2013-2014 Lake Zurich Basketball
LAKE ZURICH BASKETBALL
2013-2014 Roster
Number
2
Position
Guard
Player
Matt Moon*
Year
12
Height
5’11”
Weight
175
4
Forward
Jeff Zahery*
12
6’4”
165
10
Guard
Dave Brown*^
12
5’10”
145
12
Forward
Corey Helgeson*
12
6’3”
175
14
Guard
George Maroudas
11
5’10”
155
22
Guard
Brad Kruse*^
12
6’4”
180
23
Forward
Nick Meyer
10
6’2”
170
24
Guard
Nick McCoy
11
5’6”
150
30
Guard
Jack O’Neill*
11
6’3”
160
32
Guard
Kunal Kothari
11
5’8”
130
34
Guard
Mike Travlos*
11
6’3”
190
42
Guard
Nick Penny
10
6’
155
44
Center
Zach Wallace
11
6’8”
230
50
Forward
Will McClaughry*
11
6’6”
200
52
Center
Ryan Richman*
12
6’5”
225
54
Center
Matt Bauman
12
6’5”
220
* Returning Letterman
^ Team Captain
Varsity Coaches – Billy Pitcher, Don Rowley
Sophomore Coaches – Tom Reagan, Jim Pfeifer, Tyler Schmitz
Freshmen Coaches – Jordan Kardos, Bud Zasadil, Paul Carrubba
Scorekeeper: BJ Lange
Athletic Director – Rolly Vazquez
Principal – Kent Nightlinger
Manager – Chris Choi, Brandon Perel
2013-2014 Season Summary
Opponent (Final W-L)
*Regional Champ
LZ
Opp
W-L
11/25 Chicago King* (21-9)
82
77
1-0
Mike Travlos
29
Ryan Richman
14
Will McClaughry
3
11/26 West Chicago (17-11)
73
62
2-0
Mike Travlos
26
Mike Travlos
7
Nick Penny
2
11/27 Geneva* (26-6)
47
52
2-1
Mike Travlos
19
Brad Kruse
7
Brad Kruse
6
11/29 Marmion (16-15)
79
63
3-1
Mike Travlos
21
Jeff Zahery
7
Jack O’Neill
4
11/30 Addison-Trail (11-18)
59
60
3-2
Mike Travlos
19
Corey Helgeson
8
Jack O’Neill
5
12/4
83
51
4-2
Mike Travlos
20
Brad Kruse
9
Matt Moon
5
12/11 Lake Forest (22-7)
62
65
4-3
Mike Travlos
26
Corey Helgeson
Brad Kruse
4
Matt Moon
3
12/13 Johnsburg (9-20)
79
48
5-3
Mike Travlos
21
Mike Travlos
4
Jack O’Neill
5
12/14 Zion-Benton (26-4)
55
69
5-4
Mike Travlos
18
Zach Wallace
6
Brad Kruse
4
12/18 Libertyville (15-13)
69
57
6-4
Mike Travlos
27
Mike Travlos
9
Brad Kruse
6
Rockford Boylan (208)
55
56
6-5
Brad Kruse
16
Zach Wallace
5
Matt Moon
Mike Travlos
3
12/27 Plainfield East (19-10)
59
57
7-5
Mike Travlos
14
Corey Helgeson
4
Jack O’Neill
Mike Travlos
2
12/27 Hersey (13-15)
52
44
8-5
Mike Travlos
17
Mike Travlos
6
Mike Travlos
2
12/28 Washington (14-13)
43
50
8-6
Brad Kruse
12
Will McClaughry
3
Corey Helgeson
2
1/10
Warren (17-15)
49
59
8-7
Mike Travlos
22
Brad Kruse
Corey Helgeson
6
Jack O’Neill
5
1/11
L-W Central (14-13)
65
52
9-7
Mike Travlos
21
Corey Helgeson
7
Matt Moon
4
1/15
Streamwood (2-28)
56
32
10-7
Mike Travlos
19
Brad Kruse
5
Jack O’Neill
3
1/18
Marian Central*(1816)
67
47
11-7
Will McClaughry
Mike Travlos
19
Corey Helgeson
8
Corey Helgeson
Brad Kruse
3
1/18
Niles North (15-16)
64
49
12-7
Will McClaughry
18
Corey Helgeson
13
Corey Helgeson
5
1/20
Carmel Catholic* (259)
47
58
12-8
Mike Travlos
20
Brad Kruse
9
Brad Kruse
Jack O’Neill
3
1/24
Lake Forest (22-7)
46
61
12-9
Zach Wallace
12
Matt Moon
Zach Wallace
4
Matt Moon
3
1/25
Wauconda (14-14)
66
48
13-9
Mike Travlos
25
Brad Kruse
11
Matt Moon
7
Date
12/26
Mundelein (2-28)
Leading Scorer
Pts
Chairman of the
Boards
Reb
The Mailman
Ast
1/29
Zion-Benton (26-4)
45
68
13-10
Mike Travlos
17
Brad Kruse
6
Brad Kruse
Zach Wallace
2
2/1
Libertyville (15-13)
69
58
14-10
Mike Travlos
28
Zach Wallace
8
Matt Moon
Mike Travlos
2
2/4
Stevenson* (33-2)
55
78
14-11
Mike Travlos
18
Will McClaughry
6
Brad Kruse
3
2/8
Warren (17-15)
46
45
15-11
Mike Travlos
16
Will McClaughry
6
Matt Moon
Mike Travlos
3
2/12
Stevenson* (33-2)
52
75
15-12
Mike Travlos
15
Corey Helgeson
6
Mike Travlos
2
2/15
Highland Park* (22-8)
49
45
16-12
Mike Travlos
17
Brad Kruse
12
Mike Travlos
2
2/21
Mundelein (2-28)
78
69
17-12
Mike Travlos
20
Nick Penny
8
Brad Kruse
5
2/25
Round Lake (5-23)
76
46
18-12
Mike Travlos
18
Mike Travlos
10
Brad Kruse
4
3/5
Prospect (16-12)
52
48
19-12
Mike Travlos
27
Brad Kruse
8
Brad Kruse
2
3/7
Fremd* (28-1)
58
44
19-13
Mike Travlos
20
Brad Kruse
3
Brad Kruse
Mike Travlos
4
Overall Record: 19-13
North Suburban Conference Record: 7-7
Lake Division Record: 5-7
Home Record: 7-5
Road/Neutral Record: 12-8
2nd Place @ West Chicago Thanksgiving Tournament (3-2)
2nd Place Consolation @ Pekin Holiday Tournament (2-2)
2nd Place @ Lake Zurich MLK Classic (4-1)
INDIVIDUAL ACCOLADES
Dave Brown
North Suburban Conference Sportsmanship Award
Brad Kruse
-IHSA Honorable Mention All-State
-All Tournament Team @ West Chicago
-NSC All Conference, First Team
-All Area, Daily Herald
-All Lake County First Team, Lake County News-Sun
-Chicago Tribune, Local athlete of the Month (February, 2014)
Will McClaughry
Daily Herald Player of the Week (January 20, 2014)
-NSC All Conference, Honorable Mention
-All Area Honorable Mention, Daily Herald
Nick Penny
IHSA State Qualifier, 3 Point Shootout
Mike Travlos
-IHSA Special Mention All-State
-All Tournament Team @ West Chicago
-MVP @ Lake Zurich MLK Classic
-NSC All Conference, First Team
-All Area, Daily Herald
-All Junior Team, Daily Herald
-All Lake County Honorable Mention, Lake County News Sun
-Broke school record for FTs made & FTs Attempted in a Season
North Suburban Conference Standings
Varsity
Prairie Division
Team
1. North Chicago
2. Lakes
3. Grant
4. Vernon Hills
3. Wauconda
6. Antioch
7. Round Lake
Lake Division
1. Stevenson
2. Zion-Benton
3. Lake Forest
4. Lake Zurich
5. Libertyville
5. Warren
7. Mundelein
Wins
12
9
7
6
5
3
0
Losses
0
3
5
6
7
9
12
Cross-over
Wins Losses
1
1
0
2
0
2
1
1
1
1
0
2
0
2
11
10
8
5
4
4
0
1
2
4
7
8
8
12
2
2
2
2
2
0
1
0
0
0
0
0
2
1
Wins
10
10
8
7
4
3
0
Losses
2
2
4
5
8
9
12
Wins
1
1
0
1
0
0
0
Losses
1
1
2
1
2
2
2
8
8
7
7
7
5
1
4
4
5
5
5
7
11
1
2
2
2
2
1
1
1
0
0
0
0
1
1
Wins
11
10
9
6
4
2
0
Cross-over
Losses
Wins
1
0
2
1
3
1
6
1
7
0
9
0
12
0
Losses
2
1
1
1
1
2
2
12
7
6
6
6
4
1
0
5
6
6
6
8
11
0
0
0
1
0
1
1
Sophomore
Prairie Division
Team
1. Antioch
1. Wauconda
3. North Chicago
4. Vernon Hills
5. Lakes
6. Round Lake
7. Grant
Lake Division
1. Lake Forest
1. Libertyville
3. Lake Zurich
3. Stevenson
3. Zion-Benton
6. Warren
7. Mundelein
Freshman A
Prairie Division
Team
1. Antioch
2. Grant
3. Lakes
4. North Chicago
5. Vernon Hills
6. Wauconda
7. Round Lake
Lake Division
1. Zion-Benton
2. Warren
3. Lake Zurich
3. Stevenson
3. Lake Forest
6. Libertyville
7. Mundelein
2
2
2
1
2
1
1
CITY/SUBURBAN HOOPS REPORT
Your biggest sleepers and most improved teams
By Joe Henricksen on December 1, 2013
Just because a team couldn't be found in the Hoops Report's preseason top 25 doesn't mean there aren't high expectations
surrounding a dozen or so programs in the Chicago area.
Here is a short list of eight teams, starting with those three West Suburban Silver rivals, poised for potential big years this winter,
along with a list of five of the most improved teams from a year ago.
The Sleepers
• York
Why they're overlooked: When a program like York loses a player like David Cohn, it's easy to put the Dukes up on the top shelf and
forget about them. Cohn, now playing at Colorado State, was a high-scoring four-year varsity player and all-stater who led York to
22 wins and a regional title last season.
Why they're intriguing: Anyone who caught a glimpse of York this past summer realized there was a chance for this team to be
good. Frank Toohey, an Air Force recruit, is a blue-collar, 6-8 workhorse who is more versatile than he was a year ago. That's a great
starting point for coach Vince Doran, who also has a spread-the-floor scorer and shooter in Charlie Rose.
Wildcard: Point guard play. There is some size and there are some capable players on the wing, some of which will have to slide
over and provide some point guard minutes. But point guard play will remain a question until firmly answered.
• Highland Park
Why they're overlooked: When it's come to recent talk about the Central Suburban League North, both Glenbrook North and Niles
North have dominated the conversation. Highland Park was a pedestrian .500 last season, both overall (15-15) and in the league (55), and is often the forgotten team in Lake County.
Why they're intriguing: If you want to throw around the word "underrated," go ahead and start with Highland Park. Coach Paul
Harris is extremely underrated, while guard David Sachs is one of the more underrated juniors in the Chicago area. With some
talented young players in the program -- keep an eye on 6-3 junior Jordan Krawitz and junior guard Luke Norcia -- and the shelf life
may be a little longer than just 2013-2014. But the Giants will play this winter out as that dangerous, under-the-radar team.
The wildcard: Keep an eye on Hallvard Lundevall, a versatile 6-3 forward who has improved and provides the Giants some of the
little things any team may lack.
• Fremd
Why they're overlooked: In the grand scheme of things, when it comes to Chicago area basketball lately, teams out of the MidSuburban League have been overlooked rather easily. Last season there wasn't a single MSL West team that won a regional.
Why they're intriguing: There is experience, size and depth for a team that won 19 games a year ago. Ben Carlson, a 6-6 senior, is
vastly overlooked by the masses, 6-4 guard Riley Glassman is a stat sheet stuffer headed to Cornell, and 6-5 Matt Ochoa is a bluecollar workhorse
The wildcard: Pat Benka. The 6-6 sophomore Pat Benka is a young, budding talent who brings skill, size and versatility. If his
progression continues on the fast-track, Fremd will be tough to beat in the MSL and a threat in March.
• Glenbard North
Why they're overlooked: There are a number of reasons. After a dream season in 2002 that, stunningly, landed this program in the
Elite Eight in Peoria, it's been 11 years of bouncing between below .500 and mediocrity. This is a football and wrestling school,
right? And when it comes to Glenbards and basketball, it's been Glenbard East that's provided headlines over the past decade.
Why they're intriguing: Everyone is projecting West Aurora and Naperville Central to battle for the top spot in the DuPage Valley,
but Glenbard North is a sleeper. The Panthers have four returning starters, led by leading scorer Chip Flanigan, and pieces from last
year's bench that gained valuable experience.
Wildcard: One of the best-kept secrets in the western suburbs is Flanigan, a 6-5 forward who has become even more versatile than
the player that averaged 17.5 points, 5.5 rebounds and over 3 assists a game as a junior. He had a terrific summer, has become a
more consistent shooter and might be the biggest difference-maker in the DVC this season.
• St. Charles East
Why they're overlooked: First, everyone is talking about Larkin in the Upstate Eight Conference. Second, even though he missed
half the season a year ago, any program that loses a Big Ten recruit like Kendall Stephens is bound to take a step or two back, right?
Why they're intriguing: Led by senior point guard Dom Adduci, a tough, scoring point guard, the Saints have several experienced
pieces -- junior point guard Cole Gentry, athletic 6-5 senior A.J. Washington, improving 6-7 senior Dave Mason (when he gets back
from his football injury) and up-and-coming 6-4 sophomore guard James McQuillan -- that should make this team very dangerous.
Wildcard: Health. This is a program that has been absolutely decimated by injuries over the past 12 months. The injury bug has
already hit again this year. But if healthy, there is enough talent to battle both Larkin and Geneva in what should be a competitive
Upstate Eight River race.
• Lake Zurich
Why they're overlooked: A team in the bottom half of a league like the North Suburban Lake, arguably the most underrated
basketball conference in the Chicago area, can be easily forgotten. Wins are tough to come by when playing the likes of Warren,
Stevenson, Lake Forest and Zion-Benton twice every year.ry
Why they're intriguing: It's been a steady climb under coach Billy Pitcher, with back-to-back 15-win seasons after winning a
combined 10 games the previous two years. Senior Brad Kruse (10 ppg) and up-and-coming junior Mike Travlos (11 ppg) are two
capable scorers. Stevenson and Zion-Benton will fight for the top spot in the North Suburban Lake, but Lake Zurich should finish in
the top half and push towards a 20-win season.
Wildcard: Junior big men. The guard play will be rock solid with Kruse and Travlos, so a boost from the junior tandem of 6-6 Will
McClaughry and 6-7 Zach Wallace will be imperative for the Bears to get over the hump and into the top half of a rugged league.
Boys basketball:
Scouting the North Suburban Lake
Patricia Babcock McGraw
Lake Zurich Bears
Coach: Billy Pitcher, 4th season
Last year: 15-16
Last year's tournament: Defeated Libertyville 72-65 in Regional Quarterfinal. Lost in the regional
semifinal to Mundelein, 66-46.
Key players lost: G Ryan Roach, G John Repplinger
Key players returning: G Brad Kruse, sr., G Mike Travlos, jr., F Will McClaughry, G Jack O'Neill, jr., G
Matt Moon, sr., F Corey Helgeson, sr., F Jeff Zahery, sr., C Ryan Richman, sr., G Dave Brown, sr.
Top newcomers: C Zach Wallace, jr., C Matt Bauman, sr.
Outlook: The Bears could be on the verge of another big jump. Their win total skyrocketed over the
last two years, with back-to-back 15-win seasons. Those came after a 7-win season and a 3-win
season the previous two years. Now, fourth-year coach Billy Pitcher is as optimistic as ever. "With
good size and good guard play, this is the most talented and experienced group in my four years,"
Pitcher said. "This is a hungry group and we have high expectations for them." Guards Brad Kruse
and Mike Travlos each averaged around 10 points per game last season and were among the team's
3-point shooting leaders. Travlos nailed 41 three-pointers and Kruse had 30. Both return with loads of
off-season experience on the AAU circuit. Pitcher says Kruse and Travlos are also getting all kinds of
attention from recruiters, from Division III, all the way up to Division I. "Brad is a complete player,"
Pitcher said of Kruse. "He's our best rebounder and defender, he knows all the angles, takes smart
shots, knows when and how to jump in the passing lanes and plays to exhaustion." Inside, the Bears
boast quite a bit of height in returning 6-foot-6 starting forward Will McClaughry (6 ppg, 5.5 rpg),
veteran Ryan Richman (6-foot-5) and newcomers Zach Wallace (6-foot-8) and Matt Bauman (6-foot4). Wallace has a high ceiling, in only his third year of basketball. All-conference football player Matt
Moon will get a late start because the Bears are still in the football playoffs. But he will be counted on
heavily when he gets his basketball legs back. "He can really be our X-factor," Pitcher said of Moon.
"He's a great athlete and defender and has a nose for the ball. He was really effective this summer at
point guard." Meanwhile, veterans Jack O'Neill and Corey Helgeson have made huge strides since
last season and should get major minutes.
Opener: Monday vs. Chicago King at West Chicago (6:30 p.m.)
LZ steps up; Uplift tops Warren
Daily Herald report
Lake Zurich's boys basketball team is off to a good start.
Mike Travlos scored 26 points Tuesday night, as the Bears defeated West Chicago 73-62 to improve
to 2-0. Will McClaughry added 12 points, while Brad Kruse and Corey Helgeson added 9 apiece.
Lake Zurich led 23-11 after one quarter, was up 31-30 at the half and 52-46 after three quarters.
Travlos took a "crucial charge," coach Billy Pitcher said, in the fourth quarter.
Geneva rebounds, tops Lake Zurich
Jeff Smith
What a difference a day makes.
Geneva was shell-shocked Tuesday night after King overcame a 13-point deficit in the final three
minutes to upset the defending Wildcat Turkey Classic champion Vikings 68-66. But, after suffering a
spate of uncharacteristic turnovers and missed free throws down the stretch of that loss, the Vikes
played with poise and resolve in the fourth quarter against Lake Zurich on Wednesday. Geneva sank
7 of 9 free throws, committed just one turnover and secured a 52-47 victory in the third round of the
tournament in West Chicago.
"Last night's game took the wind out of our sails," Geneva coach Phil Ralston said. "But good teams
respond to adversity, and our guys did that today. We were scared to death of this game. Lake Zurich
is a much-improved team. They pushed us to our limit today. Billy Pitcher has them playing well. They
played a very good game."
The win also earned the Vikings a share of first place with Lake Zurich, King and West Chicago in the
six-team round-robin tournament. The teams are 2-1 entering crucial fourth-round matchups on
Friday. Geneva faces Addison Trail at 3:30 p.m. while Lake Zurich squares off with Marmion at 5 p.m.
Geneva concludes the tournament against West Chicago at 8 p.m. Saturday, while Lake Zurich
finishes with Addison Trail
"Our goal was to get at least four wins at this tournament, so we're still on target to get to that
number," Bears coach Billy Pitcher said. "It was a tough loss, but we lost by 30 (71-41) to Geneva in
last year's tournament, and we were playing without four players who are still in the playoffs with our
school's football team, so we made a big improvement."
Geneva and Lake Zurich exchanged leads 10 times in a tightly contested affair, but the Bears
appeared to grab control in the first two minutes of the third quarter. Lake Zurich rang up eight
unanswered points for a 32-23 cushion on three-pointers from junior guards Mike Travlos (team-high
19 points) and Jack O'Neill and a layup off a back cut by junior forward Will McClaughry. But the
Vikings then buckled down on defense, limiting Lake Zurich to one basket over the next 6:05, and
forced the up-tempo Bears into a grind-it-out half-court pace using their disciplined motion offense.
Geneva capped a 12-2 run with a three-point play in the post from junior forward Nate Navigato
(team-high 19 points) for a 35-34 lead it never relinquished.
"After we fell behind 32-23, our guys just battled," Ralston said. "In the second half we ran our sets
perfectly. When we execute that well offensively, we have a chance to win a lot of games this
season."
The Vikings ripped off another spurt to open the final quarter, outscoring the Bears 8-0 to build a 4536 lead with 4:15 remaining on a three-pointer from Mike Landi. The 6-foot-7 junior forward-center
delivered 13 points on 6-for-7 shooting off the bench to complement Navigato.
"Landi was great," Navigato said. "Our bench is huge for us. We're a very deep team. We have a lot
of guys who can step up on any given night."
"Mike played big tonight. We really have seven or eight starters on our team," Ralston added.
Lake Zurich mounted one last rally, drawing within three points on three different occasions, the last
on a trey from O'Neill with 5.6 seconds left. But Navigato buried four straight free throws to stave off
the comeback and preserve the victory.
"The thing he does really well is not force the issue," Pitcher said of Geneva's 16-points-per-game
scorer from a year ago, who was coming off a career-best 27-point outing on Tuesday. "He has a
good group of players around him, so he doesn't force up bad shots. He has a well-rounded game,
too. He can shoot from deep, score inside, put it on the floor and he hits his free throws."
Lake Zurich bears down against Marmion
Daily Herald report
Mike Travlos scored 21 points, and Lake Zurich's boys basketball team improved to 3-1 with a 79-63
win over Marmion Academy at West Chicago on Friday.
The Bears led 25-10 after the first quarter, 45-26 at halftime and 63-44 after three quarters.
Travlos, who hit three 3-pointers, scored 13 points in the first quarter. Will McClaughry and Brad
Kruse added 14 points apiece. Sophomore Nick Penny gave the Bears a spark off the bench with 6
points and 6 rebounds.
"Marmion was the most physical team we've played in a long time so this was a nice, hard-fought win
for us," Lake Zurich coach Billy Pitcher said.
Third-quarter run carries Lake Zurich past Mundelein
12/04/2013, 9:45pm CST
By Jakub Rudnik | For Sun-Times Media | @jakubrudnik
Guards Mike Travlos and Brad Kruse combined to score 39 points for Lake Zurich.
Lake Zurich's Jeff Zahery (with ball) shoots over the Mundelein defense Wednesday. | Joe Cyganowski/For Sun-Times Media
Lake Zurich 83, Mundelein 52
THE SKINNY
Lake Zurich's boys basketball team led Mundelein by just six points with four minutes remaining in the third
quarter, but closed the period on a 12-1 run to open up a 59-42 lead. Lake Zurich (3-2, 1-0 NSC Lake)
outscored Mundelein 45-13 in the second half Wednesday.
TURNING POINT
With 20 seconds remaining in the third quarter, Mundelein attempted to hold the ball for the final shot, but Lake
Zurich forced a five-second violation on Mustangs senior guard Nick Filippo. On the ensuing inbounds play
from midcourt, senior center Ryan Richman made a layup off of a lob pass to extend the lead to 17.
THE STAR
Junior guard Mike Travlos finished with 20 points for the Bears, with senior guard Brad Kruse adding 19
points. For the Mustangs, senior Sam Nelson and sophomore Pierre Bailey each tallied 11 points.
BY THE NUMBERS
Lake Zurich’s guard trio of Travlos, Kruse and junior Jack O’Neill combined for 49 points on the night,
outscoring the entire Mundelein team by seven points.
QUOTABLE
“We tried to play like them. We tried to go a million miles an hour, and that really hurt us. We need to play
under control, and once we got under control we broke it open. We should have been playing like that the whole
game.” — Lake Zurich junior guard Mike Travlos
Lake Zurich boys basketball still a work in progress
12/19/2013, 8:30am CST
By Josh Walfish | For Sun-Times Media | @JoshWalfish
Lake Zurich’s Brad Kruse (22) looks to shoot over
a Zion-Benton defender Saturday. | Joe
Shuman/for Sun-Times Media
LAKE ZURICH — If Lake Zurich’s boys If Lake
Zurich’s basketball team proved anything in a 6562 loss to Lake Forest Dec. 11, it’s that it is closer
to being able to hang with the top teams in the
NSC Lake.
The Bears (5-4, 1-2) followed that up with a 79-48
rout of Johnsburg on Friday and a 68-55 loss at
Zion-Benton on Saturday. Lake Zurich made a fair
amount of mistakes in the loss to Lake Forest (5-4,
2-1), particularly in the early part of the game.
Still, the Bears had a chance to win in the final minutes.
Senior Brad Kruse said the loss was a wasted opportunity.
“We had a few too many turnovers and a few too many defensive breakdowns that cost us the game,” Kruse
said. “If we could have had those possessions back it might have been a different outcome.”
Lake Zurich has a lot of experienced players who helped keep the Bears in the game. The most obvious
example was in the third quarter when Lake Forest was on the verge of pulling away. But the Bears battled back
with a strong fourth-quarter shooting performance.
But they also have a mix of inexperience, and that sometimes played into the Scouts’ hands. The slow tempo of
the first quarter seemed to catch Lake Zurich off guard. The Bears’ impatience caused them to force passes and
take ill-advised shots, wasted possessions that coach Billy Pitcher said were the difference in the game.
“When you lose by three, a one-possession game, [we realize] how important those possessions are in the first
half when we made some dumb turnovers and shots,” Pitcher said. “Now looking back, we wish we could have
those back and understand the importance of every possession.”
Pitcher said the Bears need to work harder on their defense after Lake Forest’s 6-foot-6 Evan Boudreaux
torched them in the post, scoring 28 points. He said the Bears went away from their defensive game plan in the
second half, failing to communicate very well on help-side defense. That gave Boudreaux easy looks at the
basket or forced Lake Zurich to foul the big man.
For Kruse and his teammates, the Lake Forest game proved they could compete if they play their best
basketball. However, Kruse emphasized the need to learn from mistakes and continue to use that experience as
Lake Zurich heads into the heart of its schedule.
“We can build from this game just seeing how good we can be and how close we can be with all the teams in
the league,” Kruse said. “If a few balls bounce a different way, it could have been a ‘W.’ ”
Travlos finds winning trajectory for Lake Zurich
Lake Zurich's Jack O'Neill, left, drives past Libertyville's Ben Kimpler
Mike Travlos was a long way from descending into Hack-a-Shaq territory
with his free-throw shooting. But his solid 75-percent accuracy this season
was still a slight dip from a year ago. So, the Lake Zurich junior decided to
do something about it before Wednesday night's North Suburban Lake boys
basketball game with visiting Libertyville.
The results were perfect for Travlos as he made all 12 of his free-throw
attempts -- with eight in the final 1:23 -- en route to a game-high 27 points as
the Bears pulled away to a 69-57 victory.
"I've been working on it the last few days and it paid off today," Travlos said
after his up-and-under scoop on a baseline drive with 3:29 left broke a 55-55
tie and started a 10-point Bears' run.
Junior Jack O'Neill, who banked in a 50-footer to give the Bears (6-4, 2-2) a 49-45 lead at the third-quarter buzzer,
hit all 4 of his free throws in the last 1:39 to finish with 12 points. They finished 20-for-24 at the line to 7-for-12 for
Libertyville (5-3, 1-3).
"I thought we took some high-percentage shots and we've really been working on that this week," said Lake Zurich
coach Billy Pitcher, whose team was 7-for-12 from 3-point range. "Between O'Neill, (Brad) Kruse and Travlos, we
have three good guards so we shouldn't take a bad shot. "Our guys did a great job of getting the ball to the right
people."
Kruse had only 6 points but had 6 assists and 7 rebounds as the Bears had a 34-24 advantage. Kruse, Corey
Helgeson and Matt Moon also contained Libertyville senior Jack Lipp to a team-high 14 points on 5-for-14 shooting.
"Our plan was to rotate those three at him," Pitcher said, "and wear him down and wear him down, and I think it
made a difference."
Lipp missed 5 of his 6 second-half shots after scoring 31 points in Saturday's loss to Lake Forest. Matt Reed and
Conor Peterson added 10 points apiece and 6-10 junior Joe Borcia had 8 points, 6 rebounds and 5 assists.
But a chance to take the lead after three quarters took a stunning turn for the Wildcats when a turnover led to
O'Neill's bomb off an inbound pass.
"That was really a great play for us momentum-wise," Pitcher said. "That was big," Lipp said. "That made it a 4-point
deficit and we had to claw our way back. It was tiring coming from behind and you have to really push it."
A 4-point play by Reed helped the Wildcats erase an 8-point deficit and tie it twice on Lipp's running jumper and his
baseline drive and layup assist to Bryan Scanlan. But they missed their last six 3 attempts in their third straight loss.
"This was a game we thought we could get, so it's not good that we ended up losing it," Lipp said. "It would have
given us some good momentum going to Proviso (West tournament)."
Will McClaughtry added 7 points and 6 rebounds while battling Borcia, and Jeff Zahery hit two 3s off the bench as
the Bears rebounded from consecutive division losses to Lake Forest and Zion-Benton.
"We were under control and the last few games when we were in a similar situation we lost control," Travlos said.
"We worked in practice a lot against 7-on-5 defensively, holding the ball, staying under control and not getting too
wild."
Travlos, Kruse pace Lake Zurich
Daily Herald report
Lake Zurich's boys basketball team bolted to a 26-4 lead after one quarter and never looked back en
route to a 79-48 nonconference win over host Johnsburg on Friday night.
Mike Travlos and Brad Kruse scored 21 and 20 points, respectively, for Lake Zurich (5-3), which was
up 40-12 at halftime. Kruse was 5 of 6 from three-point range after going 3 of 3 from beyond the arc
against Lake Forest on Wednesday.
Steve Dixon scored 17 points for Johnsburg.
"We came out very hot and played good 'D,' " Lake Zurich coach Billy Pitcher said. "It was great that
everyone got in the first half. We were able play a lot of guys tonight."
Road wins for Carmel, LZ
Daily Herald report
Lake Zurich 65, Lincoln-Way Central 52: Mike Travlos poured in 21 points, as the Bears won a
nonconference road game.
"Overall, great team performance," Lake Zurich coach Billy Pitcher said. "I'm very proud of the guys and
their effort after a long drive and game (Friday) night (59-49 loss to Warren)."
Lake Zurich (9-7) bolted to a 19-10 lead after one quarter, led 35-25 at halftime and was up 51-36 after
three. Will McClaughry added 12 points, while Corey Helgeson totaled 9 points and 7 rebounds for the
Bears. Pitcher credited Matt Moon with a "great floor game and defense." Moon had 4 steals and 4
assists, and did not turn the ball over.
Lake Zurich subdues Streamwood
Daily Herald report
Lake Zurich's basketball team overcame an early deficit to knock off host Streamwood 56-34 in an MLK
tournament game Wednesday night.
Mike Travlos scored a game-high 19 points to lead the Bears (10-7), who trailed 11-3 midway through the
opening quarter. Coach Billy Pitcher then called a timeout, and the visitors were up 12-11 heading into the
second quarter.
Lake Zurich extended its advantage to 31-21 by halftime. Brad Kruse added 13 points in the win. The
Bears grabbed 11 offensive board and outrebounded the Sabres 27-21.
Easy to account for Kruse's basketball focus
| Lake Zurich's Brad Kruse, left, and Libertyville's Johnny Vernasco chase a
loose ball during NSC Lake play at Lake Zurich.
Patricia Babcock McGraw
When Brad Kruse is tested in a gym, he usually passes with
flying colors.
The self-described "gym rat" has been a double-figure scorer for
Lake Zurich for the last two years, and is currently averaging
about 14 points as a team captain.
But Kruse, a versatile 6-foot-4 senior shooting guard who has
filled in as a post player when the Bears have had a void there, has a much different kind of gym test
coming up. It's a test that could have even more to do with his future than a good game on the
hardwood.
Kruse, an honors student who boasts a 4-plus grade point average, will take part in an upcoming
Future Business Leaders of America test that will take place in the gym at Warren High School.
Business-minded students from all over the area will compete for the best scores on a test that could
cover everything from accounting to economics to business ethics and marketing.
"I've always been interested in business," said Kruse, who helped the Bears take care of business
Wednesday night with a win at Streamwood that pushed their record to 10-7 on the season. "I'm
thinking about being an accountant, just like my dad. I've interned for him the last two summers and
it's interesting. I've learned a lot from him because he really knows a lot about it."
Fred Kruse, Brad's dad, also knows a lot about basketball. He was a standout player at Buffalo Grove
High School and then played college ball at North Dakota and North Park.
When Brad took up basketball early in grade school, Fred was with him every step of the way,
teaching him the fundamentals, encouraging him to work extra on his game, and coaching his youth
teams.
"My dad helped to coach my feeder teams in sixth, seventh and eighth grade," said Kruse, who also
averages about 6 rebounds and 4 assists per game, both team bests. "He taught me everything I
know about basketball. He's helped with my shooting and ball-handling and mechanics.
"He's spent a lot of time with me."
An only child, Kruse says he's gotten a lot of his parents' attention. In fact, his dad has tried to also fill
the role of an older brother, someone who would have seen it as his duty to toughen Brad up.
"I couldn't really play too hard against my dad, because he had his hip replaced when I was about 5
years old," Kruse said. "But he toughened me up in other ways. He'd push me to work hard every
day. We'd do shooting contests and it would get intense.
"When he coached me when I was younger, he was always tougher on me than any of the other kids.
That toughened me up, too." Now, Kruse doesn't even blink an eye when his coaches ask him to play
out of position or tangle with guys who are bigger than him. He welcomes the toughest of challenges.
"One of the best things about Brad is how versatile he is," Lake Zurich coach Billy Pitcher said. "He
can play 1 through 5 and he's pretty equal at all positions. And he's almost always guarding the other
team's best player. He's versatile on defense, too.
"I think it's partly because he's the hardest working guy in the program. Everything is always fullspeed with him. He's always working on his game and finding different things to add to it."
Pitcher says he's never had to give Kruse even a nudge to push himself more, which makes Pitcher
chuckle about a conversation he once had with Fred Kruse.
"Brad's dad just wanted to make sure Brad was always working hard," Pitcher said. "So one time, he
told me not to be afraid to get in Brad's face to get him to work hard.
"Of course, I've never had to do that. Not even close. Brad always plays hard and works hard, all on
his own. He's got an unbelievable motor."
Kruse, who started out as a 5-foot-6 freshman, is driven to get the most out of his growth spurt, his
work ethic and his book smarts. He'd like to keep playing basketball at a college that can set him up
for success in the business world.
He's looking at schools such as Illinois Wesleyan, Washington University, Carthage, Case Western,
North Central and Lake Forest.
"I'm looking for a great combo of academics and basketball," Kruse said. "I used to be big into
baseball but I stopped playing my freshman year because I really wanted to play basketball all year
long so that I would have a better chance of getting recruited and playing in college.
"My dad was a basketball player in college and I think I've just always wanted to be like him."
So far, son has been a lot like father.
McClaughry, Helgeson keep LZ centered
Bill Pemstein
At 6-foot-6, junior Will McClaughry gets plenty of time playing
center for the surging Lake Zurich boys basketball team. And that
is so important, with injuries hitting the two other centers on the
team.
McClaughry was having another solid game on Saturday night. He
even drilled a 3-pointer to open up a double digit lead over Niles
North in the Second Annual Lake Zurich Martin Luther King
Classic. And then he fouled out.
Oh, what would these Bears do without their center? No fear, Corey Helgeson was ready for action. He quietly
posted some very good numbers in the 64-49 win:10 points, 13 rebounds and 5 assists. All from a kid who was
playing junior varsity ball a year ago.
"He has worked extremely hard,'' said Lake Zurich coach Billy Pitcher "Corey is incredible condition. He can
play the 3 and the 4. He drives to the basket and he gets those offensive rebounds."
The Bears (12-7) had opened play on Saturday morning with a ringing 67-47 romp over Marian Central.
McClaughry and Mike Travlos shared scoring honors in that matchup with 19 points each. At the start of the
second game, the Vikings of Niles North looked like the fresher club and led 9-2. That lead didn't last long as
Travlos (16 points) went on a personal 5-point run, and the game was knotted at 14-14 after the first quarter.
A scoring drought hit the Vikings halfway through the second quarter. Another five-point streak by Travlos
helped pull the Bears ahead to stay. McClaughry (18 points) scored after a gorgeous pass from Brad Kruse
and Lake Zurich was up 29-19.
"We've won 4 games in a row,'' McClaughry said. "It's our best streak of the year." Pitcher, too, has watched as
McClaughry has stepped up his scoring.
"Last year, he was a high post guy taking 15-footers,'' Pitcher said. "Now he has added strength. He also has a
nice touch from 3-point range." McClaughry's turn at scoring 5 points in a row came in the fourth quarter. He
started with the 3-pointer from the top of the key. "I was in the sectional 3-point shooting contest last year,''
McClaughry said. "And they were playing so far off of me."
Niles North coach coach, Glenn Olson, was tossed out of the game after sustaining his second technical foul.
Despite that setback, his Vikings continued to play hard. By the end of the third quarter, the Vikings were only
5 points down at 44-39. North junior Duante Stephens had a personal 6-point run in that third quarter and
ended up leading all scorers with 20 points.
An old fashioned 3-point play from Helgeson restored the Bears' lead to double digits. "We are on a great run
right now,'' Helgeson said. "We've been pretty much in every game and not been blown out by anyone."
Well-traveled Travlos tears it up for Lake Zurich
Patricia Babcock McGraw
The MVP award for the MLK tournament at Lake Zurich didn't have to "Travlos" far.
Junior guard Mike Travlos averaged nearly 20 points per game over the Bears' five games. In the
championship game against Carmel, Travlos hit 20 points on the head and was a big reason Lake
Zurich was in the game late.
Travlos nailed a 3-pointer to cut Lake Zurich's deficit to four points with 4 minutes left. He also made
an old-fashioned 3-point play just a couple minutes later to keep the Bears within striking distance.
"He's a guy that you can really rely on," Lake Zurich coach Billy Pitcher said. "He may have some
droughts, but then he makes up for it with streaks in which he gets really hot. He's our best scorer,
best athlete and best shooter and it makes a huge difference having a guy like that you can rely on."
Good planning:
The final game on the schedule of the Martin Luther King tournament at Lake Zurich happened to
provide fans with the perfect send-off.
The matchup, predetermined well in advance, pitted undefeated Carmel (4-0 up to that point in the
tournament) against host Lake Zurich (also 4-0). The Corsairs won Monday's game 58-47 to win the
championship and get their 17th win of the season.
"We kind of looked at all the teams in the tournament and made a guess on which teams might have
the best shot of getting to that point (with a good record), and it happened to work out having us play
Carmel last," said Lake Zurich coach Billy Pitcher, who is heavily involved in the planning of the 2year-old tournament. "It was a good game, we got some students here, so it was a good atmosphere
(for a championship game)."
With Martin Luther King tournaments becoming more en vogue, Pitcher is excited to keep his
tournament going, even though it means adding to his plate.
"It can be a little hard, because I'm trying to deal with referees, I'm making sure that all-tournament
team picks get in and I'm going around making sure that people are having a good experience here.
And there's all the planning that goes into it, too. It's a lot of time," Pitcher said. "But I think it's fun and
it's fun for our kids and it's a great opportunity to get a lot of home games, too.
"All the teams we've talked to want to come back and we're doing some recruiting to add some
teams, too."
McClaughry, Lake Zurich line up a victory
Patricia Babcock McGraw
Big guys often get a bad rap as bad free throw shooters. (Think Shaq.) Will McClaughry did his best anti-Shaq
impression on Saturday night.
Instead of clank, clank clank, it was swish, swish, swish as Lake Zurich's 6-foot-6 center put on a free throw
shooting clinic in leading the Bears to a 69-58 North Suburban Conference Lake Division victory at Libertyville.
McClaughry went a perfect 8-for-8 at the line in the last minute of the fourth quarter to help Lake Zurich hold off the
relentless Wildcats, who were down by only 4 points with 40 seconds remaining. He was 10-for-10 from the line in
the second half and 10-for-11 on the game en route to 14 points.
"Lately, we've been working on free throws a lot in practice and I just keep it in my head to keep both arms up and
follow through," McClaughry said. "I think it's about repetition. I try to shoot (free throws) as much as I can."
Libertyville, desperate to stop the clock in the final seconds, kept fouling McClaughry, thinking it a safe bet to put the
big man on the line.
"Will is a good free throw shooter and a good shooter overall," Lake Zurich guard Mike Travlos said. "He was in the
3-point shootout last year and went down to sectionals. He can shoot the ball. A lot of people might not know that
about him. "I'm not surprised he went 10-for-10 (in the second half)."
Overall, Lake Zurich, which improves to 14-10 overall and 3-5 in the North Suburban Lake, hit 13-of-19 free throws
in the fourth quarter and 22-of-30 free throws for the game. Travlos hit 6-of-7 free throws himself on his way to a
game-high 28 points. He was also efficient from the field, connecting on 10-of-19 shots, including two 3-pointers. In
the second quarter, he was nearly unstoppable, scoring 13 points on a variety of shots and moves.
"I have to be honest, I was getting a little lucky. I hit some shots where the shot selection was mediocre but they
were just falling," Travlos said. "I was hot and my teammates were looking for me and we were playing well."
And yet, despite the explosion by Travlos and a 3-pointer at the halftime buzzer by Brad Kruse (13 points overall),
Lake Zurich took just a 34-33 lead into the locker room at the break.
A 17-2 run over the first half of the third quarter is where Lake Zurich ultimately took control. "That was our best
quarter of the season," Lake Zurich coach Billy Pitcher said of the third. "We were really clicking on both ends of the
floor, making some great plays. And (Libertyville) missed some shots that they would normally make. And we were
able to take advantage of it with some transition points."
Libertyville, which drops to 9-9 on the season and 2-5 in the NSC Lake, hit just 4-of-13 shots in the third quarter, but
was able to cut a 16-point deficit to 10 points at the end of the quarter on some strong moves inside by Ben Kimpler
and Joe Borcia.
The Wildcats again had trouble getting shots to fall in the fourth quarter, going 6-of-23 from the field. "We have
trouble sometimes executing at the end of games," said Borcia, who had a team-high 16 points. "I think we did a
better job defensively in the second half. I think if we played that way early on it would have been a different game.
"It's frustrating because we started the season 5-0. But, in my opinion, this is the best conference in the state and
it's hard to get wins in conference. " Libertyville also got 14 points from Conor Peterson and 10 points from Matt
Reed.
"We were down by 16 points and we fought back, give the kids credit for that," Libertyville coach Scott Bogumil said.
"But when we were down 6 points near the end there, we had three straight possessions where we had good looks
and we just couldn't get the shot to fall. Then we had to foul. And Lake Zurich is really good at knocking down free
throws when they have the lead. The same thing happened to us the last time we played them."
Football star Matt Moon has crossover appeal for Lake Zurich
02/06/2014By Tim Froehlig | For Sun-Times Media | @ TFroehlig
LAKE ZURICH — Lake Zurich senior Matt Moon knows a thing or two
about winning.
As a lockdown starting cornerback in football, he was one reason the
Bears made a run to the Class 7A state title game last fall.
He was also the lone player from his club to be credited with a
broken/deflected pass in a 30-0 title game loss to Mount Carmel, thanks
in part to his tremendous acceleration and closing speed.
But it isn’t Moon’s football skills opponents are noticing now. It’s his
rapidly growing ability on the basketball court.
“I absolutely think Matt’s talents on the football field translate to the
basketball court,” said coach Billy Pitcher, whose Bears were 13-10
through Feb. 3. “He complements our other guys well. He’s looking to
set up and make plays, where a lot of the other guys are looking to score.”
That was evident during last week’s NSC Lake Division matchup against Class 4A state title contender Zion-Benton (19-1
overall). Starting in just his fourth game of the season, Moon dished out four assists in limited action. Several of his
passes were beauties, drawing loud applause. He even tallied seven assists against Wauconda several days earlier.
“Both sports have a certain degree of physicality, but being a defensive back [in football], you look at the whole field,”
Moon said. “That’s really helped me transition into my role as a guard here with the basketball team.
“That’s because here, on the basketball court, I’m trying to find an open guy or make a play happen. Being used to having
a wider range of vision and having to scan the entire field when I was playing football helps me find an open teammate
easier on the court I think.”
In the 68-45 loss to the Zee-Bees, Moon beat two Division I recruits — Milik Yarbrough and Admiral Schofield — off
the dribble to the basket more than once. Though Moon is humble about such moments, Bears teammate Brad Kruse said
he thinks he knows why they happen.
“He’s not gonna be the guy who scores a ton of points, but he’s going to be one of those guys who hustles as hard as
anyone out there all the time,” Kruse said. “You have to be quick to play cornerback and you have to be able to react
quickly. You have to be able to do the same kinds of things when you play point guard. Matt just keeps getting better and
gives us a huge amount of energy.”
Moon used a personal trainer last summer, then went through the Bears’ weekly lifting schedule and practices during
football season. Now he lifts with his basketball teammates twice a week, then two more times a week, separately, after
school.
“In addition to playing solid defense, Matt’s one of our physically stronger guys, too,” Pitcher said. “And that’s been kind
of our Achilles’ heel in the division here. Strength — [us] not having enough strength. He’s put a lot of time into strength
training, weight training, agility training. “It’s paying off. He’s just a flat-out good athlete. He’s one of those kids who
competes and doesn’t back down from anybody.”
Tough or not, Moon admits the clock on his athletic career is ticking. “I don’t think I’ll play sports in college,” Moon said.
“I just got accepted to Georgia Tech, and am focusing on academics. I’m studying engineering. But for now, I just hope to
help my team any way I can and finish strong. We still have a very good basketball team here.”
Lake Zurich throws Warren for a loss
Patricia Babcock McGraw
Under second-year coach Ryan Webber, Warren has become synonymous with zone defense.
How rarely does Warren fall into a man-to-man defense?
"I'd say we go into a man maybe one possession a game," Warren senior guard Eric Gillespie said.
"And we probably only do that every other game."
But with a game on the line Saturday night at Lake Zurich, the Blue Devils decided to dust off their
seldom-used man-to-man defense to cause confusion.
Warren figured that a zone would be the last kind of defense the host Bears would expect. As it
turned out, there was confusion. But not the kind that Warren intended. The only ones who were
confused during Lake Zurich's final possession were the Blue Devils, and it cost them a victory.
Lake Zurich, on Throw Back Night in its old gym, pulled out a North Suburban Conference Lake
Division squeaker in jaw-dropping fashion, 46-45.
With 17 seconds left and Lake Zurich down by a point, guard Mike Travlos brought the ball up the
length of the floor. To his surprise, as weaved around in the frontcourt, the entire right side of the lane
suddenly parted like the Red Sea and Travlos drove to the basket unobstructed and unguarded.
"It was wide open. There was some kind of switch (by the defense), and I noticed that the lane
opened right up and I took it," Travlos said. "I was real surprise about that."
The equally shocked Blue Devils, now down by a point, called a timeout and had 8 seconds left to
respond with a basket of their own. Gillespie, whose pressure-packed free throws on the possession
before Travlos' heroics put Warren up 45-44, drove the length of the floor, penetrated and kicked out
to a wide open James Betori (10 points, including two 3-pointers, on the night). But Betori just missed
on a 3-pointer from the baseline, and time expired as Travlos tracked down the rebound.
"That (final Lake Zurich) possession sums up why we don't play man," Webber said. "We just needed
to get a stop and instead (Travlos) dribbled the length of the floor and shot an uncontested layup like
no one else was in the gym. There's not really anything else you can say about that, but you have to
question why we did what we did."
For Lake Zurich, which improves to 15-11 overall and 4-6 in Lake Division play, there was never a
question as to who would have the ball in his hands on that final possession. Travlos had been the
Bears' most aggressive attacker all night. He finished with 16 points, tied with Gillespie for game-high
scoring honors.
"The first half, Mike was the only one who was aggressive for us," said Lake Zurich coach Billy
Pitcher, whose team is one win away from posting the most wins in a season over his four-year
career. "He was the only one who was in there attacking. He's just confident doing that."
Now, the Bears, who also got 9 points from Brad Kruse and 7 points from Will McClaughry, have
more confidence in their ability to win close games.
"We had a lead there and then we missed some free throws and then gave it back, and I think it's a
testament to our resolve that we came back and pulled this out in a tight game," Pitcher said. "The
guys just kept believing and during timeouts, we just said here's what we're going to do to come
through."
For the Blue Devils, who drop to 14-12 overall and 4-7 in the Lake, coming through in the future might
have to be done without senior guard Adrian Deere, one of the team's leading scorers (15 ppg).
Deere was going up for a wide-open, breakaway layup with 2:15 left in the first quarter when it
appeared that his knee buckled under him. He fell to the floor and then had to be helped off to the
locker room. He did not return to the game, but he did sit on the bench with a huge icepack wrapped
to his knee.
"It was downhill from there and it changed our whole night," Webber said of losing Deere, who missed
a handful of games earlier in the season with a knee injury. "You're without your best athlete. That's
tough.
"We battled, but (Lake Zurich) made one more play than we did."
Morrissey helps Stevenson tackle Lake Zurich
Bill Pemstein
At Stevenson, they can talk all day long about what makes senior Matt Morrissey such a splendid defensive player.
After all, he’s a football player first, and that’s why he’ll play that sport at Michigan State next year.
But on Wednesday night at home, the defensive whiz morphed into a dazzling 3-point shooter. He led his Patriots
(22-1) with five 3-pointers as the Pats breezed to another NSC Lake Division victory, this one 75-52 over Lake
Zurich. If there was any disappointment on the Stevenson side, it was that the Pats as a whole finished one 3pointer short of a tying a school record after finishing with 10 3’s. Now we will get a quick lesson on what makes
Morrissey such a talented defender.
“He guards the best of the best,’’ said Stevenson coach Pat Ambrose. “He guarded all those good players at
Proviso. He can do it all. I think he plays the ball in the air better than anyone.” Yes, just like a talented defensive
back might do.
“We have three great guards,’’ Morrissey said. “And they set screens and free shots up for you.”
Morrissey led a balanced Stevenson attack with 19 points. He sat and watched the entire fourth quarter on the
bench. His 3-point show closed the third quarter as he hit three 3-pointers in the last three minutes of the period.
When the last one landed, his Pats were up by 30 points at 66-36.
“I haven’t done anything like this year,’’ Morrissey said. “I had a couple games like this last year. I’m starting to feel it
again.” On back-to-back hook shots from Lake Zurich center, Will McClaughry, the visiting Bears (15-12) trailed just
14-10 late in the first quarter.
“Stevenson is tough,’’ said Lake Zurich coach Billy Pitcher. “Every time you make a mistake, it’s magnified. We were
right there at 14-10 and then the lead is double digits. They hit shots and we didn’t.” Stevenson’s Connor Cashaw
(13 points) was saluted prior to the game for surpassing 1,000 career points. He celebrated by dunking the ball in
the first quarter, which ignited a 9-0 run by the home team.
If Lake Zurich was going to make a run at the favored Pats, it came in the second quarter. The Pats missed their
first three shots as Lake Zurich’s Mike Travlos began to make some shots. However, that’s when Morrissey hit
another 3-pointer and gifted guard Jalen Brunson (17 points) had a personal 6-point run. The halftime lead was 4022. “All of our kids can shoot the ball,’’ Ambrose said. “Matt got it going tonight.”
Pitcher noted a few of his players stepped up in this one-sided affair.
“Will (McClaughry) is getting more aggressive,’’ Pitcher said. “And both Jack O’Neill and Nick Penny gave us good
minutes. We have to put this game in perspective. We have to be more aggressive. We can play better.” Morrissey’s
defensive attention went to Travlos. The junior led Lake Zurich with 15 points. “Travlos has really improved,’’
Morrissey said. “He’s tough to guard.”
For this football player, basketball has brought Morrissey some good times. “We are doing pretty well,’’ Morrissey
said. “We have some of the best guards around and we have good team chemistry.”
Thanks to Penny, Lake Zurich banks a victory
Jeff Newton
It’s not all that uncommon to see a sophomore contributing on the varsity level. Even in the final minutes
of a tight game, underclassmen are making plays all the time. So when Lake Zurich sophomore Nick
Penny came up with 3 huge free throws in overtime of Saturday night’s nonconference contest with
visiting Highland Park, no one was surprised.
Well, no one on the Lake Zurich side, at least.
“He is the type of player that if you take a minute off in practice he is going to beat you,” said LZ senior
Brad Kruse. “He works hard every day and he pushes everyone to get better.”
With the game knotted at 45-45 in overtime, the Bears didn’t call on the likes of Kruse or leading scorer
Mike Travlos. Instead, Penny found himself with the ball and, to no one’s surprise, he came up big.
Penny was fouled attempting a layup with 20.5 seconds left, putting him at the free-throw line. Like
someone who has been in that spot hundreds of times, Penny calmly drained both free throws, lifting the
hosts to a 49-45 win.
“It’s just free throws,” said Penny, who scored 3 points, dished out 4 assists and played the entire fourth
quarter and overtime. “You try not to think about the game or the time left. I just look at it as free throws,
nothing more.”
Lake Zurich (16-12) got to overtime after trailing for all but 65 seconds. Trailing by as many as 11 points in
the second half, the Bears finally caught up thanks to the red-hot shooting of Jack O’Neill. O’Neill drained
a trio of 3-pointers, with all of them coming in the final quarter. His biggest shot came when the Bears
needed it most.
With time running down, Travlos, who led the Bears with 17 points, found a well-guarded O’Neill on the
wing near the Bears bench. His long 3-pointer with six seconds left brought the Bears even and forced
overtime at 42-42. Kruse was also a big offensive factor with 12 points and 9 boards.
“I’m real happy for Jack,” Lake Zurich coach Billy Pitcher said of O’Neill. “He stepped up and got real hot
there at the end.”
Another key to the Bears’ comeback was the play of their defense in the second half. Highland Park (187) built a 25-14 advantage early in the period thanks in large part to the play of junior guard David Sachs.
It was his game-best 18 points that helped the Giants build their advantage.
“Lake Zurich showed a lot of patience to get great shots,” said Highland Park coach Paul Harris. “Lake
Zurich tightened up defensively in the second half and focused on David a bunch. But we still had some
shots and good looks that just didn’t fall.”
Lake Zurich fends off Mundelein
Daily Herald report
Lake Zurich’s boys basketball team avoided an upset in its North Suburban Lake Division finale
Friday night.
Mike Travlos scored 20 points, hitting 9 of 12 free throws, and Brad Kruse added 17 points and 9
rebounds, as the visiting Bears held off Mundelein 78-69.
Mundelein (2-26, 0-12) led 63-57 with five minutes left in the fourth quarter.
Lake Zurich (17-12, 5-7) also got big lifts from sophomores Nick Penny (8 points, 11 rebounds) and
Nick Meyer (7 points on 3-of-3 shooting).
Sam Nelson and Derek Parola led Mundelein with 14 points apiece, while J.T. Michalski had 13 for
the Mustangs, who were up 22-17 after one quarter but trailed 34-33 at halftime and 51-50 after
three.
Lake Zurich 76, Round Lake 46
Daily Herald report
Mike Travlos’ double-double of 18 points and 11 rebounds led the Bears.
The North Suburban crossover was tied 9-9 early, before the visitors closed the opening quarter with
a 14-6 run to lead 23-15.
Lake Zurich (18-12) extended its lead to 42-24 by halftime and was up 55-30 after three.
The Bears outrebounded the Panthers 50-26.
Karnell Wright scored 10 of his team-high 13 points in the first half for Round Lake (5-22).
Corey Helgeson and Will McClaughry added 8 points apiece for Lake Zurich.
“We did a nice job getting the ball inside early and running in transition,” Bears coach Billy Pitcher
said. “Wright is a great player and scorer, so I was proud of our effort holding him to 3 free throws and
no field goals in the second half.”
Lake Zurich’s 18 wins are its most since 2005, when the Bears advanced to the sectional
championship. The Bears’ 7-7 mark in NSC games represents its best in its nine seasons in the
conference. All levels concluded the season with a winning record, as the freshmen finished at 18-9
and the sophomores went 24-5.
Travlos' touch helps Lake Zurich turn back Prospect
Dick Quagliano
Mike Travlos went inside and outside to lead No. 7 Lake Zurich past No. 10 Prospect 52-48 on Tuesday
night in the Class 4A regional boys basketball semifinals at Hersey in Arlington Heights. The Bears (1912) will meet No. 2 Fremd (26-0) in Friday's regional final.
"Our schedule really prepared us for tonight," Lake Zurich coach Billy Pitcher said. "You have to grind for
every possession on both ends of the floor."
Travlos hit a pair of 3-point shots and had three 3-point plays. He was also 6-of-6 from the free throw line
in the final minute to finish with 27 points.
"I was pretty hot and I drew a few fouls," said Travlos, who is a junior. "The refs seemed to call it every
time I made a layup and I am thankful for that.
It was a battle between juniors as Travlos and Prospect's Kyle Beyak, who finished with a career-high 25
points, from start to finish. Beyak got the Knights (16-12) going early, scoring his team's first 8 points while
nailing a couple of 3-pointers as Prospect led 8-3 early.
Travlos, who is beginning to draw some Division I interest, helped heat up the Bears. He scored 11 of
Lake Zurich's next 13 points to build a 16-12 lead after the first quarter. Danny Thomas (8 points) hit a
couple of baskets as the Knights ran off 6 unanswered points to pull Prospect ahead 18-17 early in the
second quarter.
Lake Zurich surged ahead 25-21 on a layup by Travlos with 2:21 left in the first half. Prospect responded
by scoring the final 5 points of the half, with Beyak adding his third of four 3-point baskets to put Prospect
up 26-25 at the half.
"We were a bit frustrated at halftime," Pitcher said. "Mike (Travlos) is the only guy that was doing
something. We needed our other guys to be aggressive and get the ball inside more."
Lake Zurich began to extend their defense in the second half, attempting to deny Beyak the ball. That
opened up Bobby Frasco (11 points), who had a 3-point play of his own and also nailed a 3-point basket
to put the Knights up 36-33 with 2:54 left in the third quarter. Lake Zurich's Will McClaughry then began to
deploy himself on the offensive boards.
The 6-foot-6 junior crashed the boards, hitting a pair of put back baskets and also had a layup to to open
the final quarter. His play, along with a 3-pointer by Travlos ignited an 11-2 run by the Bears, who opened
up a 44-38 lead with 5:07 to play.
"Rebounding is something we really have been focusing on in practice," said McClaughry, who finished
with 13 points and 9 rebounds.
"We went to the Prospect-Fremd game last week and we wanted to crash the boards against Prospect.
We knew we could get lots of extra opportunities."
Prospect closed to 44-41 with 1:09 left to play on a layup by Kyle Formanski. But that's as close as the
Knights would get with Lake Zurich hitting all eight of its free throws down the stretch.
"It was a tough loss," Prospect coach John Camardella said. "We needed an extra rebound or an extra
possession.
"The character and integrity of this group is as solid as any group I have been around. They made such
progress as a group and I would say that they maximized their talent."
Glassman, Fremd too much for Lake Zurich
Dick Quagliano
Riley Glassmann and Fremd’s boys basketball team put on a shooting clinic against Lake Zurich on Friday
night in the Hersey regional final in Arlington Heights. The Vikings senior was relentless from the field,
converting 10 of 13 shots as Fremd rolled past the Bears 58-44. The Mid-Suburban champs (27-0) continued
their unbeaten season and will meet Highland Park at the Lake Zurich sectional on Wednesday.
Glassmann didn’t start the game in championship form, air-mailing his first shot. But from there, he was a
complete deadeye, hitting eight consecutive and going 4-for-5 from outside the arc.
“My teammates got me the ball early,” said Glassmann, who finished with 26 points. “I hit a couple of shots and
it got us going. They set some screens for me and I made some shots.” Glassmann got the Vikings off to a
huge start. With the game tied at 4, Glassmann scored the next 10 points, hitting two 3-pointers during the run
as the Vikings built a 16-4 lead with 52 seconds left in the first quarter.
“Obviously, Riley played real well tonight,” said Fremd coach Bob Widlowski. “He steps up in the big games
and he did that for us tonight.”
After Glassmann got things rolling, Matt Ochoa took his turn. The 6-foot-6 forward scored Fremd’s next 6
points as the Vikings increased their lead to 22-8 with 6:57 left in the first half. “We wanted to come out strong
and fast,” said Ochoa, who finished with 14 points and 6 rebounds. “We wanted to be the aggressor. I thought
our first quarter we came out real strong.”
Lake Zurich (19-9) had a modest run of 5 unanswered points to cut the lead to 22-14. Fremd extended the lead
again to 30-16 with with 3:39 left in the half when Lake Zurich turned up its defense. Forcing 4 turnovers, the
Bears, behind the play of Mike Travlos (20 points), rallied to make it 31-26 with 49.6 seconds left in the first
half. But Fremd’s Jason Roundy buried a 3-pointer from the left corner as time expired to put the Vikes up 3426 at the half.
“I thought the big thing for Fremd was their physicality and defense,” said Lake Zurich coach Billy Pitcher. “We
needed more guys knocking down some shots. We made a run at the end of the half. And we switched
defenses to stop them.”
Fremd slowed the game down to start the second half. The Vikings used three minutes in their first three
possessions and converted on each possession to build a 40-28 lead. Fremd pulled away late in the third
quarter thanks to Glassmann. Leading 43-35, Glassmann nailed a 3-pointer and a 2-point field goal. Ochoa
also made a layup as Fremd put the clamps on the Bears with a 50-35 lead with 6:41 to play. The Vikings’ Ben
Carlson, who finished with 9 points and 6 rebounds, was impressed with how his team played defense.
“We just wanted to play sound on defense,” said Carlson whose team forced 14 turnovers. “Our goal was to
stop them and keep them away from second chances.”
Widlowski was pleased at how his team has continued to be focused in its play. “I thought we played very well
tonight,” Widlwoski said. “That’s two games in a row we played great defense. I thought (Garrett) Groot and
(Xavier) Williams did a great job guarding Travlos.”
Lake Zurich, which got 9 points from Will McClaughry and will have three starters returning next year, has lots
to build on for next season. “We are proud of what we accomplished this year,” Pitcher said. “Our goal was a
20-win season and a regional title. We just finished one game short.”
LAKE ZURICH BASKETBALL – PROGRAM RECORDS
All-Time Leading Scorers
1. Mike Kolze 2001-2005: 1,962 points
2. Connor Mooney 2006-2009: 1,294 points
3. Austin Scott 2003-2006: 1,287 points
4. Shaun Clements 1997-2000: 1,226 points
5. Jim Roberts 1993-1996: 1,168 points
6. Mike Travlos 2011-2015: 959 points
7. Mirko Grcic 2010-2012: 937 points
8. Brandon Kunz 2006-2009: 924 points
Career Assists
Mike Kolze 551
Most Points in a game
Mike Kolze 44 - 2004
Single Season Assists
Mike Kolze 214
Highest Single Season Average
Mike Kolze 24.6ppg - 2004
Most Assists in a Game
Connor Mooney 11 - 2008
Career Free Throws Made
Mike Kolze 385
Career Rebounds
Brandon Kunz 701
Single Season Free Throws Made
Mike Travlos 174 - 2014
Single Season Rebounds
Mirko Grcic 301
Career Highest FT Percentage (min. 100)
Mike Kolze 83% (385/464)
Most Rebounds in a game
Brandon Kunz 23 - 2009
Highest FT Percentage Season (min.60)
Mike Kolze 89.7% - 2004 (166/185)
Career 3 Pointers made
Austin Scott 264
Consecutive FTs Made
Mike Kolze 48 -2004
Single Season 3 Pointers made
Blocked Shots in a Season
Austin Scott 114 -2005
Brandon Kunz 64 – 2009
Most 3 Pointers Made in a Game
Most Charges Taken in a Season
John Lazar 9 - 1998
Doug Murphy 48 – 2012
Highest 3P% Season (min. 40)
Ryan Roach 54.5% - 2012 (24/44)
TEAM HISTORY
Year
Record
2013-2014
19-13
2012-2013
IHSA Seed
Playoff Finish
Team MVP
7
4A Regional Final
Mike Travlos
15-16
11
4A Regional Semifinal
Brad Kruse
2011-2012
15-16
11
4A Regional Final
Mirko Grcic
2010-2011
7-20
20
4A Regional Quarterfinal
Mirko Grcic
2009-2010
3-24
21
4A Regional Quarterfinal
Marko Grcic
2008-2009
16-13
9
4A Regional Final
Connor Mooney
2007-2008
17-12
14
2A Regional Semifinal
Brandon Kunz
2006-2007
11-17
17
2A Regional Semifinal
Steve Kunz
2005-2006
15-12
11
2A Regional Semifinal
Austin Scott
2004-2005
27-2
3
2A Sectional Final
Mike Kolze
2003-2004
14-14
10
2A Regional Final
Mike Kolze
2002-2003
7-20
14
2A Regional Semifinal
Jeff Moore
2001-2002
23-6
4
2A Sectional Final
Jeff Mikos
2000-2001
21-6
5
2A Regional Final
Bernard Middleton
1999-2000
15-11
6
2A Regional Final
Shaun Clements
1998-1999
16-11
6
2A Regional Final
Mark Willis
1997-1998
13-13
10
2A Regional Semifinal
John Lazar
1996-1997
18-9
7
2A Regional Final
Thor Solverson
1995-1996
21-7
4
2A Sectional Semifinal
Jim Roberts
LAKE ZURICH BOYS BASKETBALL
JV GAME RESULTS
DATE
SCORE RESULTS
1-4-14
LAKE FOREST 63 - LZ 59
LEADING SCORERS
Wallace, O’Neill,
McCoy, and
Penny=11points
Meyer = 20 points
Wallace = 17 points
Penny and Riauba = 10
points
Penny = 9 points
12-7-13
LZ 60 - MUNDELEIN 49
1-11-14
STEVENSON 49 - LZ 42
McCoy – 9 points
1-13-14
LZ 55 - WARREN 49
McCoy = 18 points
Riauba = 14 points
Meyer = 11 points
Meyer = 12 points
12-16-13
12-19-13
1-20-14
2-3-14
ZION BENTON 77 - LZ 71
LZ 48 - LIBERTYVILLE 44
MARIAN CENTRAL VARSITY 58 - LZ
46
LIBERTYVILLE 61 - LZ 54
2-10-14
WARREN 60 - LZ 53
2-22-14
LZ 87 - MUNDELEIN 82
RECORD
1-0
1-1
2-1
2-2
2-3
3-3
3-4
O’Neill = 17 points
McCoy = 12 points
Penny = 10 points
O’Neill = 18 points
Meyer = 26 points
Penny = 20 points
FINAL JV RECORD: 4 WINS, 6 LOSSES
LAKE DIVISION RECORD: 4-5
3-5
3-6
4-6
LAKE ZURICH BOYS BASKETBALL
JUNIOR VARSITY STATISTICS, 2013-2014
#
NAME
G
2’S
3’S
FTM
FTA
FT%
TP
HIGH
PPG
2
MATT MOON
1
1
1
0
0
0.0
5
5
5.0
4
JEFF ZAHERY
1
2
0
1
3
33.3
5
5
5.0
10
DAVE BROWN
10
9
0
1
3
33.3
19
6
2.1
12
NATE RATHE
1
1
0
2
4
50.0
4
4
4
12
CORY HELGESON
1
2
0
2
4
50.4
6
6
6
14
GEORGE MAROUDAS
9
10
7
4
5
80.0
45
8
5.6
23
NICK MEYER
10
23
7
17
25
68.0
84
26
9.3
24
NICK MCCOY
8
12
16
7
13
53.4
79
18
11.2
30
JACK O’NEILL
4
7
9
3
7
42.9
44
18
11.0
32
KUNAL KOTHARI
7
4
1
1
2
50.0
12
6
1.8
35
BRANDON PEREL
1
0
0
0
0
0.0
0
0
0.0
42
NICK PENNY
9
22
8
13
20
65.0
81
20
10.1
44
ZACH WALLACE
6
13
0
6
12
50.0
32
17
6.4
50
TIM SPEARS
1
0
0
0
0
0.0
0
0
0.0
50
POVILOS RIAUBA
6
9
7
15
24
62.5
54
14
6.0
50
ANDREW GILBERTSON
1
0
0
0
0
0.0
0
0
0.0
54
MATT BAUMANN
4
5
0
2
6
33.3
12
6
4.0
TEAM TOTALS
10
120
56
74
128
57.8
482
87
48.2
OPPONENT TOTALS
10
136
45
94
156
60.3
501
83
50.1