Boys basketball: Streator Bulldogs reload with youth to complement Christian Benning

Last winter, the Streator Bulldogs were led by a triumvirate — Jack Haynes, The Times Boys Basketball Player of the Year; Times All-Area honorable mentionee and sharpshooter Jack Starkey; and Times Second Team selection and sophomore point guard Christian Benning.

With Starkey, Haynes and nine additional seniors from last season’s 21-9, Illinois Central Eight Conference champion team gone to Pomp and Circumstance, there’s an expectation last year’s three-man production will become a one-man show starring the physical, battle-tested-beyond-his-years Benning.

“I think that’s going to be the perception outside,” Bulldogs coach Beau Doty (14 seasons, 197-159) said. “I don’t necessarily think we’re viewing it like that at all.

“This is a group Christian grew up playing with, has a lot of continuity with and a lot of experience with. It’s a group we’ve looked at for a long time, this junior group specifically, and we’ve had some very pleasant developments in the sophomore group behind them.

“We’re super excited about this year and what we can be as a cohesive unit. Christian has earned the recognition from his play last year as an all-conference performer and a key member of our 21-win and conference champion team. But we feel really strongly about the commitment level of this group ... and we’re starting to build that cohesiveness.”

Doty knows, however, that all eyes to begin the year will be on his junior point guard ... and with good reason. Benning put up 15.8 points, 6.2 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 2.3 steals as a sophomore, making 42.6% of his shots from the field. Doty fully expects him to be “the focal point” of this winter’s Streator team.

But as Doty said, even though Benning is the only returner with meaningful varsity experience and the roster contains only two seniors — forward Austin Taylor (all four years in the program) and guard Adam Williamson (returning to basketball) — the plan isn’t to put everything on his shoulders.

Benning’s fellow juniors bring strong numbers and intriguing talent. Expect posts Layton Finney (6-6), Quinn Baker (6-6) and Landon Muntz (6-3) to make heavy contributions in the paint, while outside leading juniors include Jaydon Nambo, Cade Peterson and Logan Aukland. Cole Park, Alex Kostal and Zander McCloskey are other 11th-grade guards competing for time in that main rotation.

They and the rest of the juniors are being pushed by a trio of sophomore call-ups who have earned varsity jerseys — post player Nolan Lukach (6-3) and guards Matt Williamson and Isaiah Weibel.

“I feel like this is a much different team than last year in a lot of ways,” Doty said. “We have depth of scoring this year. We’ll have guys who come off the bench who can make an impact. We’re trying to figure out who those guys are right now.

“Starting roles and things are up for grabs right now, and the guys know that. This could be a group where that’s in flux throughout the year. I feel like we have a solid eight, nine guys, and the others are right there pushing at the door to get into that group.”

While having just two seniors is not ideal, it does allow the Bulldogs to view the development of their largely unproven junior and sophomore classes as not just a one-season project while still having the talent to compete for their share of wins in the present.

“We’re looking at this as, yeah, we lost a lot, but we feel really confident about the abilities of our guys,” Doty said. “It’s really just a matter of staying the course when things get tough; accepting the challenges, accepting the bumps in the road and the failures; and viewing it as a long-term project to get better and compete at the right times. ...

“I’m very excited about what we could be.”

Streator is slated to open the season in Ottawa’s week-long Dean Riley “Shootin’ the Rock” tournament again this Thanksgiving week, opening Monday at 8 p.m. against expected Class 2A powerhouse Princeton.