-Tournament at York, scored 21 points in a win over Prospect and 11 against Wheaton North. Moore, a strong 6-foot post, scored 14 against Conant and Robinson had 8 points against York.

"They do fit in nicely to the puzzle and foundation that was already laid down," said Neuqua coach Mike Williams, who notched his 300th career win in the season opener. "It adds to our talent and our depth and lets us utilize our bench."

Williams played as many as five freshmen on last year's 20-8 team. Now he employs up to eight sophomores, which feeds perfectly into the frenzied style Neuqua likes to play.

"We tell our kids to go three hard minutes, and then we're going to rotate other kids in," Williams said. "We've always had that philosophy, even in some leaner years. This year we just happen to be feasting off of it."

Williams is perhaps most excited about junior forward Allison Hedrick, whom he calls the "bridge" between the younger kids and Neuqua's seniors.

Hedrick broke a bone in her foot playing in her cousin's driveway in Oregon in June and missed all of July observation time and August.

"You wouldn't be able to tell it," Williams said. "Allison's been remarkable."

Williford nears return:

Waubonsie Valley could get a welcome sight soon.

Senior point guard Becky Williford, who tore her ACL in the first game of summer ball last June, could be back on a limited basis when the Warriors travel to Naperville Central Saturday.

Williford has already been cleared, but Waubonsie is awaiting a knee brace due to arrive mid-week. Warriors coach Kim Connell wants Williford to get in at least one full practice before seeing game action. Williford does shoot in practice, goes to physical therapy twice a week and sees a personal trainer 3-4 times a week.

Waubonsie could use Williford.

The Warriors did go 4-0 at their War-Hawk Tournament, but it was a struggle. In two of the four games Waubonsie didn't break 40 points.

"We're struggling without a point guard. That's not a big secret," Connell said, "but I wouldn't say it's just not having Becky. I said before the season our worst enemy is going to be ourselves. It's our own lack of discipline at times, not being able to adjust. There hasn't been a team we've played so far better than us, but the easy part of our schedule is over. There's no easy games from here on out."

Bisso gives Tigers another option:

It's no secret that Wheaton Warrenville South opponents will game plan to stop Kasey Gassensmith and Meghan Waldron.

Sierra Bisso could cash in on that extra attention.

The Tigers junior guard, who missed all of last year with a torn ACL, is making up for lost time. Bisso averaged 10.4 points a game at the Schaumburg Tournament won by WW South, making a dozen 3-pointers at a nice 35 percent clip.

WW South coach Rob Kroehnke pointed out that in 2006-07, while opponents keyed in on Tigers star Keilani Moeaki, then Tigers guard Grace Delaney capitalized by setting school season and all-time records for 3-pointers made. This could be Bisso's time to shine.

"It's nice to have an outside threat," Kroehnke said.