High school basketball: High hopes this season for Wheaton North boys, Glenbard South, Glenbard West, Wheaton North, Wheaton Warrenville South girls

The stats can say a lot about a basketball team or a specific player. Winning percentage, points per game, 3-point percentage and number of steals are all part of the key stats that coaches, players and fans look at. Here are some numbers to know for area boys and girls basketball teams this season.

.862 Winning percentage for Glenbard West's boys last season

129 Combined number of 3-pointers made by Wheaton North's Luke Anthony and Rowan McGowen last season

7.7 Rebounds per game for Glenbard South's Charlie Bair last season

9-7 DuPage Valley Conference record for Wheaton Warrenville South's boys last year

13 Number of boys players St. Francis lost to graduation, injury and other sports

13.2 Average points per game for Wheaton Warrenville South's Jayla Johnson last season. She also pulled down 8.2 rebounds per game

4 Seniors Wheaton North's girls team lost from last season

2009 Last time Glenbard South's boys won a regional title before last season

8 Number of 20-win seasons Wheaton Warrenville South's girls have had since 2003-04

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The ultimate destination for high school boys basketball teams is the Peoria Civic Center for the state finals in March, but it is a long road to get there. Here's the outlook for Glenbard South, Glenbard West, Wheaton North, Wheaton Warrenville South and other area teams.

Glenbard South Raiders

Coach: Wade Hardtke

2015-16 record: 20-10

TOP PLAYERS

NAME YEAR POS.

Charlie Bair sr. F

Peter Jeske sr. F

Brandon Whiteside jr. G

Outlook: After some ups and downs in the regular season, the Raiders caught fire and advanced all the way to the sectional championship game. Yet aside from Bair, South saw most of its major contributors graduate from that squad.

South could do a lot worse that build around Bair, who was all-conference in the Metro Suburban West last year. Jeske will see a larger role this season after being a reserve, and Whiteside looks to build on his solid postseason of a year ago. Senior forwards Billy Powers and Adam Puchalski will also be mainstays as the Raiders test out the new players on the roster early in the season.

Glenbard West Hilltoppers

Coach: Tim Hoder

2015-16 record: 25-4

TOP PLAYERS

NAME YEAR POS.

Chris Langan sr. G

Connor Mullins sr. G

Alex Pihlstrom sr. F

Evan Taylor so. F

Outlook: The Hilltoppers graduated all five starters from the team that won the program's first conference title in 43 years last season, including versatile all-state forward Justin Pierce (24.8 points and 11 rebounds per game) and guard Alex Passi (12.9 points, 3.8 assists).

Langan, Mullins and Pihlstrom saw regular action last year and senior forwards Mark Mattson, Logan Morrison and Kevin Nelson were also on the varsity, but West will rely on several newcomers to make an impact this year. That includes Taylor, who is already on the radar of Division I college coaches.

St. Francis Spartans

Coach: Erin Dwyer

2015-16 record: 11-19

TOP PLAYERS

NAME YEAR POS.

Matt Cooney jr. G

John Detloff jr. F

Andrew Harvey jr. F

Bryan Murray sr. F

Alex Rueth jr. G

Outlook:  The Spartans lost 19 games a season ago, but their 13 losses from that squad hurt more than anything. The team lost 11 seniors from a year ago, but two players it expected to have back, Shane Walker and Greg Bogdanski, didn't return. Walker suffered a knee injury during the football season while Bogdanski has decided to wrestle this winter.

Murray took on a major leadership role last year. Newcomers, including Harvey (6-foot-4), Cooney, Detloff (6-5) and Rueth add some size. Sophomore Mike Cascella and seniors Tim Sullivan and John Brundage all could see action off the bench at guard.

Wheaton Academy Warriors

Coach: Dave Osborn

2015-16 record: 11-16

TOP PLAYERS

NAME YEAR POS.

Michael Callantine jr. C

Stephen Garrison jr. F

JD Gunn jr. G

Jameson Teuscher sr. G

Outlook: Looking to continue their upward path, the Warriors will rely on the size of Garrison (6-foot-5) and Gunn (6-4) inside and the sharpshooting Teuscher outside.

It will be a team effort on the scoreboard without the graduated Anthony Polinski and injured forward Tommy Blum, who is out for the season.

Wheaton North Falcons

Coach: Dave Brackmann

2015-16 record: 18-9

TOP PLAYERS

NAME YEAR POS.

Luke Anthony sr. G

Jack Bennett sr. G/F

Ethan Block sr. G

Michael Gehl sr. F

Rowan McGowen sr. F

Outlook: The Falcons won't look drastically different this year, which should give opponents a scare.

All five starters are back, and even key reserves like senior Matt Brcka and junior Josh Sorensen return, which means North is ready to hit the ground running this season.

Anthony (15.9 points per game last season) and McGowen (17.5 points per game) will be the centerpieces offensively, but Gehl can quietly fill up the stat sheet at both ends of the floor and Bennett and Block provide versatility. Sophomore varsity arrival Deng Reng will offer some height as the Falcons fight for the DuPage Valley Conference title.

Wheaton Warrenville South Tigers

Coach: Mike Healy

2015-16 record: 17-12

TOP PLAYERS

NAME YEAR POS.

Matt Dohse sr. G

Drew Healy sr. G

Jake Ruggles sr. F

Outlook: The Tigers saw five starters, which accounted for the overwhelming majority of their scoring and rebounding last year, graduate in the spring. Though it may take some time for roles to solidify, South is expecting a team-wide effort at both ends of the floor.

Dohse, Healy and Ruggles have the most experience, but seniors Dillon Durrett, Paul Kienzle and Alejandro Pinto were with the varsity last year, and juniors Jake Healy and Parker Robinson are expected to contribute.

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With the girls basketball season underway, teams are already jockeying for position on the road to Redbird Arena, the sight of the state finals. Glenbard South, Glenbard West, Wheaton North and Wheaton Warrenville South have the talent in place to make a run to state. Here is the outlook for those and other area teams.

Glenbard South Raiders

Coach: Morgan Kasperek

2015-16 record: 18-11

TOP PLAYERS

NAME YEAR POS.

Maggie Bair so. C/F

Mady Carli jr. G

Sarah Cohen jr. G

Ally Daca jr. F

Ashley Dodge jr. F

Outlook: There is not a senior to be found on the Raiders' roster, but the team has plenty of experience with all five starters returning from the team that tied for the Metro Suburban West title and won a regional title.

Bair, Daca, Dodge and freshman Akayhla Dixon offer size around the bucket while Carli, Cohen and junior Gianna Anderson will push the pace at guard as South again shoots for conference and regional titles.

Glenbard West Hilltoppers

Coach: Karen Persinger

2015-16 record: 13-16

TOP PLAYERS

NAME YEAR POS.

Sammy Harris jr. G

Catherine Reedy sr. G

Samantha Skirvin sr. F

Cali Villasenor sr. F

Outlook: The Hilltoppers look to continue the upward trend they started last year, and with a solid crew of returners they could make that happen.

Harris, Reedy, Skirvin and Villasenor all played extensively last season. Reedy and junior guard Cameron Kruse will be relied on for the bulk of the ball-handling while Persinger is looking for a team-wide effort on the defensive end. The West Suburban Silver looks to be a wide open race, and the Hilltoppers hope to throw their hat in the ring.

St. Francis

Coach: Melissa Taylor

2015-16 record: 21-11

TOP PLAYERS

NAME YEAR POS.

Isabel Bettag sr. G

Mia Mazza sr. G

Antwainette Walker jr. G/F

Madison Wisted so. G

OUTLOOK: The Spartans are coming off one of their most successful seasons as they won a regional title for the first time in 13 years.

Like most teams, the Spartans lost some seniors, including Sloane Baumgartner, but welcome back a lot of key players, including Walker, who has been making big contributions since her freshman season. Bettag, Mazza and Wisted will also be relied upon at both ends of the floor, while Taylor is hopeful freshman Elise Hayes and junior Christina Fasana will have smooth transitions to varsity.

Wheaton Academy Warriors

Coach: Tory Gum

2015-16 record: 17-10

TOP PLAYERS

NAME YEAR POS.

Meredith Bult sr. F

Chrislyn Herring sr. G

Emily Renn sr. G

Lizzy Swoboda jr. G

Outlook: Gum takes over the bench from Beth Mitchell and has plenty of talent returning to the team, though replacing the scoring punch of graduated players Jamie Netzley and Elizabeth Melby will be a challenge. The Warriors hope a focus on tough defense can lead to turnovers and easy baskets at the offensive end.

Wheaton North Falcons

Coach: Dave Eaton

2015-16 record: 12-16

TOP PLAYERS

NAME YEAR POS.

Sophie Ahlberg jr. G

Nikki Baird so. F

Bella Mullaney sr. F

Hannah Swider jr. G

Matti Zander so. G

Outlook: The Falcons relied on a slew of young players last season and their record suffered because of it, but those youngsters are back and ready to compete this season.

Leading scorer and rebounder Emmy Gryna has graduated, but Swider (10.8 points per game), Baird (10 ppg), Zander (4.8 ppg), Mullaney (4.1 ppg), sophomore Sarah Topps (4.8 ppg) and Ahlberg (team-high 61 assists) all made significant contributions last season.

The year of experience should help immensely this season, and the Falcons will rely on tough defense to keep opponents off balance.

Wheaton Warrenville South Tigers

Coach: Rob Kroehnke

2015-16 record: 18-10

TOP PLAYERS

NAME YEAR POS.

Mira Emma so. G

Jayla Johnson jr. F

Jayne LaBelle sr. F

McKenzie Stebbins so. G

Sarah Struebing sr. G

Kennedy Youngblood jr. G

Outlook: Aside from the graduated Erin Madigan, who went down with a season-ending injury midway through last season, the Tigers return a majority of their key contributors and the entire quintet that started toward the end of the 2015-16 campaign.

Johnson led in both points (13.2) and rebounds (8.2) per game last season and she will be a focal point. Emma (5.6 ppg), Struebing (5.3 ppg) and LaBelle (4.5 ppg) will take on larger scoring roles this season.

Stebbins, Youngblood, sophomore guard Maria Dohse and junior forward Emily Zappia should also see more floor time as Tigers look to reach the 20-win mark.