The pendulum has swung back in favor of Neuqua Valley junior forward Luke Balgro. That’s a good thing for the Wildcats too. The 6-foot-3 Balgro has had an up-and-down career as he moved up the ranks of the program. “Last year, I think Luke may have had the most disappointing sophomore season ev er,” Neuqua Valley assistant Tyler Sutton said. “He had a great freshman year and a very disappointing sophomore year. “I think there was a little pressure last year being the guy on the sophomore team. This year, the pressure is not on him, so I think he’s just playing more relaxed.” The spotlight is firmly fixed on Neuqua’s star guards, sophomore Cole Kelly and junior Mason Martin, an Illinois commit. That duo combined to score 57 points during the Wildcats’ 75-69 win over Bolingbrook in the When Sides Collide shootout at Benet on Saturday. Balgro, meanwhile, is toiling in the proverbial shadows, but that hasn’t gone unnoticed by his teammates. “He’s improved tremendously,” Martin said. “He’s got a lot better IQ, and he’s better defensively too. He grabs every single rebound.” Well, not every rebound, but sometimes it seems that way. “He’s super physical, super strong, and he’s a super good rebounder,” Martin said. “He crashes the offensive boards and defensive boards really hard, so when we miss, we know he’s there to clean it up. “He’s a super good finisher too — gets a lot of and-ones. So that’s why he gets a bunch of double-doubles.” Neuqua Valley's Luke Balgro (20) rebounds the ball during a nonconference game at Yorkville on Wednesday, Dec. 10, 2025. (Sean King / Naperville Sun) Balgro has six double-doubles this season. He’s averaging 8.5 points and 5.5 rebounds while shooting 40% from 3-point range and about 68% overall. The latter number, if maintained for the rest of the season, would come close to setting a school record. Balgro is often a master of efficiency. He demonstrated that Tuesday, scoring six points on 3-of-4 shooting, grabbing five rebounds, and recording an assist and a steal to help the Wildcats beat host Barrington 70-59 in a nonconference game to extend their winning streak to 19. Among Balgro’s highlights was a nifty assist on junior guard Danny Mikuta’s basket that gave the Wildcats (21-1), who are ranked No. 7 in Class 4A in the poll by The Associated Press, a 23-11 lead in the second quarter. Another came early in the third quarter. After the Broncos (7-12) cut the lead to 30-28, Balgro rebounded a missed 3-point shot by Martin and scored. That started an 11-0 run during which Balgro had a steal that led to a layup by Martin, who scored 17 of his 22 points in the second half. Neuqua Valley's Luke Balgro (20) drives to the basket during a nonconference game at Yorkville on Wednesday, Dec. 10, 2025. (Sean King / Naperville Sun) While Martin and Kelly, who led all players with 24 points and 11 rebounds, get their fair share of boards, Balgro seems to snag the most crucial ones. “You’ve just got to get down there,” Balgro said. “I don’t really know how to say it, but every time the ball goes up, I just know I got to go get it. “Coach loves rebounding, so I’ve just got to make him happy and get some boards.” Balgro is happy with his play so far and didn’t expect he’d have this much success. “Yeah, I am a little surprised,” he said. “We were ranked 15th in preseason, so I already knew I had some weight on my back. “The first couple games, I was kind of getting into that varsity mode a little bit. I was still transitioning from the sophomore level to the varsity level.” The transition didn’t take long. “After the first couple games, I kind of fell in shape with my boys Mason and Cole,” Balgro said. “I realize how (junior point guard) Carter (Coviello) passes the ball and how we all play, and the chemistry just all fell together. It just works really well.” Neuqua Valley’s Luke Balgro (20) looks to pass the ball during a nonconference game at Barrington on Tuesday, Jan. 27, 2026. (Brian O’Mahoney / Naperville Sun) Balgro knows he’ll never be the No. 1 guy for the Wildcats, and he’s fine with that. “He knows his role, and he embraces it,” Sutton said. “He knows he has to finish inside, rebound, don’t turn it over, just do what you’re supposed to do. “You’re successful when you embrace your role.” Balgro said he gets his toughness from playing football. He was a blocking tight end for the Wildcats in the fall. “He’s a tough kid,” Sutton said. “He knows how to cut. He knows how to attack in transition. He’s just a ballplayer.” Matt Le Cren is a freelance reporter. ...read more read less