The ability to put your trust in a point guard, big man combination is always a luxury for any basketball team.
In a lot of ways, Naperville Central’s fortunes in 2015-16 are counting on it.
At times during a 15-win season a year ago, Matthew Meier and Harry Hallstrom showed signs of being a dynamite inside-outside combination.
For the Redhawks to go where they think they can go this year – competing for a DuPage Valley Conference title – Meier and Hallstrom will be why.
“Obviously, Matthew is our leading scorer coming back and Harry – I think he’s improved a lot,” Naperville Central coach Pete Kramer said. “(Hallstrom) can score in a lot of different ways and so can Matthew.”
From his point guard spot, Meier led the team in scoring with 11.9 points with Hallstrom not far behind at 8.5 points.
Finding a way to get more consistency from Hallstrom, who had 12 double-digit scoring games, will be key after he only recorded three double-doubles as a junior.
“I think Harry’s gotten a little stronger and we’re going to use him in a lot of different ways,” Pete Kramer said of Hallstrom, who averaged 5.2 rebounds. “I think, last year, he was more just down on the block and stuff. He can score down there, but we’re not going to let him sit down there.
“He’s going to be on the perimeter. He’s going to be handling the ball at times. He can shoot the three. He can knock down that 10, 15-footer and he can also score inside and has nice moves on the block. We’re just going to have to do different things with him.”
Iowa-bound wide receiver Emmanuel Rugamba is back after averaging 5.1 points and 3.4 rebounds last year to give Naperville Central a third go-to scorer.
The presence of senior James Kendrick and junior Nick Kramer, Pete Kramer’s son, should add to the team’s potential out on the perimeter with Hallstrom hopefully commanding attention in the paint.
“They’ve just knocked down shots and kind of spread out our offense,” Meier said of Kendrick and Nick Kramer. “So they kind of just spread the floor out and that leaves me room to drive, leaves Harry room in the post. So the offense is clicking and I think we’ll do big things as the season starts.”
Naperville Central returns four of its five starters from last year – Brandon Baskin being the other – but some of its juniors, starting with Nick Kramer, will be asked to fill roles.
Noah Swope, Patrick Meier, Peter Villanova are three other juniors joining Nick Kramer as the Redhawks look for depth behind Meier, Hallstrom and Rugamba.
“I think Nick – my son – just will add some perimeter shooting and some scoring for us and I think Noah Swope – another junior – can help with some different type of scoring,” Pete Kramer said. “He’s athletic and then we have Peter Villanova and Patrick Meier, who will bring different stuff. Peter’s athletic and just, I think, will give us a spark off the bench and I think Patrick Meier’s a very good defender. I think we’ll use him at different times and take advantage of his defensive abilities.”
It’s been six full years since the program last won a DVC title and a regional title when Drew Crawford led a team that won a program record 27 games in 2008-09.
A year removed from the only 20-win season since Crawford’s departure, expectations are high despite the DVC being a nine-team league now.
“I’m excited – in all honesty,” Meier said. “I know a lot of the guys on Neuqua and Waubonsie and Metea. We battled them over the summer. I play AAU with a lot of the guys, so I’m excited. It’s going to be tough. Every single game is going to be tough in the DVC – it’s just like every other sport. But we’re excited. We have high expectations to win conference and do all that, so it’ll be a fun ride.”
