Manual’s football season just came to a close and with the end of one season comes the start of another: the basketball season. As boys’ basketball kicks off tomorrow against CAL, it’s time for a preview of what to expect out of our boys this year.
One main concern of this year’s basketball team is the lack of seniors. Only two seniors, Raleigh Dixon (12, #40) and Trey Boyd (12, #33), will be on the varsity team for the 2013-2014 season. Varsity sports teams almost always rely on senior leadership to carry the team throughout the season and to get everyone on the team working as a whole, as opposed to individually. It may be tough for just two seniors to lead a team of underclassmen. Dixon remains positive about the situation and is determined to help lead this team to the best of his ability.
“We’re not too worried about lack of experience on the team because almost the entire varsity team is returning from last year. We may not be senior-heavy, but our chemistry and talent are definitely present,” said Dixon.
Last year, Nick Reed (10, #10) made a name for himself, starting most varsity games for the Crimsons as a freshman. A player of Reed’s caliber can be very dangerous for opposing teams in the years to come. After a year of training and practice, look forward to how Reed has improved his game and how he will become a main proponent in Manual’s basketball team for the next three years.
Another positive element of the boys basketball team is their bench. They have one of the deepest benches in the district. For all those who aren’t basketball aficionados, having a deep bench refers to the combined quality of all the players on a certain team. A team with only five good players that drops off after that would be considered to not have a very deep bench. A team whose starters and subs are all fairly good is said to have a deep bench. Manual’s deep bench most likely stemmed from the underclassmen experience. Having little seniors gives underclassmen many chances to play and get actual game time experience.
The boys’ basketball team kicks off the season tonight with an away game against CAL. Manual is predicted to come out with the win against CAL, so be there tonight to cheer on your Crimsons.
