By Cody Pomeranz, ’11, Sports Section Editor
After losing four starting and highly talented seniors, it will certainly be difficult for the boys basketball team to repeat last year’s remarkable success. But with an abundance of talent and fresh blood, the Indians are poised to garner another winning season and deep run in the playoffs.
With senior captain Lawrence Ervin as the only returning starter, the squad’s youth and inexperience will certainly be a weakness. However, due to Ervin’s football injury, he is expected to miss the first month or so of the season. Other senior leaders like Rob Klug and Rameez Khan are expected to step up and fill the void left by last year’s second-team all-league point guard. Klug, who is a quick guard with exceptional athletic ability, will appear on the floor for the first time in two years after recovering from two consecutive season-ending knee injuries. “I’m hoping Rob can come back strong and be a big help,” said Head Coach Howard Brownstein. Brownstein is also looking at Khan, who he says was “a key factor coming off the bench last season,” to be an integral part of the team. Other key contributors to the Indians’ success will be their quartet of juniors in sharpshooter Robbie Pierce, Wyatt Tiffany, Dan Angus, and dominant forward Ryan Galloway, all of whom led the Indians junior varsity squad last season and contributed playing time to the varsity squad.
However, due to the lack of seniors and small size of the team, a major story line of the season will be the performance of the underclassmen, specifically the two new freshmen. D. J. Wingfield, from Walnut Hills, and Chance Alldred, from Batavia, have both shown impressive ability and look to contribute to the team’s success at the guard position. Wingfield will certainly be a player to watch, as Coach Brownstein describes him and junior Ryan Galloway as “two very special players.”
Overall, the Indians are a highly skilled basketball team. Though the team’s youth and inexperience are salient weaknesses, its aptitude can certainly balance out the flaws. “We have good quickness and size on the court,” says Brownstein. However, the Indians’ Achilles’ heel for the past couple of seasons has been injuries. “Our success this year depends on whether we can stay healthy,” said Brownstein. “That and staying out of foul trouble.” The Indians will play their first regular-season game at Bethel Tate High School on Dec. 4 at 7:30 p.m.
