The Wildcats ended last season with a 10-18 overall record, but they finished an impressive 6-6 in a tough North Suburban Conference. The team played past their expectations and were very competitive despite their lack of experience relative to the other powerhouses within the conference.
The Cats competed until the end against some teams that boasted rosters full of seasoned veterans. One game that comes to mind was against Stevenson at home, when the Wildcats were up against a very talented Patriots squad and the outcome wasn’t decided until the last few seconds.
“It was good to be competitive. We were having kids who were still getting their varsity feet wet,” said Coach Pedersen. “A lot of those kids who played [last year] have a year under their belts now and are ready to go this season.”
The team lost some key contributors, but also retained some valuable players. The returnees at the varsity level include seniors Becky Deichl and Addie Neal, juniors Maggie Piazzi and Erin Dunleavy, and sophomore Claire Keefe. Overall, the roster is fairly balanced and everybody realistically has a chance to contribute, but one player that comes to mind is Deichl.
“Becky has done a lot of work. She’s got a lot of responsibility heading into the season, but from what I’ve seen so far, she’s taken her game to whole other level.”
Deichl plays on the inside as a center and her presence on the boards and defense will be key in the Cats’ success as a team. Maggie Piazzi can handle and distribute the ball as the starting point guard and Claire Keefe, who played on varsity as a freshman, is a talented scorer and rebounder.
The added year of experience for the varsity returnees should help not only themselves, but assisting the younger girls in becoming better players. Coach Pedersen hopes that his team will continue to develop their skills and that his youthful players will be able to produce this upcoming season.
“We’re a young team. We have [some seniors], but we’re looking at having four or so sophomores that will get regular playing time,” said Coach Pedersen. He wants to get the underclassmen acclimated to varsity basketball quickly so that the team can continue to mature as a unit.
The Cats play a half-court type of game that is build upon ball movement, spacing, and good passing. With the all-around talent on the roster, playing in a team oriented way would help Libertyville compete against the upper echelon teams in the conference.
“We want to take care of the ball and maximize our possessions. We want to find the open player and knock our shots down on the offensive end,” said Coach Pedersen.
Although Stevenson is heralded as the biggest rival LHS has, Coach Pedersen feels like every team within the North Suburban Conference motivates the Cats to play up to their potential. The conference is getting better and better, with Stevenson being its usual self, but Zion-Benton and Mundelein have improved dramatically.
“It’s heated. The kids really want to go out there and win.” said Coach Pedersen. “Our team this year is one of the most competitive teams I’ve coached before. These kids really take it seriously.”
It may take some time for the team to get used to playing with one another, but it may also be shorter than expected due to each player’s competitive nature and desire to improve. The Wildcats begin the season with a tournament and start their conference play at Stevenson on December 2nd in what promises to be an interesting 2014-15 campaign.
“I think our goal is to work hard, get better every day, be as competitive as we can be, and see where we’re at in February, come playoff time.”
