WDHS Boys' Basketball Preview: Closing The Gap

For the basketball team, the 2011-12 season is all about closing the gap.

Over the past two years, the Eagles have averaged in the 40s in scoring, while giving up an average in the 60s. There are two ways to close that gap: score more, or make your opponents score less.

Eagles’ head coach Don Clark is confident his team will be able to do both this season.

“It’s a very experienced team,” Clark said. “There’s no doubt that we have taken our lumps the last two years, but we expected that. I think we have the type of team now where we can be really competitive.”

Clark said the key to both scoring more and giving up less will be holding on to the ball and getting better possessions. The Eagles have had turnover problems in the past and that has led to far too many easy baskets on the other end.

“It’s about cutting the turnovers down,” Clark said. “We have always been a tough team defensively that does the right things, but when you come down and turn the ball over 20 times a night, the other team is getting easy baskets. The key to season is cutting down turnovers.

"This year there will be games where we cut turnovers down so we can cut 10 points off our opponents just by less turnovers. That is key to the season, and is what we have been preaching in practice.”

Clark said if his team is able to do that, they should be in a lot of games in the fourth quarter.

“I think we will be a better defensive team and we will be able to hold teams down into 50s and we should be in games," he said. "If you are in the game in the final six minutes, who knows? That’s what we are building on with the senior leadership.”

On the offensive side, the Eagles return four starters after losing only Jordan Haines from a year ago. Tim Fair and Tom Jakubowski return to the low post, while Kyle Redrow and Justin Hansen comprise the starting backcourt. Tim Krott, who came of the bench last year, will start at the other forward position.

Of the starting five, only Hansen, a sophomore point guard, is a year-round basketball player. However, Clark said each of the other starters, as well as four guys off the bench, have developed into consistent scorers, giving the Eagles a chance to win a shootout every once in a while.

“Any given night, one-through-eight can give you a double-digit performances,” he said. “There might be some nights where we struggle to score, but there will be nights where we score 60-70 points because we can put the ball in the basket now."

Below is a look at the 2011-12 West Deptford boys basketball team:

Coach: Don Clark

2010-2011 Record: 6-21

Returning Letter winners: Tim Fair (sr., F/C); Tim Krott (sr., G) : Tom Jakubowski (sr., F); Kyle Redrow (sr., G); Brandon Flacco (sr., F); Ryan Flaherty (sr., F/G); Justin Hanson (so., G).

Promising new comers: T. J. Harcum (jr., F/C); Mike McQueen (jr., G); Jamil Pollard (sr., F/C).

Teams to beat in the Colonial: Haddonfield, Paulsboro.

Expectations: With an experienced and athletic roster, the Eagles look poised to take the next step. The team went from two wins in '09-'10 to six a year ago, and could easily have 10 or more this year and compete for a playoff spot.

Three storylines to watch:

–Surviving a brutal schedule. If any West Deptford team has the right to cry foul it is this one. The boys are forced to spend 11 of the first 13 games on the road. For a team that figures to be fighting for a playoff spot, this certainly puts them at a disadvantage, as several of the Eagles’ home games will come after the playoff cutoff date. This is the second-straight year the Eagles have had just two home games in their first 13 games, and it is certainly an unenviable situation.

–The growth of Justin Hansen. Count this one in terms of both size and smarts. Clark said that Hansen has put on about 20 pounds since he took the court as a freshman last year, and has also been one of the few players to compete in the sport year-round. Hansen showed great ability last year, but was also turnover-prone at times. With Hansen now bigger and smarter, Clark believes he can take his game to the next level.

–The impact of Pollard. At 6’4, 280, Jamil Pollard has the size to be a force in the low post on offense and defense. However, he has not played since his sophomore year and his skills are still raw. At the least, Pollard should be able to provide some strong minutes off the bench and he could have an even bigger impact as the season progresses and he gains experience.