Head Coach: Chris Hill
Assistants: Jonathan Alexander, Todd Gruninger, Phil Askew, Hunter Wall, Austin Nevitt, Tim Murphy
Last Year: 27-6 (lost in 3rd round of playoffs)
Scheme: On offense, the Rangers are looking to get out and run the ball at all times. Coach Hill is looking to use the speed and conditioning of this team to out run other teams and score easy baskets. When the quick transition bucket isn’t available, Jesuit will mostly pull out into a motion offense with one post man with many set plays in the arsenal. On the other side of the court, Jesuit will run mostly a man-to-man defense, with the occasional full-court press or half-court trap.
Star Power: As the only returning starter, look for PG Brian Wetzel to lead this team on both sides of the floor. His uncanny ability to handle the ball, his playmaking skills, and his long-range shooting touch will no doubt lead the Ranger offense to scoring lots of points this season. Also watch for returning senior guard Jeff Schoettmer to be the lock down man on defense, guarding every team’s best player any time he is on the floor. On the inside, look for returning Junior left-handed post David Lacey to make a name for himself early and often through his dual ability to play both inside and outside the lane.
Strongest Area: The transition game should be the bread and butter of the offense this season. Any person on the court at one time is capable of running this motion based offense, with no real set positions for any player on the court. Look forward to many layups and easy buckets as the Rangers exploit other teams’ weak transition defenses. This team also has great shooting depth with guys who can hit from all areas of the court. Returning seniors Blake Vierling and Stephen Olson will especially look to make their mark from the behind the 3-point arc.
Weakest Point: The biggest problem for the team this season will be size. Coach Hill says, “We probably have the tallest average height throughout the team we’ve ever had,” but the Rangers will be missing the monster bodies of Josh Bauer and Chris Udofia from last season. Make no mistake, there is some great potential in some of these young and inexperienced post players, but only time will tell if they can keep up with the big bodies from schools like Skyline and Lake Highlands in this district.
Overall: It is hard to tell just how good this Ranger team will be this season, but they have the potential to go just as far if not farther than the team from a year ago. With expectations set so high from last season’s playoff run, senior PG Brian Wetzel says, “This is a different team from last year, but I think if we work together and play hard we can be really good.” The Rangers have all the talent they need, in addition to being just a little more balanced than years previous with many different guys who can shoot, pass, and handle the ball. “This team has a few more football guys than years past,” says Coach Hill, “but I think the transition once the season starts will be quick and the boys will be ready to play.” Only time will tell how this team will work together. It may take the first few games of the season to work out the chemistry between these guys, but the future looks bright for this squad in the 2010-2011 season in a new district.
Predictions: 20-9 (12-2 in district)
