Coach: Dave Rieker, 2nd season
Record: 7-15
Last Year: 7-15 (4-8 TAAC)
Key Players: Marquise Harrison, 6-2, Sr., G; Dexter Williams, 5-6, Jr., G; Austin Adams,
6-2, Fr., G; Kyle Hatfield, 6-5, Sr., C; Michael Blazevich, 6-1, Sr., F

Dave Rieker is hoping his second season at the helm of Cardinal Stritch turns out better
than his first.

Rieker, who guided the Cardinals to a 7-15 finish last season, is optimistic after inheriting
a pair of transfer students from Waite.

Senior shooting guard Marquise Harrison and shifty junior point guard Dexter Williams
will jump right into the starting lineup and contribute to an up-tempo offense.

“They give us more of a dimension and bring added athleticism,” said Rieker, who star-
red at the University of Toledo from 1979-83.

“They’re not saviors,” he said. “They’re just another piece to the puzzle. Now, it’s up to
us to put that puzzle together.”

Both Harrison and Williams sat out last season as part of the transfer process but are
working hard to get back into basketball shape.

“I think there is going to be some adjusting for them,” Rieker said. “I noticed that in
our first scrimmage. I expect some jitters from them, but they are [upperclassman],
so it’s not like throwing a freshman out there.”

Speaking of freshman, Rieker expects big contributions from Austin Adams this season.

Adams, a 6-2 guard, is the lone freshman on the roster and is expected see significant
playing time.

“He comes to play every single day,” Rieker said. “He is a very determined young man.
...You would never know he is a freshman by watching him play.”

Senior center Kyle Hatfield will anchor the inside alongside senior forward Michael
Blazevich.

Blazevich averaged six points and 4.5 rebounds last season.

With five returning letterwinners and the additions of Williams and Harrison, Rieker
expects to be deeper and much improved this season.

“I would like to compete every night,” he said, “and I would like to say we can
contend for the title.”

Coach: Terry Murnen, 2nd season
Record: 3-18
Last Year: 3-18 (3-9 TAAC)
Key Players: Abby Mass, 5-6, Jr., G; Marisa Katafiasz, 5-5, Sr., G; Hailie Jameson, 5-8, Jr., F; Ally Niehaus, 5-9, Sr., F; Alex Veres, 5-9, Jr., F; Broghan Gasser, 5-8, Sr., F

Coach Terry Murnen, now in his second year, welcomes back five returning letterwinners to a team that finished 3-18 last season.

“We're working a lot harder and learning how to play defense,” said Murnen, who expects to play both man-to-man and zone defenses this season. “We didn't work too hard on the defensive end of the floor last year.”

The Cardinals averaged 10 steals per game last season but were unable to turn them into points, shooting just 23 percent from the field.

“We're better offensively,” said Murnen, who spent 10 seasons at Central Catholic before joining Stritch. “Last year, we couldn't throw the ball into the ocean from a boat.

“I’m focusing on fundamentals,” he said. “We’re going back to the basics—getting our feet underneath us, squaring our shoulders up, following through—and doing all of the little things.”

Senior Marisa Katafiasz, one of five seniors on Murnen’s roster, will anchor the point. Katafiasz averaged 4.6 ppg last season.

“She is very quick and can handle the ball,” Murnen said. “Right now, we’re just working on the decision making process.”

Seniors Ally Niehaus and Broghan Gasser and junior Alex Veres are expected to be forces inside. Niehaus averaged a team-leading seven rebounds last season.

Two transfer students are also expected to play key roles this season.

Junior Abby Mass, a 5-6 guard, joins the team after spending two seasons at Tiffin Calvert, and junior Hailie Jameson arrives from Rossford.

Murnen would like to see his team play with intensity this season, something they failed to do last winter.

“We're going to go out and challenge people this year,” he said. “We’re working on our competitiveness. Sometimes my girls are too nice, so we need to learn to be competitive and add a little swagger to our game.”