New Beginnings for Boys Basketball and the Week Ahead (12/12 – 12/16)

Jack Ludtke
Reporter

The focus of this week’s Armchair Athlete is the Boys Basketball team and their new season, and what is on the Ram’s schedule this week.

Boys Basketball

This year’s team looks to bounce back from last’s years dissapointing season in which they went 4-15 in their CIAC League and 5-15 overall, and were outscored by 167 points, giving up a total of 1198 points overall. However, it wasn’t all bad as the season included two dominating wins over Darien, and then-Captain Chris Rama earning a spot on the All-FCIAC East 1^st Team. This years squad, captained by seniors Nick Depuy and Connor KIlbane, now looks to improve their record and build around their young talent, and make a run at their first state title since 1962.

A major change from last year’s team is that longtime Coach Jeff Bussey, the namesake of NCHS’s own Bussey’s Bomb Squad, stepped down from his post. The Rams now turn to new Coach Mike Halley to lead them. Coach Halley brings the prestige of a high profile reputation, having been the former coach of Mount St. Michael Academy in the Bronx, and head coach of last year’s United States Basketball Association championship team, the Connecticut Flames. This paired with past experience with many of this year’s Rams, Halley now looks to make his mark with a young Rams team hungry for a deep tournament run.

One of the biggest focuses of this year’s team will be to give some new additions to the varsity squad some experience. Last year saw the graduation of six of the twelve varsity players, which immediately might be a large handicap. These seniors clearly were the biggest contributors to the offensive side, as they scored 643 points (62% of the team’s total) and had 303 rebounds (56% of the team’s total), and their immediate loss may deprive the team of much of its offensive power until new players can adjust to their new roles. Even harder to replace is the experience and the chemistry that is inevitably compromised when a team undergoes a large change in personnel.

Fortunately for the Rams, several players both new and old look to step up and become real impact players this year. Nick Depuy will be huge and become the dominant force inside the arc that every team needs to succeed. This writer is betting that Depuy, last year’s team blocks leader (14) and 2^nd most in rebounds (125), will grow into a role of both statistical and an off-the-court leadership for the team.  Connor Kilbane will also be huge, as he looks to improve on the starting Small Forward/Shooting Guard role that he claimed last year. In addition, look for the other seniors to also take the leadership roles that this team currently needs.

There are lots of underclassmen that the average fan should watch. Definitely look for sophomore Willy Burger and junior Andrew Read to continue to grow into leadership roles. These two were the impact underclassmen of last year, scoring 164 points and 54 rebounds combined, and it is expected that they will continue to grow and eventually develop into major players on the court. Some other relatively untested sophomores who might impress are Grant Beck, Andrew Penchuk, and Erik Jager: having personally seen them play, this author won’t be surprised if they end up developing into quality players.

All of this optimism aside, the Rams haven’t finished with a winning record since the ’07-’08 season, and clearly have a an uphill battle ahead, starting on December 14 against a St. Joe’s Team that went 24-1 last year and have retained much of the players from last year’s squad. However, if the Rams can build chemistry early and develop their young talent to compliment their older experience, they could put themselves in a position to have a productive year.

The Week Ahead

Boys Basketball – @ St. Joe’s (12/14), and vs. Bridgeport Central (12/16)

Prediction: The Boys will take a loss against a dominant St. Joes squad, but will rebound and win their first game at home against Central.

Girls Basketball – vs. St. Joe’s (12/14), and @ Bridgeport Central (12/16).

Prediction: The Rams will fall to an equally strong St. Joe’s girls squad, but will rebound and win against Central on the road.

Boys Hockey – @ Notre Dame (West Haven) (12/14)

Prediction: Boys will open up the season strong with a win

Girls Hockey – vs. Stamford (12/14), @ Wilton (12/16)

Prediction: Girls continue last season’s dominance and will beat both handily

Boys Swimming – @ Darien (12/14), vs. Fairfield Ludlowe & Warde (12/16)

Prediction: Boys are well matched up in both cases; I think they’ll rally and win both to start off the season

Wrestling and Gymnastics – No activity this week

Tune in next week where I will give another look at the week ahead and a preview of the wrestling team. Until next week.

– Armchair Athlete