What will next year's Highland women's basketball look like?

Photo courtesy of Highland Community College in Freeport, IL

Well, until it's confirmed, we're going to assume the Cougars will be with just Courtney Shiffer as one of the members of last year's Freeport 1,000-point club.

Which means the 2010 (weird typing that year out) Highland women's basketball team will have an exceptional frontcourt.

Mallory Magee, Renee Deuth and Shiffer could be on the floor all at the same time.

Not to mention, Taylor Gallentine from Prophetstown.

The question is, will they?

Magee was a solid defender last season in the post. Deuth can be strong on the defensive boards at times and Shiffer is versitile enough to play the 3 or the 4.

Personally, Magee would work better on offense as a small forward, as she can hit 3s. Shiffer can cut the basket, at least at the high school level, better and has some pretty decent post moves to draw fouls and score.

Both can play with their backs to the basket, but Magee (listed at 6-foot) has a better outside shot.

Deuth (listed at 6-foot, but closer to 5-10 can do a bit of both, but is better suited facing the basket for a 15-footer.

Then there's the Ashanti Walker. She's apparently a 6-footer (it's been published that she's anywhere from 5-foot-10 to 6-foot-1) and a legit center.

She'll likely play the 5, depending on her play. It's been two years since she's been on the floor as the former UIC prospect blew out her knee in 2006 and never really garnered playing time.

How much the South Holland native has lost since then will be interesting to see.

Could you imagine how tough it would be for teams to shoot on a line-up with four 6-footers (I'm using that term loosely)?

Alexi Tann is expected to return next season, but will have to improve as a true point guard. She still has ball-handling and vision issues that will need to be corrected in order for the Cougars to have a chance to repeat as Arrowhead Conference champs and make a return trip to Salina, Kansas.

Obviously, there's a big void to fill with everything Jackie Barton brought to Highland's backcourt.

Nicole Olsen played in spurts in 2009, but she's more of a complimentary player than a starter.
If Suporia Dickens commits to Highland soon, she could be the answer to filling up the shooting guard spot.

Dickens showed flashes at times that she can shoot from the perimeter, but she'll need to elevate her game at the JUCO level. With forwards and legit centers as talented in down low as the better NJCAA teams, she'll have to adjust.

She finished better with contact than any other player on Freeport's back-to-back state runner up teams, but she won't be able to depend on that at this level.

Her responsibilities at shooting guard will be different than her forward/guard spot a year ago. Katie Norman was the point guard and Caitlin Greene was the Pretzels' 2-guard, so it'll be interesting to see how the starting roster pans out.

She need to come off the bench, but there's still a gaping hole at shooting guard.

J-S 2009 All-Area votes

It's pretty interesting this year for the J-S All-Area team is shaping up for this season.

Four coaches, to this point, have voted for our the honors of the All-Area team, Player of the Year and Coach of the Year awards.

Right now each coach has voted for a different player of the year and coach of the year as well.

River Ridge/Scales Mound's Jeff Steele, Lena-Winslow's Adam Blair, Dakota Cody Jacobson and Eastland's Zach Truckenmiller have all received J-S Player of the Year votes.

J-S Coach of the Year so far is just as scattered in votes. Area mainstays Eastland's Lenny Freidhof and Lena-Winslow's Tom Smargiassi along with surprising votes for Galena's Greg Tancrell and Aquin's Todd Kramer have all earned votes.

Warren/Stockton's P/INF Mike Werkheiser and RR/SM coach Mike Dittmar earned player and coach of the year honors respectively in 2008.

Warren was a beast back in 1985

Just finished talking to War/Stock coach Jim Nielsen about the '85 team that went downstate.

They played schools like Freeport and Belvidere among others that were in what was then the NIC-9.

Here's the official story here.

Also, I talked to two members of the Eastland baseball team that played on the 2003 team. They were the first team in school history to win a sectional in baseball and just missed out on a trip downstate

Here's the article.

I'll have some exclusive content ASAP (internet connection, permitting)

I didn't realize Eastland had a legion baseball team. I may also feature that in my eastland state follow-up column as well. And predictions on next year.
-JoeY

Well, Eastland finished fourth in the state. On Monday, i should have a column on the team's appearance being the first in J-S coverage area in 25 years.
-JoeY

Dickens to sign in two weeks

Here's an update, you guys.

Highland coach Dean Buckwalter informed me that after Suporia Dickens comes back from a vacation, she will officially sign to the Cougars for the 2009-10 season.

She will join Courtney Shiffer as two of the four 1000-point scorers from the back-to-back state runner-up Freeport girls basketball team.

Katie Norman is still weighing her options, apparently.