ROCHELLE — Tony Rowan ended the Lady Hubs varsity basketball team’s summer camp session Wednesday afternoon by pointing up at the ceiling and speaking to his team about all the conference opponents Rochelle will face during the upcoming season.

The girls sat in the middle of the gymnasium at Rochelle Township High School as Rowan highlighted each team and what the Lady Hubs will need to do in order to accomplish their goals. With another tough conference schedule staring the team down, Rowan is preaching energy and effort as the girls gear up for another year.

“We’re really focusing on the fundamentals right now,” he said. “A lot of kids are coming up from the sophomore level and learning the varsity speed, so it’s going to be a key for us to learn how to catch the ball and shoot at the varsity level. It’s a completely different change and some of these kids are bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, but I think they’re doing a good job of being coachable and trying to soak in whatever we’re throwing at them.”

The Lady Hubs graduated a handful of seniors from this past season, but there are several returning players who will be expected to take on a larger role next year. Whether it’s rising seniors Jacie Wyatt, Morgan Baker and Cesca Vardman or rising junior and 2016-17 All-Conference First Teamer Abby Lundquist, Rowan is looking for last year’s varsity players to have a good showing this summer.

“They have ownership of this program and I’ve relinquished some of my control to them,” Rowan said. “They’ve risen up and taken it… They definitely have a love for the game so it’s up to us as coaches to push them to be the best they can be.”

The Lady Hubs sophomore basketball team is coming off a difficult 2016-17 season, but many girls are back and aiming to carve out roles as first-year varsity players. Some of the girls who put in work during Rochelle’s summer camp this past week were Emilee Dueringer, Grace Garcia, Makenna Ferrari, Shelby Sanderson, Cam Turner, Cheyene Watson and leading scorer Kylee Muraira.

“They haven’t won many games but understanding the work ethic it takes to win games is going to be huge,” Rowan said. “The seniors are doing a good job showing them what that work ethic looks like. It’s creating a lot of chemistry on the floor, and we’ve taken some bumps and bruises in the Byron League but it’s about learning how to play at the varsity speed. Hopefully we’ll be able to play at that speed when November comes.”

The girls will have contact days throughout the summer, Rowan said, but the Lady Hubs varsity basketball coach said it was very important for the girls to attend summer camp this past week and shake off the rust. Rochelle’s 2016-17 season ended in the regional semifinals, but this year’s group is aiming to push beyond that level.

“It’s about getting fundamentally sound and making sure our tool box is set,” Rowan said. “Being able to dribble and make layups with both hands, and passing is going to be a key factor for us. Man-to-man defense and being able to rotate on defense… A lot of these kids don’t have fall sports so we’ll be sharpening up throughout the fall as well.”