|
The sound of running feet and dribbling echoes across the gymnasium as the swish of the basketball is drowned out by the clamor of crazy Cardinal fans: This is what the boys’ varsity basketball team lives for.
Entering the season, the team is preparing itself to avenge last year’s semi-final loss against Mission. “We need to work on teamwork, defense and shooting,” senior captain Yuhki Sakai said. “But most importantly, we have got to play hard and together.”
The team will employ new tactics and strategies this season. Smaller players last season restricted the team to mostly shooting three-pointers; however, with the arrival of new players from the JV team, the team is now big enough to square off against equally tall teams. “This year our big men are going to focus more on slashing and scoring,” junior forward and center Iwunze Ugo said. “Expect more points in the paint.”
The team is also looking to fill in the niches emptied by last year’s graduating senior players, especially that of Lowell alum Travis Hom. “The biggest change in our team from the team we had last year is definitely losing Trav,” senior forward Mikey Yonemoto said. “He was not only our best player, but he led by example and we will really miss his leadership this year.”
Now the team will look to Sakai for leadership. “It’s hard to fill Travis’s shoes so I’ll have to take more responsibility as captain,” Sakai said. In addition to Sakai, other players such as senior guard Darren Mock and senior forward and center Andy Liu will provide leadership during this intense season.
There will also be some new talent on the team, such as last year’s JV MVP junior guard Kevin Kung, junior guard Holden Taylor and junior forward and center Faheem Carter. “K-Kung makes shooting and driving to the basket look easy; he can score anytime he wants to,” junior center Robbie Pollard said. “Faheem is a big and athletic guy who can rebound and score low in the post. And Holden is inspirational to the team and brings everyone’s spirits up.”
But the Cardinals will have to rely on the entire team in order to survive an Academic Athletic Association (AAA) league stacked with equally tough teams. “Lincoln just beat Riordan, a West Catholic Athletic League (WCAL) school that usually dominates AAA teams, by more than 20 points,” Pollard said.
Mission will also pose a threat to Lowell, as their star player, Demaree Hampton, will return. Hampton, who had 27 points, six rebounds and four steals in Lowell’s semifinal loss last season, is the best player in the AAA. To prevent such a loss, the Cardinals have to build up and become a championship team again. “We are working on getting everything smoothed out so when the regular season starts, we will be ready,” Yonemoto said.
However, before the regular season starts, the team must continue developing in the preseason. A few of the memorable games included Lowell’s wins against International and Aragon. International’s 6’6” star, senior center Ryan Doubiago, and Aragon’s stiff defense proved to be daunting obstacles, but the Cardinals still prevailed in the end due to two factors. “We rely on defense and shooting three-pointers,” Pollard said.
Despite these early victories, the Cardinals still have room for improvement. “It’s still difficult for us to score and rebound,” Pollard said. If the team can solve these issues, they’ll be the team to beat in the AAA.
The regular season will begin at 5:15 p.m. on Jan. 7 with a home game against Burton.
|
