Boys basketball: Scouting Wauconda
Coach: Scott Luetschwager, 3rd season
Last year: 8-21, 3-9 (NSC Prairie)
Last year’s tournament: Lost to Grayslake Central in the regional semifinals, 65-42.
Key players lost: G Tyler Gick, G Mike Lovelle, F Michael Obrochta
Key players returning: G Kyle Ryan, sr., F Matt Mead, sr., F Connor Rueb, sr., G Keith Blomberg, jr.
Top newcomers: G Austin Swenson, jr., G Kodey Thomas, jr., F Blake Wisniewski, jr.
Outlook: Basketball coaches usually don’t like to put too much stock in summer games. Many times, because their players have various conflicts, coaches don’t have their full teams together…and neither do their opponents. Wauconda coach Scott Luetschwager fully acknowledges that issue. But he is still eager to pin some of his hopes for this season on his team’s performance last summer. After an 8-win campaign last season, he and the Bulldogs are looking for positive signs wherever they can find them. “I am really looking forward to this team building off of what we did in the Mundelein Shootout over the summer,” Luetschwager said. “We beat everyone except for Waukegan in our pool, including Johnsburg, Carmel and Grant. I know (some) of the teams we played didn’t have their full team, but it was a big confidence boost for our kids. A lot of things came together for us in that tournament. There were times that weekend that the ball never touched the floor. It was two passes and a layup. If we can build off of that, it will be a fun year.” The Bulldogs are looking to keep the tempo revving behind the high-octane play of guards Kyle Ryan, Keith Blomberg and Austin Swenson. Ryan had 9 three-pointers in a game at the Mundelein Shootout last summer and Swenson was pulled up to varsity as a sophomore last year and has gotten better with every game. “I am looking forward to watching that trio,” Luetschwager said of Ryan Blomberg and Swenson. “It has been years since I have seen a group of kids work this well together. With only eight wins last year, this group is ready to get started and increase that total.”
Opener: Tuesday vs. Grayslake North at the Richmond-Burton tournament