Two stars share several similarities

At first glance, it would appear that Kelsey Smith and Taylor Whitley share very little in common on the basketball court.

Smith is a 6-foot, 4-inch center that attends St. Charles North and can dominate a game in the paint, while the 5-8 Whitley is a sharpshooting guard who plays for Geneva and can take over a game from her backcourt position.

However, the two longtime friends indeed share many attributes.

They're both equally passionate about the game, they're both coming off of highly successful club seasons, and they're both juniors chomping at the bit to begin the 2007-08 high school girls basketball campaign after their respective teams each suffered 4-point defeats in the Class AA regional finals some 9 months ago.

"We did some pretty good things last year," said Smith, whose team fell a game shy from capturing its first regional title after a 34-30 loss to Maine West last February. "We've got just about everybody back so we're looking to do even bigger, better things this year."

Meanwhile, Geneva won the inaugural Western Sun Conference title with an unblemished mark, extended its conference winning streak to 24 games and earned the No. 1 seed in the Glenbard West sectional before being knocked off by Rosary (47-43) in the regional finals.

"It's extra motivation because losing in the regional finals was kind of tough," said Whitley. "We're hoping to do better this season."

After averaging 19.6 points per game (21-point average in conference play) and topping the 30-point mark on 3 separate occasions last season, Whitley nevertheless heads into her third varsity campaign with an opportunity to be an even better player after leading the Vikings to an amazing 2-year record of 51-7.

"I worked a lot on my own over the summer," said Whitley, whose Lady Lightning club team won a Blue-Chip tournament held in North Carolina. "I really worked hard on my outside shot because I felt it was the part of the game that needed the most work."

After just one week of preseason practice, Vikings coach Gina Nolan has already seen a different side from her talented point guard.

"She's much more vocal in practice," said Nolan. "And on the offensive end, she looks very confident. I see her wanting the ball and wanting to take the shot. In her younger years, there were times when she'd pass up shots."

Nobody can question Whitley's work ethic.

"The most admirable part about her is that she's never satisfied with what she has done in the past," said Nolan.

It's another attribute shared by Smith.

"She works hard on her game," North Stars coach Katie Sauber said of Smith, who averaged 15 points and 9 rebounds per contest last season and led her Illinois Hustle club team to a ninth-place finish in last summer's AAU Nationals held in Orlando.

"I could tell from her first day of practice last Friday that she's ready to go. Her footwork is so much better and she's all over the court. I really see her being a leader."

"I've worked hard on my post moves as well as my outside game," said Smith. "I'd like to hit the mid-range jump shot more consistently."

While Whitley will have four new starters playing alongside her for Geneva, Smith will be surrounded with familiar faces as St. Charles North lost just one player to graduation in 2006-07.

"We're not going to sneak up on anyone," said Sauber. "With Kelsey back, I think there's more pressure on the rest of the team."

The North Stars also have a beefed-up schedule that includes holiday tournament appearances at Whitney Young and Dundee-Crown.

"We've never seen that type of competition before," said Sauber. "It's a big accomplishment just to be on the court with those teams."

It's also a huge thrill to coach big-time players like Smith and Whitley.

"I count my blessings every day," said Sauber. "Coaches can go their entire careers without having a player like Kelsey around."

"I feel very lucky," added Nolan. "I've known her (Taylor) since she was a grade-school student attending our summer camps with her older sister (Katy). A player with her ability doesn't come along very often."

Smith and Whitley have remained friends since being paired on the Lady Lightning team as seventh- and eighth-graders.

"Every winter, we've gone together to watch the Dundee-Crown tournament," said Whitley. "With St. Charles North now playing in it, I guess I'll be on my own this winter."