Stevenson is emerging

Even Tom Dineen gets nervous.
The former Buffalo Grove coach with over 650 wins couldn't sleep the night before his first practice with Stevenson this fall. But he's probably sleeping a lot better now. The Patriots are 2-1 after beating No. 18 Marian Catholic 60-46 Friday afternoon at the Maine West Tip-Off Tournament.
"We're a little more up-tempo and we like to run the floor and press," Dineen said. "I'm happy with our bench and I've gone seven or eight [players deep] early, but our competition has been pretty good."
Dineen took last season off while he decided what to do about coaching again. He led the Bison to a third place finish in the Class 4A state tournament in 2008 and won a state title with Buffalo Grove in 2000. He had announced before the 2007-08 season that it would be his last at Buffalo Grove. Having last year off was nice, but this year is a lot better.
"I'm having a blast," Dineen said. "I got to know them over the summer, and I have this dry, sarcastic sense of humor so they're starting to figure me out and they are responding to me very well."