Season looks bright for boys basketball program

The boys basketball team returns only two varsity players this year, seniors Tyler Miller and junior Drew Harrison. Both players are 6-feet-4-inches and will be joined by teammates who are all six and taller which will give the Outlaws tremendous height for the first time in several years.

Miller brings back experience in the low post and looks to be one of the premier posts in the league.

"For his size, Tyler is very mobile and is a very good defender. He is one of the smartest players on the floor and consistently leads by example. He presents teams with a problem on defense," said Coach Jake Rothauge.

Harrison will return as a third-year varsity player. Harrison has played at the No. 3, No. 4 and the No. 5 positions but this season will play at the No. 4 position and also see time at point guard. Harrison can defend any position, can play inside on the low block or bring the ball up the floor.

"Drew is a unique player in that he is one of our best three-point shooters, but can also post up very effectively. He gives us a low post who can take advantage of teams who defend him with a bigger, slower post by moving outside and forcing his defender to guard him on the perimeter," said Rothauge. "We look for Drew to influence the outcome of the game with his versatility on both ends of the floor."

Joining Miller and Harrison will be seniors Ross Erickson, Jordan Tandy, Levi Rowe, Kevin Wistrom and Lee Elder.

Erickson is a transfer from Jenks, Oklahoma, and is almost 6-feet-6-inches, to make him the tallest player on the team. Ross will play point guard and will bring knowledge of the game and athleticism to the team. Erickson has already become one of the leaders on the Outlaw squad.

"Ross is very quick, can defend any position on the floor and has great hands on defense," said Rothauge. "On offense, he is explosive and can get to the rim but he's also a very good jumper. He will present teams with match-up problems because of his versatility."

Rowe will play at the No. 2 shooting guard position and has already become one of the Outlaws most reliable players. Rowe is very quick which allows the Outlaws to get up and down the floor quickly. Levi is one of the squad's best outside shooters and teams will have to prepare for him as a threat in this area.

"With our post play as strong as it is, Levi will be the one who benefits from teams keying on stopping the posts because he will get open looks from three and he is a tremendous shooter," said Rothauge.

Elder will bring athleticism and toughness to the team. Lee is a good defender and, along with Harrison, can also defend any position on the floor. Elder gives the Outlaws the ability to run the floor due to his speed at the No. 3 position. The Outlaws look for Lee to provide them with easy transition baskets on offense and very solid defense.

Wistrom will add another big man to the team that can play in the low post and a guy who also has a very good outside shot. Wistrom will see time at the No. 3, No. 4 and No. 5 positions, and the team expects Kevin to be a contributor on the boards as well as a solid threat on offense.

Tandy will also bring a big body to the floor and will bring depth to the No. 4 and No. 5 positions. Rothauge told The Nugget that he expects Jordan to get better with every game. Tandy will be tough on the boards and is expected to get a lot of rebounds and will defend the opponent's toughest player. Tandy is also effective in the low post on offense and will give teams another body to worry about in the post.

Junior Cory Holt will swing between JV and varsity this season and will play the No. 3 and No. 4 positions. Cory brings tremendous defense and toughness to the team and due to his hustle the Outlaws expect to get many steals and deflections on defense from him. According to Rothauge, Cory can defend anyone on the floor and never backs down from a challenge.

Junior Austin Mitchell also joins the varsity squad and will give depth at the No. 2 and No. 3 spot. Mitchell will give the team a boost on both sides of the ball. He's a good ball defender and is tough to defend on offense. Rothauge said that Mitchell can give the team a lift with his shooting and his defense.

Ross Cristiano rounds out the new players to the squad. Cristiano will see time at the No. 2 and No. 3 positions. Rothauge told The Nugget that Ross is a tough kid, a very hard worker and will give depth to the team.

Rothauge said, "Our team is very big and very long. This will help us defensively because it forces teams to shoot over big guys with long arms, which is very tough. However, our big men have very good speed and mobility so this affects every aspect of the opposing teams' offense, from passing to the wing, to passing inside, to shooting tough shots."

The Outlaws will also be hard to out-rebound this season due to their height, which will limit opposing teams to one shot each time down the floor. Sisters plans to slow the game down and get the ball inside to the posts. When the posts are double-teamed it will open up the floor for the shooters.

Rothauge stated that all the post players are very good passers and are very good at finding the open man if they are double teamed.

Sisters' only weakness will be their lack of experience at the varsity level, and Rothauge stated that the team will have to grow up quickly to be successful. The Outlaws have their sights set high and feel that a shot at the playoffs is a very realistic goal.

"Our goal is to put ourselves in position to win every game we play and get better every night," said Rothauge. The guys have been progressing at a very fast pace and by the end of league play we should be right in the mix for a playoff spot."

The Sky-Em Conference will once again be very competitive with defending state champions Marist at the top of the pack. Cottage Grove also returns key players and will be a formidable foe.

"I don't think we can overlook anyone in the league," said Rothauge. "It's competitive year in and year out. We know we'll have to perform at our best each night. I'm very excited and look forward to an exciting season. The team is coming together and beginning to understand what we are trying to do. This group of kids is very coachable and they are eager to play and prove themselves. I am proud of the way these kids have worked so far and can say the same for the way they carry themselves on and off the court."