Spanish Springs Cougars
2015-16 league record: 12-4, second in HDL
2015-16 postseason: L to Galena in regional quarters, 63-50
Number of returning starters: 4
Key returners: Marcus Loadholt, Josh Prizina, Bryce DeLong, Jalen Townsell, Justus Eaglesmith
Notable losses: Ryan Anderson, Daulton O’Connell
Coach: Kyle Penney, 10th season
Season outlook: It’s no mystery why Spanish Springs starts the season as the 4A North favorite. Reigning Player of the Year, Marcus Loadholt, is back, as is first-team forward Josh Prizina, second-team guard Bryce DeLong and second-team small forward Jalen Townsell. There was preseason hype for the Cougars last season as well, and once again coach Kyle Penney isn’t reading clippings. “We haven’t addressed it,” he said. “It’s more about playing every day to a certain standard, for us. We have more experience coming back, that’s for sure, but we’re like anyone else. We still have certain issues.” The Cougars enter the season with some salt on their tongues after getting upset on their home floor by Galena in the first round of last year’s regional tournament. The early excitement about this team is warranted. Banners aren’t hung in November, however. The Cougs will have to navigate the competitive 4A North with a new target on their back.
Reno Huskies
2015-16 league record: 14-2, first in HDL
2015-16 postseason: L to Carson in regional title game, 51-45; L to Bishop Gorman in state semis, 70-39
Number of returning starters: 1
Key returners: Drew Rippingham
Notable losses: Mike Heydon, Karn Goraya, David Kyle, Logan Shaw, Alex Tsaniff
Coach: Matt Ochs, fifth season
Season outlook: Reno is going to play a different brand of basketball this winter. Last year, the Huskies went through their bigs, Mike Heydon and David Kyle, and advanced to the state tournament. Both graduated as part of a nine-senior class. This year, Reno will be more guard-oriented. Translation: More jump shots. “We’re a better jump shooting team,” coach Matt Ochs said. “We’re probably going to shoot more 3’s than I’m comfortable with.” Ochs is putting a large onus on the junior class which lost just one game at the JV level last year. Twins Gonny and Timmy Damon, as well as forward Tom Challis, are a few players to look for. The Huskies have been one of the better defensive programs in the region and that is unlikely to change this year.
McQueen Lancers
2015-16 league record: 11-5, third in HDL
2015-16 postseason: L to Reno in regional semis, 58-53
Number of returning starters: 3
Key returners: Tavian Cheathon-Dayton, Dalten Smith, Guillermo Ramos
Notable losses: Octavian Corley, Garrett Ill, Orlando Easter, Jaylan Franklin
Coach: Keith Crawford, first season
Season outlook: Few teams in the 4A North are dealing with as much turnover this year as the Lancers. McQueen lost five seniors, who accounted for 74 percent of the teams scoring, including 6-10 big man Octavian Corley. Corley averaged 18.6 points and 8.2 rebounds a game last winter. They also enter the season under the direction new head coach, Keith Crawford. One familiar face will be Tavian Cheathon-Dayton. Cheathon-Dayton was a second-team all-league selection as a junior, averaging 10.8 points and 7.3 rebounds a game. McQueen was a five-point loss to Reno away from advancing to the state tournament last year. A few new names will have to move into big roles for the Lancers to put themselves in a similar situation this year.
North Valleys Panthers
2015-16 league record: 4-12, fifth in HDL
2015-16 postseason: None
Number of returning starters: 3
Key returners: Jalen Meadors, AJ Dennis, Alec Gulling
Notable losses: Josh Mea, Sean Flanary
Coach: Richard Peraldo, seventh season
Season outlook: Coach Richard Peraldo brings back eight total players from last year’s team that finished fifth in the HDL, but will be without two of that team’s leading scorers. Josh Mea (11.5 ppg) and Sean Flanary (10.4 ppg) so it will largely be up to Jalen Meadors (12.7 ppg) and AJ Dennis (10.6 ppg) to help pick up the slack. Peraldo also expects junior Alec Gulling will also play a role. He scored four points and grabbed five rebounds a game as a junior. The Panthers will once again be up an up-and-down team, looking to play “havoc style” defense and score in transition.
Reed Raiders
2015-16 league record: 4-12, fourth in HDL
2015-16 postseason: L to Carson in regional quarters, 57-31
Number of returning starters: 4
Key returners: Lincoln Turner, Jeremy Ramos, Matt Williams, Cade Baker
Notable losses: Marianos Kalderimoglou
Coach: Joe Genung, first season
Season outlook: First-year coach Joe Genung is quickly learning what it is like to coach the boys basketball team at Reed. His initial varsity roster had just seven players to make room for the football players, who once again went on a postseason run. Leading scorers Lincoln Turner and Jeremy Ramos are once again expected to lead the offensive attack, but Genung hopes to see them do it with more efficiency while getting other players more involved. One of them being sophomore Matt Williams. Williams saw substantial time as a freshman and will have an expanded roll this year. Defensively, Reed does not boast a lot of interior size, so Genung has challenged his team to become a better rebounding team, ideally limiting teams to one shot a possession.
Hug Hawks
2015-16 league record: 1-15, sixth in HDL
2015-16 postseason: None
Number of returning starters: 2
Key returners: Malik Youmes, Quantrell Baker
Notable losses: Zonathan Williams, Julio Sanchez
Coach: Keegan Bosier, first season
Season outlook: The Hawks will be led by first-year coach Keegan Bosier, who is the youngest coach in the 4A North. And it’s not close. At just 22 years old, Bosier took the job this offseason after spending the last two years as an assistant under Brian Voyles at Galena. “As a young coach, it’s one of my better qualities. I can relate (to the players) on a personal level,” he said. The Hawks lost their two leading scorers from last season, Zonathaon Williams (16.1 ppg) and Julio Sanchez (13.8 ppg), so the plan is to push the ball as much as possible in attempt to limit half-court offensive possessions. When the Hawks aren’t able to run the break, Bosier wants to put an emphasis on forcing teams to defend the pick and roll.
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