March 6:  the last game of the Huntley boys basketball 2011-2012 season.  Rockford Auburn extinguished the final flame under the team that hoped to establish itself as one of the elite programs in the area.  All eyes turned to “next year.”

“I don’t know yet,” said Marty Manning.  “But I do know we haven’t shot as well as last year.”

Manning has summarized the start to this “next year”:  we don’t know what will happen.  The star who was supposed to be our savior has fallen to a knee injury.  The team that was supposed to pan out has given games to Carmel Catholic High School, Fremd, and Crystal Lake Central.  The year that was supposed to be our redemption has taken a turn for the worse.  But the real question is:  what happened?

Huntley lacks the aggression and strength needed to excel.  The Red Raiders lost their most dangerous post presence with Amanze Egekeze’s knee surgery and they have struggled to get it back.  The larger Crystal Lake Central team pushed the Huntley players around and dominated the inside game.

Without a strong post presence, Huntley relies on its outside game.  Seniors Jake Wagner and Tommy Regan are the main three-point threats and these two will have to step up or the Red Raiders will have problems getting wins.

Despite a lack of offense, Huntley has shown elite defense.  The Red Raiders lost their games by a margin of seven points, eight points, and 11 points.  Although they lost these games, they kept it close, even sending Carmel into overtime.  Senior guard Bryce Only has led the team’s defensive efforts and has stepped up as a leader for the team.

One major problem Huntley has faced is inconsistency.  Each player has had instances where he played well and instances where he played poorly.  Unfortunately for the Red Raiders, winning takes consistent good performance.

“We just aren’t consistent,” said Manning.  “We have lots of ways to improve, mostly on offense and fundamentals.”

The most promising news for Huntley is Egekeze’s January return.  His return may give the team the boost it needs.  If this really will be “next year,” this team needs that jumpstart.