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Balance of power

JANESVILLE — Bob Suter knows Big Eight Conference boys basketball better than anybody as he begins his 23rd season as Janesville Craig High School’s head coach.

His forecast for this season is to expect the unexpected.

“The most balanced I’ve seen in 23 years,” Suter says of what he sees from the league this season.

Madison Memorial, the five-time defending Big Eight champion, again appears to be the class of the conference with NCAA Division I recruits senior Jeronne Maymon (Marquette) and junior Vander Blue (Wisconsin).

“After that, the rest of the league is going to be a real donnybrook,” Suter said. “And if Madison Memorial overlooks somebody on any given Friday night, they could get beat. I wouldn’t be surprised if Madison Memorial has a couple of losses or maybe even three.

“The rest of them could have four, five or six losses.”

Craig finished second in the Big Eight to the state runner-up Spartans last season. Suter will rely on returning starters JoJo Pregont and Kyle Goike to match or exceed the 12-4 conference mark and 17-6 overall record the Cougars produced last year.

“All seven of our seniors could be considered starters, depending on whether we go with a big or small lineup,” Suter said. “But we will rely on JoJo and Kyle, and Joe Kennedy also played a great deal, and he also could be considered a returning starter.”

Pregont is expected to be a force and could lead the list of front-line players in the Big Eight. His quickness around the basket creates his scoring opportunities.

“JoJo can be just dominating inside,” Suter said of the 6-foot-6, 205-pound senior, who is coming off an outstanding football season in which he earned Associated Press second-team all-state honors.

Pregont averaged 12 points and grabbed a team-leading 7.6 rebounds a game last season.

Goike complements Pregont’s inside strength with his outside shooting.

The 6-3, 185-pound three-time letter winner averaged 7.8 points last year and made 28 of 83 three-point attempts (33.7 percent). He shot 48.6 percent (36 of 74) from two-point range.

“JoJo and Kyle will have to stay healthy for us,” Suter said. “Goike is a good three-point shooter.”

The 6-foot Kennedy averaged 2.2 points a game last year while seeing extensive varsity playing time.

“Joe is a slasher type,” Suter said. “And he has good range with his shooting.”

As of Wednesday, Suter said he hadn’t determined who would round out the starting lineup when the Cougars open the season with a nonconference game at Madison Edgewood on Saturday night.

Among the candidates are senior guards A.J. Fredricks, Brad Cagney and Keith Wright and senior Will Clanfield, a 6-6, 230-pound center.

Fredricks is back out for basketball after missing last season. He is talented but needs to fit into the offense better, Suter said. Clanfield can provide muscle underneath when Craig goes to a bigger lineup.

Suter said the juniors would take some time to develop into consistent varsity contributors.

“The juniors are as green as grass,” Suter said. “We don’t have much grass around here with the construction going on, but our juniors make up for that.

“I would think by Christmas, our juniors will be much more comfortable,” he said.

Guard Alex Lowe is the only junior who earned a letter last season, but he and fellow junior Mark Losching will miss the start of the season due to code infractions.

Max Niedermeier, a 6-5, 182-pound junior, was a standout keeper for the Craig soccer team.

“He’s very athletic,” Suter said.

Jon Condon, a 6-2 junior guard; Evan Holznecht, a 6-1 junior forward; Michael Pregont, a 6-4, 225-pound center and Jared Johnson, a 6-3 junior forward/guard who transferred in from Hononegah (Ill.) also are among the candidates to receive playing time.

Also expected to receive meaningful playing time is 6-1 sophomore guard Cody Dare.

That adds up to a talented team, which will have to come together quickly in the rugged Big Eight.

“The seniors will have to step up and give us leadership,” Suter said. “Our juniors and some of the newcomers will have to get acclimated to the system. I’m optimistic.”

The 2008-09 Craig schedule:

(7: 30 p.m. unless indicated)

NOVEMBER: x29—At Madison Edgewood.

DECEMBER: 6—Sun Prairie; 9—Beloit Memorial; 13—At Madison La Follette; 18—Madison Memorial; 20—At Middleton.

JANUARY: x2—Milwaukee Hamilton; 6—Janesville Parker; 9—At Madison East; 15—Madison West; 17—At Verona; 23—At Beloit Memorial; 29—Madison La Follette; 31—At Madison Memorial, 2:45 p.m.

FEBRUARY: 5—Middleton; 10—At Janesville Parker; 12—Madison East; 19—At Madison West; 21—At Sun Prairie; 26—Verona.

x—Nonconference