J.R.R. Tolkien did not have Candace Parker in mind when he wrote “The Return of the King.” But the Naperville Central senior, acclaimed as the best high school girls basketball player in the nation last season, has begun a quest to reclaim her throne.
Parker’s return to the court and Naperville Central’s back-to-back titles at the Dundee-Crown holiday tournament signal a decisive shift in power for the second half of the season.
“If we play like we’re capable of playing, it’ll be awfully hard for anybody to beat us,” Central coach Andy Nussbaum said after his team beat New Trier for the Dundee-Crown title.
He ought to know something about that subject. The Redhawks went 35-0 last season and have won 37 straight with Parker in the lineup.
But Naperville Central is not No. 1. Marian Catholic won the tough Hillcrest tournament to remain unbeaten and at the top of the rankings.
Here are five questions that need to be answered on the road to March’s state finals at Redbird Arena:
1. Unbeatable? Marian Catholic is 14-0 and can count preseason No. 1 Young, Trinity, a gutsy Thornwood team and perennial SICA West power Sandburg among its victims. Still to come is the difficult road in the East Suburban Catholic–can you say Fenwick, Carmel, Benet, Joliet Catholic and Marist? Then there’s 17-0 Loyola, with a coach (Tanya Johnson) who won back-to-back state titles in 1997 and 1998. Glenbrook South’s 15-0 Titans have dominated almost all their opponents–a 17-point victory over New Trier stands out. Of course, the Trevians didn’t have Deirdre Naughton available that night.
2. What makes these teams so special? Marian Catholic’s 6-3 Lauren Lacey is powerful, difficult to guard inside, fast down the court and headed for Minnesota. Loyola has its best sophomore tandem–Brittany McCoy and Eileen Weissmann–since Olga Gvozdenovic and Laura Sobieszczyk led the Ramblers to state titles. And Glenbrook South has a pair of Division I athletes in Pam Findlay (Air Force) and Sara Stutz (Northwestern).
3. What about last season’s Class AA finalists? Everyone knows Parker isn’t 100 percent. “Certainly, Candace is going to get better,” Nussbaum said. Even without her, Central reached the final four at Dundee-Crown thanks to Tiffany Hudson, Erica Carter, Rachel Crissy and Kristen Ludwig. Fenwick’s freshmen will be getting better too. “In February, when every game counts, we’ll be as mature as we need to be,” said Friars leader Kristin Heidloff.
4. Will the city have a say? Last season a Public League team failed to reach the Class AA quarterfinals for the first time in history as Fenwick, Marshall and Young were thrown into the same section. This year Marshall or Young may have to face New Trier or Loyola in a supersectional to get Downstate. That’s motivation for Marshall’s Charese Reed or Young’s Amanda Thompson.
5. What about Class A? Hampshire, third last season, has yet to lose to a Class A opponent. But no one should forget about defending state champion Hope. Latear Eason and Courtney Haskins are trying to continue the team’s winning ways–including a victory over Young. Ryann Hendricks and Julie Beenes led Chicago Christian (11-3) to the Lisle holiday tournament title.
Alan Sutton’s girls basketball Top 20
NO., TEAM REC
1. Marian Catholic 14-0
2. Naperville Central 11-2
3. Loyola 17-0
4. Glenbrook South 15-0
5. Marshall 12-2
6. New Trier 13-4
7. Bolingbrook 10-1
8. Fenwick 12-2
9. Prospect 11-2
10. Sandburg 11-3
11. Carmel 13-2
12. Thornwood 11-2
13. Stagg 12-1
14. Young 7-3
15. Mother McAuley 13-3
16. Bartlett 10-4
17. Neuqua Valley 9-3
18. Trinity 8-4
19. Benet 15-3
20. Marist 13-2
Best of the rest
West Chicago 10-6
Resurrection 10-6
Evanston 12-5
Joliet Catholic 9-3
Grayslake 12-3
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