'D' is the key

Defense, defense, defense.
Andy Brown’s focus in his first year coaching the Starfires was on the defensive end. In year two, that will not change.
“This year it is going to have to be the main focus,” said Brown, whose team opens its season at Union City on Nov. 21. “We have to be able to stop teams better than we did last year. Our scoring was up quite a bit from the previous year, but so was our defensive average.”
South Adams went 6-15 in 2011-12 after a 5-15 campaign the previous year, but showed some improvement in its overall point differential. On the other hand, Brown wasn’t thrilled that his team allowed nearly 65 points per game.
He said South Adams, which has not given up fewer than 57 points per game in the last six seasons, needs to develop a defensive mentality in order to grow.
“I think the guys understand. I’m of the philosophy that you’ve got to be able to play man-to-man defense … to be successful on a consistent basis,” said Brown. “You’re going to play zone against certain (opponents), but overall … you have to be able to play a man-to-man defense.
“I’ve seen improvement. It’s nowhere near where I want it to be, but it’s definitely improved.”
The Starfires will have five seniors as they try to continue that improvement, but only two of them bring significant varsity experience.
Blake Fox and Chase Mosser return after scoring 6.5 and 6.2 points respectively last season after the team lost its top three scorers — Dustin Wanner (16.9), Scott Hoeppner (12.1) and Matt Alig (6.7) — to graduation.
Fox showed flashes of scoring ability last year when he turned in three straight double-digit games with 12 points against Woodlan, 19 versus Leo and 15 against Garrett. But he was limited to six points or fewer in each of the Starfires’ final seven regular-season games.
He also finished third on the team in rebounds last season with an average of 4.1 per game.
“I’ve talked to him about being more consistent,” said Brown of Fox’s scoring. “We saw what he was capable of a few times last year.
“I think he’s ready for that role. I think he deferred a lot to the seniors we had last year.”
Mosser scored in double figures seven times last season and is the team’s top returning 3-point shooter after hitting 14 triples. He also had 21 assists and 15 steals during his junior year.
He will take over as the point guard this year.
“I’m going to ask him to step up a little bit more as far as handling the basketball,” said Brown. “That’s one area we really tried to improve over the offseason. He’s done a good job of that.
“He’s going to be a guy we lean on to give us a lot of good things offensively and defensively.”
The rest of the lineup remains undecided with the Starfires a week away from their first game. The roster includes seniors Cody Wickey, Simon Sprunger and Colton Bollenbacher, juniors Dustin Dellinger and Cal Clouser and sophomores Derek Wanner and Conner Sealscott.
“We have a couple different options,” said Brown, noting that his starting five may change based on each opponent. “We could go with a big lineup or a small lineup. …
“Our first couple opponents aren’t quite as big, typically, and once we get to conference play it’s a little bit different. Those schools we might be able to start out a smaller lineup and might be able to test out both lineups and see how it goes.”
South Adams is looking to end a drought of five straight losing seasons. And it would also like to earn a sectional victory for the first time since topping Woodlan in the opening round of the tournament in 2009.
Most importantly, however, is just getting better and moving the program in the right direction.
“If we just show consistent improvement (I’ll be happy),” said Brown. “That was my focus last year, taking any little win that we can get. If it’s winning the basketball game, great. But even if we don’t, how did we perform? Did we perform better than we did the previous game?
“When you think about that, it is asking a lot. It’s asking to improve every time.”[[In-content Ad]]