Season preview: Round Lake

Round Lake

Coach: Howard Conkling (second season)

Last season: 8-20, 1-11 NSC Prairie

Key losses: G Chanae Brown, G Krystal Pitts (Knox College), G Sam Danguilan

Returning players: Sr. F Adriana Pitts, Sr. F Carmella Johnson, Sr. G Jackie Salgado, Sr. C Jocelyn Hernandez

Newcomers: Jr. F Morgan Evins, Jr. PG Bianca Mahoney, Jr. C Lisethe Velez, Jr. F Shawna Edens, Jr. C Kaylee Parlogen

Season opener: Harvard at Harvard tournament, 7:30 p.m. Thursday

Outlook: The Panthers’ gym is busy, as coach Howard Conkling’s roster stands at 18, a number that may or may not change. “We’re playing it by ear,” Conkling said. Unfortunately for the Panthers, they have only four seniors in guard Jackie Salgado, forwards Adriana Pitts and Carmella Johnson, and post Jocelyn Hernandez. “We have mostly juniors,” Conkling said. “We’re very inexperienced. We’re just going to hope to get better each game.” The Panthers graduated all-area guard Chanae Brown, a three-year varsity player who averaged 17.1 points per game as a senior, as well as guards Krystal Pitts and Sam Danguilan. “We lost some good seniors that took us a long way last year,” Conkling said. “Not necessarily with wins, but competitive-wise.”