The boys basketball team will have several new faces this season, but still hopes to make a repeat run to the state finals.
The Vikings graduated 10 seniors and lost guards Kyle Depollar (transfer to Montrose Christian) and Jake Kuhn (torn ACL), who combined to score nearly 80 percent of the team’s points last season.
“We can’t be concerned with what we don’t have,” head coach Christopher Lun said. “Other guys will need to step up.”
The Vikes will get needed help from 6’2” Churchill transfer Shaq Diboti-Lobe, who is expected to start at small forward.
“He gives us athleticism and another good shooter on the perimeter,” Lun said. “Once he understands our offensive and defensive schemes, he could be a real surprise this year.”
The Vikes also return senior guard Riley Shaver, who averaged 7.3 points and 1.4 assists per game last season.
“I’m focusing on being a leader on both the offensive and defensive ends,” Shaver said. “I want to get everyone involved.”
To fill the void of Haverford-commit Josh Fried, the Vikes will count on sophomore big men Max Oppenheim and Owen Caverly, who both stand at 6’6”.
The team will employ a pressure defense, trying to extend past the three point line, Lun said.
“We will mix things up on the defensive end and take advantage of our length,” he said. “We hope to create turnovers which lead to easy baskets.”
Although the team hasn’t played together very much, they have gained confidence together as the preseason has gone on, returning guard Baldwin Fomum-Mugri said.
“With summer and fall league the chemistry has slowly been improving,” Fomum-Mugri said. “By the time all of our preseason scrimmages are over we hope to be where we need to be to make another deep run.”
Shaver also stressed the importance of team play, saying that the team’s success will ultimately hinge on whether the players can gel as a group. The Vikings team-oriented style was an important factor in their playoff run last year, and they will look to play the same way this season, he said.
“We have the pieces to get back to Comcast as long as we play Whitman basketball and buy into our system,” Shaver said.
