Growth, efficiency focus of DeKalb during summer activities

A lot of longstanding streaks ended for the DeKalb girls basketball team last season.

The Barbs posted a winning record for the first time since 2022. They put up 20 wins in a season for the first time since 2013. They snapped a 16-game losing streak to Sycamore and won the trophy game against the Spartans for the first time since 2014.

The Barbs lost five or six starters and rotational players from last year, coach Brad Bjelk said. But they also bring back four players who started and a strong young group of new players that has the team optimistic as it competes in its summer schedule.

“There’s a lot of potential in the girls in the lower classes,” Johnna Patrick said. “They’ve been showing out and stepping up, just filling the roles we lost.”

Patrick started at point guard last year and returns alongside Zora Watts, Olivia Schermerhorn and Alicia Johnson.

Bjelk said he’s also happy with how 5-foot-9 rising freshman Emma Craig has been playing all summer, filling in pretty much anywhere on the court.

Bjelk said he also likes how Patrick has progressed heading into her sophomore year. She averaged 8.7 points per game last year, second behind Schermerhorn’s 8.8.

“I think she’s got a lot to prove and a lot of areas she can grow and just shine,” Bjelk said. “She’s a good scorer. I think she will continue to build on her defensive skills and just be that floor general ... role she’s taken on.”

Bjelk said he’s hoping to see more efficiency this year across the board. He said he hopes to see it out of everyone, including Schermerhorn, who knocked down 27.2% of her 3-point shots last year and shot 42.4% from the floor, both second on the team to Patrick.

“I think she’s going to develop that and work on her decision-making, being more efficient,” Bjelk said. “I’m hoping all these girls who are returning are able to grow in their efficiency. They are obviously going to score, pass, do those things. But we want to see the growth where they’re doing it all at a higher percentage.”

Last season was just the third winning season for the Barbs since 2014 as they search for their first regional title since 2012.

Schermerhorn said she’s spending the summer working on other parts of her game beyond scoring, including rebounding and defense.

“I want to work on getting lots of rebounds, being a dog basically,” Schermerhorn said. “I just want to contribute to my team however I can.”

Patrick said there’s a lot of potential in this group and is excited for when the real season starts this winter.

Schermerhorn said a lot of that optimism comes from the team’s speed and conditioning.

“I feel like most of our points do come from fast-break layups,” Schermerhorn said. “That’s what we’re about. Getting quick shots.”

Bjelk’s been pleased with the summer so far, which includes participating in the Geneva summer league.

He said the returners are picking up right where they left off and the new players, like Craig, have fit in well.

“We have our standards, we have our expectations and they’re expected to be met,” Bjelk said. “And I think they will be. The standards and bar are raised each year, we want to do better and better.”