Outside of possibly Benet, Neuqua Valley has been one of the most consistent programs of recent vintage residing in the western suburbs.
Neuqua Valley won 20 games last year, marking the eighth time since the 2005-06 season that it has reached or eclipsed the 20-win plateau.
That 20-win season, which ended with a 48-46 loss to Plainfield North, a loss made all the more painful as the Wildcats squandered a 13-point lead with about five minutes remaining, was highlighted by a second straight Upstate Eight Valley title.
Whether the Wildcats will be able to hold off the likes of West Aurora, Glenbard East and their two District 204 brethren in Waubonsie Valley and Metea Valley to win a third straight division title will be depended on a bunch of new faces.
“We are in complete rebuilding this year having lost eight players for last year’s roster,” Neuqua Valley coach Todd Sutton.
Sutton, entering his 16th year at the helm of the Neuqua Valley program, has a tendency to be quite conservative in his assessments of his teams, yet they always seem to be at or over the 20-win mark year in and year out.
Josh Piotrowski and Elijah Robertson, who has moved on to Chicago State, are a pair of components whose production the Wildcats will need to replace.
The brother of former Neuqua Valley and North Central College standout Derek Raridon, senior Connor Raridon, is the team’s leading returning scorer at 12.3 points a game and joined Piotrowski as the only Wildcats to be named to the All-UEC Valley team.
“He’s fundamentally sound in all areas,” Sutton said of Connor Raridon, whom he believes could challenge for All-UEC Valley honors.
Alongside the North Central College-bound Connor Raridon, Demond George will be given the keys to the Wildcats’ offense as a senior point guard.
As a junior last year, George averaged 7.9 points, 3.6 rebounds and 3.2 assists and will be counted on to carry some of the offensive load for Neuqua Valley in hopes off taking some of the pressure off Raridon, a three-year varsity player.
Calling Connor Raridon and George “the nucleus” of his team, Sutton will ask a pair of seniors who saw limited minutes last year, Jacob Eminger and Zach Lendino, to take on greater roles this year.
At 6-foot-2, Lendino will be the Wildcats’ starting center after averaging four points and 2.7 rebounds as a backup to Zach Incaudo last season.
Lendino did a serviceable job at times in filling in for Incaudo in the starting lineup, but his size could pose a season-long problem Sutton is concerned about.
Despite that, the Wildcats won’t be deterred in doing the things that have made them so successful over the years.
“We don’t ever do anything different,” Sutton said.
While size is an issue for the Wildcats and likely will be throughout the entire year, the likes of Connor Raridon, George, Eminger and a pair of juniors in Jacob Cushing and Joe Sieger provide an array of offensive weapons.
Sutton considers his junior duo of Cushing, a 6-foot-6 forward, and Sieger to be good outside shooters and two of the newest Wildcats should help them spread the floor in order to cope with their lack of size while also being two of the better rebounders on the team.
No matter the makeup, a Sutton-coached basketball team tends to be fundamentally sound at both ends of the floor and one that can put up points.
Measuring his expectations carefully, Sutton believes this year’s group does compare to one of his recent 20-win outfits, the one Sam Johnson, Jim Stocki and Ryan McDermott led to a 22-8 finish in 2010-11 after a 14-0 start.
“That’s kind of that team,” Sutton said of his group this year when compared to his 2010-11 team. “We’re not very big. (We’re) not very athletic. But (they’re a bunch of) good kids. (They) work hard. (They’re) really smart. Good team basketball players. We had a lot of fun (in 2010-11).”
If that’s the case, all Neuqua Valley observers would settle for a suitable encore.
