The Oakton Community College basketball teams have had no shortage of fresh faces coming in this summer, as the men's and women's programs have added new recruits this offseason.
The women's team recently added Arnisha Dobbey from Wendell Phillips Academy in Chicago. Dobbey “has incredible speed and in-your-face defense who we expect to lead us in on-the-ball and full-court pressure," Owls head coach Melissa Rauschenberg told the North Cook News in an email interview.
The team is continuing to recruit during this summer, Rauschenberg added.
The Owls are expected to have a good nucleus back from last season, when they went 1-25.
Team captain Mallory Gonzalez will return this season after averaging 11.2 points, 7.2 rebounds and four assists per contest last season. Point guard Atorena Michael also is back, after averaging 7.5 points, 4.9 rebounds and two assists per contest in 11 games. Other key returners are Doris Garcia (4.3 rebounds, 3.3 points per game), Maria Berrum (4.5 rebounds, 3.7 points, 1.2 steals per game), Emily Bernath (8.3 points, five rebounds per game in three games), Sarina Lakhani (2.5 points, 2.4 rebounds per game) and Michelle Fox (3.4 points per game).
Gonzalez and Michael were named to the All-Illinois Skyway Collegiate Conference second team last season, according to Oakton.edu.
For the season, the Owls averaged 36.5 points and 35.5 rebounds per contest, according to NJCAA.org.
All of the key returners are sophomores and incoming talent are expected give the Owls' coaches high expectations, Rauschenberg said.
“We expect to be a contender for another conference title, as well as make our way through the postseason,” she said.
The Oakton men's team also added five recruits to the roster, with all of the players hailing from Illinois.
New to the Owls program are Cameron Graves of Yorkville (Benet Academy), Antonio Matthews of Bellwood (Foreman), Patrick Hamilton of Northbrook (Glenbrook North), Josean Rio of Skokie (Maine West) and Christopher Winters of Chicago (Leo).
The Owls went 5-26 last season, including a 2-12 mark in the conference. They averaged 70.2 points and 30.5 rebounds a game. Six Oakton players averaged 8.6 points per game or more.
Elgin and Moraine tied for the men's regular-season conference championship after each went 10-4 last season in conference play. In the women's division, Waubonsee was the undisputed champion with a 14-0 mark. Moraine was second at 11-3.
The Oakton basketball teams compete in Division II of the National Junior College Athletic Association.
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