Scouting: Burlington Central

Burlington Central Rockets

Coach: Mark Smith (4th year, 79-17)

Conference: Big Northern East

2014-15 record: 25-4, 14-0

Top returning players: Kayla Ross (Sr., 5-7, G), Shelby Holt (5-9, Sr., G/F), Sam Pryor (Sr., 6-0, F), Becca Gerke (Sr., 6-0, F/C), Sam Cruz (Sr., 5-7, G), Kristina Ahlers (Jr., 5-6, G)

Top newcomers: Aly Ary (Jr., 5-6), Sydney Pryor (So., 5-6 G), Maddie Drescher (Jr., 5-7), Julia Barnes (So., 5-7), Chaise Mariccini (Jr., 5-8), Madison Hodgson (Jr., 6-1)

Season outlook: The Rockets come into the 2015-16 season with a chip on their shoulders after being upset by Sycamore in the regional finals last year. Ross (9.8 ppg, 3.1 apg, 3.1 spg), Holt (10.6 ppg, 59 3-pointers), Pryor (12.5 ppg, 6.5 rpg, 51 3-pointers) are three-year varsity starters while Gerke and Cruz have each seen significant varsity playing time the past two years and Ahlers was a call-up who got some good experience last season. One key for the Rockets will be replacing graduated All-Area co-captain Alison Colby in the middle but Smith believes Gerke, Pryor and Hodgson, who had 27 points in the season opener Tuesday, will collectively fill that role. "The five seniors have said individually and as a team that (the regional upset) isn't going to happen again," Smith said. "They're very focused. If there's a concern it would be depth and we'll have to stay healthy and out of foul trouble. With AAU ball they're used to playing six games a day so they're in good shape, we just need to stay healthy." Even though the Big Northern East isn't the greatest of competition - BC has won 38 straight league games - the nonconference schedule is tough again and includes the Dundee-Crown Christmas tournament, a home date against powerful Montini, another appearance in the McDonald's Shootout, and a late-season game against Geneva at the Kaneland Shootout. Coming into the season, Pryor had scored 1,025 career points, while Holt entered the season with 917 career points and Ross with 772.