2009 - 2010 Preview
Local basketball fans will be familiar with many of the players on the 2009-10 team. Head Coach Joe Kuhn and his staff had a very successful recruiting year of the top local players. Adding a large number of all-conference players was very important as there is only one returning player from last season's team that finished 25-7 and Region IV runner up. "I believe that we had an excellent recruiting year so it will be a matter of putting it all together," according to Coach Kuhn who enters his thirteenth season as JJC's coach.
This season's lone returning sophomore is Brandon Redmond from Lockport High School. The Wolves did pick up two transfers, Brian Bradley (Kirkwood CC/Lockport) and Nathan Swarts (Elmhurst/Monticello). "I look for Redmond to have a great year," Kuhn said. "Brandon was our top all around player last season and I feel that experience will help him tremendously." Redmond worked extremely hard on his game over the summer, according to Kuhn. And by adding Brian Bradley, a teammate of Redmond's at Lockport, the Wolves look to be very strong on the perimeter. "We recruited Brian out of Lockport and are really excited that he is with us," Kuhn said. "When you have a two-time all state player in your backcourt, you have a chance to be in a lot of games and Brian gives us that." Swarts gives the Wolves a legitimate scorer and physical presence around the basket. "Nate should help free up our perimeter players as he can score well inside," according to Kuhn. "I really like our sophomore players, which is really important at this level."
The top local freshmen include local standouts Pat Devine (Joliet Catholic), Reggie Lemon (Plainfield North), Andy Supergan (Seneca), Jon Bartlett (Lincoln-Way East), Alex Applebee (Seneca), Lennell Pierce (Joliet Township), and Jeff Allen (Plainfield Central). JJC also picked up Justin Reed (Cardinal Ritter, IN) and Sam Stewart (Oak Hill Academy, VA). "This freshman class will have an impact on our season as they are a talented group," said Coach Kuhn. "We have eight players that were all-conference and of that eight, five of them were all-area. They just need to get used to the college game."
"I am excited about the prospects and the challenges of this season," Kuhn said. "This is one of the hardest working teams that I have had at JJC, which is very enjoyable. They are very fun to coach. But because we have so many freshmen there will be some growing pains along the way. Putting the pieces together in such a short time is what makes coaching at the junior college level so exciting."