Posted: Dec. 15, 2009 |(0) Comments

Just a few weeks into the season and one thing has become clear in the North Shore Conference boys basketball race.

Nothing will be like it was the last few years when Germantown and Whitefish Bay ruled the roost.

Conference favorites Port Washington (2-0), Milwaukee Lutheran (2-1) and Cedarburg (3-0) got the nonconference starts they wanted, while rebuilding powerhouses from last year Bay (2-1) and Germantown (2-0) haven't exactly struggled out of the gate.

Former power Nicolet (2-0) looks like its ready to stretch its legs again with a veteran crew, too, while Homestead (1-1) also tested itself well, with a solid effort against defending Division 2 state champ Wisconsin Lutheran while Grafton (0-1) looks to improve itself this season.

New Bay coach Kevin Lazovik summed up the situation this way: "There isn't going to be a team out there who isn't going to bring it every night," he said.

And just how much of a new look will the league, which began play this past weekend, get this winter?

Germantown's young guns

Look at Germantown (champs 2006-07 and 2007-08) as a prime example, as the Warhawks are starting four sophomores and coach Steve Showalter is still looking for anyone who bears a passing resemblance to two-time All-Suburban Player of the Year center Ben Averkamp (starting as a freshmen for Loyola of Chicago, he had a good game in a win over UW-Milwaukee at the U.S. Cellular Arena played before several of his current and former teammates).

That Showalter and crew started the season 2-0 with that much youth in the lineup is almost a miracle and a credit to the talent of the players and the coaches.

How curious has their start been? Showalter's trusted assistant and former Jim "Lou" Lawinger commented on a recent hotly contested win in which the Warhawks had 10 players score: "You normally see that in a blow-out game, not a close one."

"That's just the way it's going to be for us this year," said Showalter.

Showalter's sophomore son, Zak, looks like he inherited his father's touch from the perimeter while Zak's fellow letter-winner from last season, Josh Mongan, has made a stealthy living out at the point, deflecting passes and handing out bushels of assists.

Blue Dukes' new style

Meanwhile, over at Bay (2008-09 titlists), the Blue Dukes are breaking in a new coach, who just happens to be a favorite son and former assistant (Kevin Lazovik), who has gone away from former coach Dave Shaw's trusted flex offense and has instituted a faster, freer motion set.

But they're still looking for replacements for trusted guard Jimmy Sherburne and his bodyguard and post Kevin James. The former is matriculating at Princeton, while the later is making a healthy living as a major league pitching prospect with a nice bonus in his pocket.

Still, senior guard John Johnston is serving in a great leadership role as the only returning starter. The fact that the only returning starter for Bay didn't score a point in a recent win over Hope School didn't bother Lazovik in the least.

"He had a great floor game," Lazovik said.

Highlanders looks to improve

Meanwhile, over at Homestead, coach Ray Curry got a boon, when football/basketball players like John Laihinen, Coy Smith and Bryan Bronaugh got a rare early jump on practice when the football team made a seldom-seen early exit from the state playoffs.

He was not pleased with the loss to Lutheran (led by future Averkamp teammate Flavien Davis), but he knows it will only help his team in the long run.

"That's what a championship team looks like," he said. "That's what kind of pressure we need to get used to and how to handle."

Nicolet's great expectations

Nicolet coach Paul Hepp wants his team to get used to great expectations again after imposing wins over Kenosha Tremper and Marquette. Guard Myles Henry leads a veteran, more solid Knights team

"The experience we have is something you can see," Hepp said, "and we do have a determination that we didn't have last year."

Port's the favorite

But will it be enough to get by a Josh Gasser-led Port Washington squad (he is a Wisconsin recruit), which has steam-rolled two opponents and is expecting nothing less than a league championship and a Division 2 state tournament berth?

And don't count out the Chip Rank paced Cedarburg Bulldogs. Rank, a forward, is building up all-state level credentials after a 32-point effort in a win over Madison West.

Over at Milwaukee Lutheran, the Red Knights return powerhouse guard Chip Kadima, who is getting great help from Garrett Wendelberger. The two combined for 53 points in a recent win over Messmer.

In short, it's a good time to have talent and/or good coaching at your disposal.

Based on what Hepp said, you probably need both in abundance simply to survive.

"Every coach in the North Shore has just remarked about how incredibly deep it is," he said. "That is just outstanding for the league."