Knowing you have a returning a senior who averages 20 points and 10 rebounds per game is bound to give a coach a good night's sleep from time to time.

But it's been the little surprises here and there that have made the start of Lake Forest's boys basketball season that much more enjoyable for coach Phil LaScala.

Evan Boudreaux was a given. The 6-foot-7 senior, already committed to Dartmouth, has been a four-year scoring and rebounding machine for the Scouts and is arguably one of the top players in the state.

But things didn't look so rosy early on for Scouts, particularly when the team's returning point guard, Jack Traynor, injured his knee at the end of the football season and was not scheduled to return to the team until mid-to-late December.

Enter Scott Dent, a 5-10 senior and Justin McMahon, a 6-foot sophomore. Both have been nearly flawless in helping to lead Lake Forest to a 5-0 record and a 1-0 mark in the North Suburban Lake.

"Obviously being a point guard means more than just getting out there and playing," LaScala said. "You've got to be a leader on the floor and know a lot about your team. These two guys have been solid in handling the pressure and getting the ball to the right guys. They handled things even better than I could have imagined coming in."

But the surprises don't stop there for the Scouts. Lake Forest hoped the return of 6-7 senior junior Lorenzo Edwards, who hadn't played basketball in eight months, would give the Scouts some added depth. His 11-point, nine-rebound performance in a 58-49 win against Zion-Benton this weekend instead signaled yet another dangerous aspect of the team.

Lake Forest already had senior Noah Karras, last year's sixth man, penciled in as a starter, and he's averaging 13 points per game, including 11 against the Zee-Bees. Seniors Steve Vogrichand Tommy Trkla, 6-6 and 6-5, respectively,provide plenty of company for Boudreaux in the paint.

The North Suburban Lake will be difficult this season, but that can only help prepare the Scouts for what they hope is a strong league finish and an even longer postseason run.

"Ever night in our league is going to be tough," said LaScala. "Four teams in our league won Thanksgiving tournaments, and there are only six teams in the league. We've got Lake Zurich coming up this week and they're going to be gunning for us. We've got to make sure we're mentally ready every game to take someone's best shot. Because they're coming after us.

"Nobody's going to take Lake Forest lightly."

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