Boys Basketball: Streppa’s value to Lake Forest goes beyond the scorebook
BY TIM FROEHLIG Contributor February 10, 2012 11:28PM
Lake Forest's Luke Streppa drives by Stevenson's Matt Morrissey during Friday's game. | Joel Lerner~Sun-Times Media
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Updated: March 17, 2012 8:09AM
He may not be the leader in most statistical categories on the scoresheet each night, but Lake Forest senior guard Luke Streppa may just be the heart and soul of the Scouts’ varsity boys basketball team.
During the team’s recent Senior Night game against rival Stevenson — a 51-44 setback — Streppa was inserted into the starting lineup, as a sign of respect by coach Phil LaScala.
His six points and two rebounds that night weren’t staggering, yet when he was on the floor, it was extremely difficult for a lot of fans to take their eyes off him. Perhaps that’s because he was involved in so many plays. Or maybe, it was because all of his points came late in the fourth quarter, when the game was on the line — which is often when the best or hardest working players seem to shine.
“Luke gives us a huge spark off the bench every night,” LaScala said. “I mean, when you watch him play, there’s not much he doesn’t do, or isn’t capable of doing.
“He knows our offensive and defensive systems as well as anyone on the team,” LaScala continued. “And there have been countless games where we’ve been behind, and he’s helped bring us back into it. Not to mention, he’s an unbelievable leader in practice. He leads by example, which seems to really have an impact on our younger players.”
He also knows the value of a good pass. A season ago, he finished tied for the team lead in assists with 55.
Most nights, Streppa is almost like money in the bank. He’ll get you anywhere between 6-12 points per game. He’s also very selective with his shots, and he has an excellent outside shooting touch — especially from three-point range.
When you combine these ingredients with the fact he is a team captain, and a three-year varsity player, it’s easy to see why he’s almost always the first player LaScala turns to on his bench.
Defensively, he’s one of the hardest working players on the court — one who’s often responsible for guarding the other teams’ top players. The 6-foot, 150-pounder plays a much bigger and more physical style than his size.
“When it comes to defense, coach (LaScala) does a great job of preaching the basics,” Streppa said. “It’s only when we get away from those fundamental things that we struggle.”
Lake Forest has made a name for itself because of those strong defensive efforts. Coming into the week, the Scouts were allowing just under 50 points per game — which is not bad when you consider they play in the North Suburban Conference’s Lake Division, which only has one team with a losing record.
“Every time we lose a game like we lost to Stevenson, we make sure we learn from it,” Streppa said. Our goal is to peak during the playoffs.”
On a roll: Despite the loss to Stevenson, the Scouts (13-10 overall, 4-6 NSC Lake) opened the week with a 10-5 record in their last 15 games. This after starting the season with just three wins in their first eight games.
The difference between now and then?
“Defense. It all starts with defense,” LaScala said. “Actually, we’ve struggled the last several games in that area. We need to go back to our fundamentals, basically, if we want to be successful when the playoffs get here.”
Nice seed, indeed: Speaking of the playoffs, the Scouts were fortunate enough to draw a No. 5 seed in the upcoming IHSA Class 4A Palatine Regional. This, despite the fact three teams in their own division who had more wins than them (Libertyville, Stevenson and Lake Zurich), were all given lower seeds.
Libertyville is a No. 7 seed, Stevenson is a No. 8 seed and Lake Zurich is a No. 11 seed — and all three are in the same sectional bracket as the Scouts.
“I was maybe a little surprised (we got seeded that high),” LaScala said. “But we were pretty confident, and I think we’re definitely deserving of that seed.”
The Scouts’ first playoff game will be against either Grant (No. 12 seed) or Wheeling (No. 21 seed), Wednesday, Feb. 29, at 7:30 p.m. That game will be held at Palatine High School.
Rival’s praise: At least one NSC Lake coach thinks LaScala should be the conference’s coach of the year. And it’s one of the Scouts’ biggest rivals who offered the praise.
“As far as I’m concerned, Phil LaScala is the coach of the year in our conference,” Stevenson coach Pat Ambrose said.Up next
On the schedule: The Scouts’ next game is Friday, Feb. 17, at 7:30 p.m. in Lake Zurich, where they wrap up Lake Division play. They then finish their regular season schedule on Tuesday, Feb. 21 at Round Lake.
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