Boys Basketball: Winning 20 games is next step for Grayslake North

Because Grayslake North lost its two top scorers from a season ago, it would be understandable for people to think the team may struggle this time around.

Despite posting a 19-8 overall record in 2010-11 — which included an 8-4 record in the Fox Valley Conference’s Fox Division, good enough for third place — the Knights feel they have something to prove.

Certainly, coach Todd Grunloh, who is entering his sixth season in charge of the Knights, is optimistic.

“Granted, when you’re patching a new group of kids together each season, you never know what you’re going to get,” Grunloh said. “But the upside is we feel we have at least five guys who can put 10-15 points per game or more on the scoreboard on any given night.

“Plus, we’re returning nine players from our varsity team,” Grunloh added. “The upside is, our opponents can’t key on just one or two players defensively like they were able to at times before. We hope our experience serves us well.”

Among the key players returning are seniors Mark Hall (6-foot-3 point guard), Zack Krupp (6-5 wing) and Brendon Rose (6-6 post).

Hall started all 27 games last season, and he will be counted on to run the Knights’ offense. Krupp and Rose, along with 6-6 returning senior center Ben Guhl, give North a tall front line.

That size, along with Grunloh’s trapping defense, was a big part of the reason the Knights allowed the fewest points in the FVC Fox last year.

“This team has a lot of experience, and I think the style of defense we play will keep allowing us to create plenty of turnovers,” Krupp said. “And, in addition to that, I feel very confident this year’s group will have much better chemistry that last year’s team did.”

Junior A.J. Fish (11.5 ppg), an all-conference selection last season as a sophomore, also returns. Junior guards Danny Mateling (6-0) and Nick Carmody (5-9) hope to provide scoring off the bench.

“With guys like Brendon (Rose), Zack (Krupp) and A.J. (Fish), it’s going to be tough for teams to play us defensively late in games,” Hall said. “We have so many options and ways to score. I think we’ll be able to fill the void that Sparks and Ludwick left. Plus, coach (Grunloh) demands that we play tough on defense, or we don’t play.”

There’s one other factor North feels it has in its favor.

Although the Knights open their season at the Richmond Tournament, North’s home-court advantage and somewhat sizeable crowds have served them well lately. They were 9-1 at home last season. Their only loss was on a three-point buzzer-beater by Prairie Ridge.

“We had some big crowds last year, which was nice to see because it made a big difference,” Grunloh said. “And we have big goals here. Each year we’ve been in existence, we’ve increased our win total.

“Our first year, we won one game, then eight the second year, then we finally reached double-digits with 10 wins our third year,” Grunloh added. “Then 14, and finally 19 wins last year. We’d love nothing more than to win 20 or more this year to keep our streak going and prove a lot of people wrong.”

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