Lake Zurich and Grayslake Central look like the favorites in their respective conferences.
TOP 10 TEAMS
1. Lake Zurich (19-14): There’s no shortage of talent and experience among the Bears, who bring back their top nine players from last season and should contend for the North Suburban Conference title. Senior forward Avery Cooper (Creighton), senior guard Molly Friesen (Washington University) and junior guard/forward Leah Gilbertson are among the top returnees.
2. Libertyville (30-6): Sophomore guard Lily Fisher and 6-foot-2 senior center Madison Sears are back for the Wildcats, who won a Class 4A sectional title last season. The 6-1 Fisher is the younger sister of Maryland sophomore Emily Fisher. Senior guard Elinor Lindal also returns.
3. Grayslake Central (27-7): Senior guard/forward Madison Hoffmann (Green Bay) is a fourth-year starter and the headliner for the Rams, who have all five starters back after winning the Northern Lake County Conference title and a Class 3A sectional title. Hoffmann averaged 16.2 points, 6.5 rebounds and 3.7 assists. Also returning are senior forward Katelyn Marcelain, senior guard Annie Wolff, junior guard Mosey Drevline and sophomore guard/forward Peyton Hoffmann.
4. Stevenson (28-4): Senior guards Nisha Musunuri and Sydney Rosland return for the Patriots, who won the NSC title last season. Musunuri should get more shots after averaging 10.0 points and 3.5 rebounds.
5. Wauconda (19-8): The Bulldogs should be in the thick of the race for the Northern Lake County Conference title with several key players back. Senior guard/forward Grace Parker averaged 11.0 points and 1.7 steals last season. Senior forward Emma Wisniewski and junior guard Sarah Palmer also are among the top returnees.
6. Mundelein (15-17): Optimism is high among the Mustangs. Junior guard Casey Vyverman is attracting attention from colleges, sophomore guard Grace Dunigan made huge strides over the summer, and junior guard Madalyn Gardner is a solid defender.
7. Carmel (16-16): The Corsairs are one of the youngest teams in Lake County and might need time to find their stride. Junior guard Josie Hartman, sophomore guard Maliyah Mays, junior forward Maron Bowes and senior guard Mia Cordova are key returnees.
8. Lake Forest (15-15): Senior guard Lauren Richards, a fourth-year varsity player, is the cornerstone for the Scouts. Junior guard Charlie Axus, senior forward Ryan Rice and sophomore guard Annie Acello fill out a solid core.
9. Warren (18-9): The Blue Devils will have a different look with a new coach, Jen Swanson, and just five players back from last season. They will lean on senior post Kiki Wright for leadership, inside scoring and rebounding. Senior guards Anjelica Amezquita and Yasmin Lenzi will play significant minutes.
10. Waukegan (7-21): The Bulldogs, led by junior guard/forward Hadassah Brown, could surprise teams. Sophomore point guard Alliaya Cade gained some experience last season, senior guard Jassiah Jones returns after missing all of last season with a knee injury, and senior guard/forward Baakir Christian transferred from Zion-Benton.
25 PLAYERS TO WATCH
- Kaylee Anderson, Grant, senior, forward
- Hadassah Brown, Waukegan, junior, guard/forward
- Lily Capulong, Grant, senior, guard
- Baakir Christian, Waukegan, senior, guard/forward
- Avery Cooper, Lake Zurich, senior, forward
- Chloe Cooper, Deerfield, junior, guard
- Jada Dawkins, Zion-Benton, senior, guard
- Molly Friesen, Lake Zurich, senior, guard
- Lily Fisher, Libertyville, sophomore, guard
- Leah Gilbertson, Lake Zurich, junior, guard/forward
- Josie Hartman, Carmel, junior, guard
- Madison Hoffmann, Grayslake Central, senior, guard/forward
- Maliyah Mays, Carmel, sophomore, guard
- Nisha Musunuri, Stevenson, senior, guard
- Grace Parker, Wauconda, senior, guard/forward
- Heidi Rathmann, Antioch, junior, guard
- Maddie Reitmeyer, Highland Park, senior, forward
- Lauren Richards, Lake Forest, senior, guard
- Lucy Roscoe, Grayslake North, junior, guard
- Sydney Rosland, Stevenson, senior, guard
- Madison Sears, Libertyville, senior, center
- Keira Thomas, Vernon Hills, junior, guard
- Casey Vyverman, Mundelein, junior, guard
- Kiki Wright, Warren, senior, center
- Annie Wolff, Grayslake Central, senior, guard
Bobby Narang is a freelance reporter.
