Varsity Boys’ Basketball Determined to Succeed in League

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SIDNEY AUNG
Sports Editor

A new season awaits the ambitious varsity boys’ basketball team as they approach Almont League with aspirations of victory. After finishing their previous season with a league record of 2-8, the Moors are eager to prove themselves this year. With a lineup of both experienced and fresh talent led by the new Head Coach, Robert Blanchard, the Moors are hoping to reach their goal of winning league this year.
“My expectations are to develop these young athletes into complete persons. We will be more competitive this year, but we must play as a team in order to win,” Blanchard said.
In addition to adjusting to the new coach, the team has been adapting to a system that is heavily focused on defensive strategies. According to the players, turnovers can lead to easy fast break points which they can take advantage of.
“[Our] coaching staff has a saying: good defense will earn you playing time. Stopping the other team from scoring is crucial and will obviously increase [our chances of winning],” Blanchard said.
Conditioning is an important factor in the success of athletic teams, and the Moors are emphasizing the need to stay in shape in order to be ready to play against fast-paced teams. Talent coupled with physical preparation is crucial to winning basketball games and the team plans to be in excellent shape by the time season starts.
“Conditioning is very important and we spent the off-season on the track. Even the drills we do keep us conditioned and pushes us into game-time situations,” point guard Wai Sett said.
In addition to their physical preparation, the team’s solid chemistry will play a vital role in their success. After hours spent with each other at practice, the players are comfortable working as one unit. They acknowledge each others’ tendencies and have begun incorporating their individual playing styles into how they play as a team.
“Our chemistry is great because we’re friends off the court, but we’re still getting accustomed to the system on the court,” Sett said.