Scouting Grayslake North girls basketball
GRAYSLAKE NORTH
COACH: Jim Sarver (fifth season)
LAST SEASON: 12-17, 4-8 in Fox Valley Fox
LOSSES: F Lauren Erickson (LakeForest College), C Kinsey Siler (moved out of state)
RETURNEES: Jr. G Katie McGrath, Sr. F Brianna Leon, Jr. F Brooke Sauer, Sr. G Kaitlyn Woodward, Jr. G Allie Ceglarek, Jr. G Sara Steinhoff, Sr. G Katie Detweiler
NEWCOMERS: So. G Jordyn Bowen, Jr. G Ashley Bowen, So. F Shyanne Ludwick, Fr. G Kendall Detweiler, Jr. C Christina Freese
OUTLOOK: The Knights lost only two players off last season's squad, which posted double-digit wins for the first time in the program's young history, but the losses were big. Lauren Erickson, a three-year varsity player, graduated as the Knights' all-time leading scorer and rebounder. Kinsey Siler, a 5-foot-11 all-area center who averaged 15.1 points and 6.2 rebounds per game as a sophomore last season, moved to the state of Indiana.
"We lost 800 points," coach Jim Sarver said. "Now somebody else has to (score and rebound), and I don't want one person to do it. I want lots of people to do it. We have to believe that we can do that." The Knights don't have a veteran low-post presence because of the losses of Erickson and Siler, but they do have some returning athletic players as well as some new ones, as well as 6-1 junior and varsity newcomer Christina Freese.
Juniors Katie McGrath and Brooke Sauer have been on varsity since they were freshman, while senior Brianna Leon is also playing her third varsity season. McGrath was an all-area soccer player last spring and an all-area volleyball player in the fall. Leon, Katie Detweiler and Kaitlyn Woodward are the only seniors on the team. "We got to make sure that we have leaders," Sarver said. The Knights will try to play up-tempo again and Sarver believes he has the athletes to play the style. Freshman Kendall Detweiler and sophomore Jordyn Bowen are both just 5-3, but quick and athletic.
Jordyn's sister Ashley is a junior guard who's also new to varsity. They're the daughters of Carmel boys basketball coach Tim Bowen. Both Kendall Detweiler and Jordyn Bowen impressed Sarver in the Knights' season-opening loss to Carmel in the Mundelein's Thanksgiving tournament on Monday. "The little freshman (Detweiler), as you saw when she went to the basket, she's quicker than anybody else on the floor," Sarver said. "Jordyn Bowen (7 points) gave us a huge lift."