Antioch High's Andi Potkonjak is no longer thinking ACL. Instead, she's thinking WIN.
Three minutes.
That's all the time Andi Potkonjak spent on the hardwood last season before suffering the dreaded ACL injury that ended what should have been a breakout season for the then-sophomore at Antioch High.
Despite losing a key piece of the hoops puzzle, the Sequoits still were respectable, finishing 14-14. And now, with Potkonjak almost fully recovered and back at point guard, this season's outlook couldn't be brighter.
"It's probably about 95 percent right now," said Potkonjak about her injured knee. "But it feels great to be back on the court and playing again. Sitting on the bench watching was the hardest thing I've had to do."
Potkonjak got the OK from her doctor to begin playing again in late June.
She built up her confidencne regarding the injury by playing a lot of hoops during the summer, and now feels ready to get the high-school season under way.
"I can't wait for the season to start," said Potkonjak. "I just want to prove to everybody that I'm the same player now that I was before the injury."
One person who already is convinced is Antioch third year coach Tim Borries. "Andi looks fantastic out on the court," he said. "She runs the court so smoothly and she has picked up her defense where she left off. It's just great seeing her run our offense again."
Sophomore Lindsey Gofron really picked up game after replacing Potkonjak last year and now will join her in the backcourt to form one of the top 1-2 guard tandoms in the county.
"Lindsey really played well, especially toward the end of the year," said Borries. "With that experience along with Andi, it's really like we have two point guards who can handle the ball and run our offense."
Antioch also returns three-year varsity players in seniors Lauren Grant and Allie Antilla. "Those two are very athletic post players," said Bories. "Both have 20-inch vertical jumps and play other sports as well."
Juniors Lauren Tiffany, Nicole Kelly, and 5-11 Sarah Gaborek also will see a lot of playing time, as will 6-1 sophomore Jessica Ploss. She is the daughter of John Ploss, who was a star on the 1980-81 Antioch High basketball team that made it to the Elite Eight in the state playoffs.
"We don't have a lot of height, but this is probably one of the smartest groups of basketball players I've ever coached," said Borries. "They all know what we are trying to do, and have fun out there. They are really a great group to coach."
If all goes well, the Sequoits could top the 20-win plateau, could win the Prairie Division of the North Suburban Conferecece, and could make some noise in the IHSA Class 3A playoffs.
"Our guard play will make or break us," said Borries. "But we are very encouraged about we can do on the court. We are going to push the ball up the court and shoot early and often. We should put a lot of points on the board, if we stay healthy."
HOLIDAY HOOPS (GIRLS)
THANKSGIVING TOURNEY SITES
• At Geneva -- Antioch & Lakes
• At Mundelein -- Mundelein, Highland Park, Carmel & Grayslake North
• At Deerfield -- Grant, Deerfield, Lake Forest, North Chicago, Zion-Benton & Waukegan
• At Vernon Hills -- Vernon Hills & Lake Forest Academy
• At Dundee-Crown -- Lake Zurich
• At Buffalo Grove -- Libertyville
• At Maine West -- Stevenson
• At Marian Central -- Grayslake Central & Wauconda
• At New Trier -- Warren
• At Harvard -- Round Lake
• At Elgin Academy -- Woodlands Academy PREP GIRLS BASKETBALL
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