Boys Basketball: Deep and talented...just like the rest of the Missota Conference

All-Missota Conference center Nick Varner (photo by Jim Lindquist)

Coach Shane Wyandt has an enviable problem on his hands: More talent than starting positions.

Last fall the then young and relatively inexperienced Tigers put together a roller coaster of a season that produced an overall 10-17 record; 6-10 in the Missota Conference. This year Wyandt is expecting more.

"We have a lot of depth," he said. "We should be able to adjust our lineup according to our scouting report and not skip a beat when we make our initial substitutions."

Leading the list of returnees are all-Missota junior post player Nick Varner and senior forward Darren Beenken.Varner averaged 11.2 points and was the team's leading rebounder last season; Beenken, who earned all-league honorable mention, was tops in scoring with a 14.4 points per game average.

Darren Beenken 14.4 pts. per a game (photo by Jim Lindquist)

Junior froward Mac Bassett also scored in double figures (10.5) last winter and heads the list of other returnees that includes seniors Alex Chadwick (guard) and Charles Anderson (post); juniors Johnny Dittman (guard); Tyler VanWinkle (guard/forward); Eli Rockett (post); Dallas Guyot (guard/forward) and Jordan DeCroock (guard) and sophomore guard Zach Speikers.

"We expect most of the guys returning to make contributions," Wyandt said. "We have eight or nine players that could be playing close to equal minutes."

Wyandt cautioned that turning the deep pool of talent into a winner is sometimes not necessarily an easy task.

""It will depend on how quickly we gel and work into our roles," he said. "Some of our guys might have to sacrifice playing time and personal statistics in order for the team to improve. Time will tell if we have the ability to do so.

"We are also unsure what our front court depth will look like. That story will have to play itself out."

Another challenge will be the high level of competition expected in the Missota Conference. Holy Angels, Shakopee, Chaska and Red Wing all have veteran squads returning and defending champion Chanhassen shouldn't be far behind.

"We like who we have back and feel we can compete with anyone in the conference and section," Wyandt said. "We should be tough to beat and are hoping we can be playing our best basketball down the stretch."

Wyandt said defending champion Lakeville North would probably be the pre-season pick in Section 1AAAA but that his team, Rochester Century and Rochester John Marshall should all be in the hunt by the end of the season.

Mac Bassett 10.5 pts. per game (photo by Jim Lindquist)

Tharen Johnson returns as junior varsity coach and top varsity assistant while ex-Tiger Brent Mahlstedt joins the staff as B-squad coach. Robb Virgin and Roland Bradley share the ninth grade coaching chores.

Tom Auge, Jim Swedin, Mike Woody, Mark Pikar, Brandon Chant, Loren Cartwright and Jacob Bauer will work with the middle school teams that begin workouts after the first of the year.

The Tigers face a stiff opening-night test Friday night when they host Rochester John Marshall. Tip-off is 7:30 at Tiger Gym.