Post by Admin on Nov 20, 2014 7:09:59 GMT -6
From Mankato Free Press
www.mankatofreepress.com/sports/mankato-west-boys-basketball-looks-to-take-the-next-step/article_3de40258-bd35-571b-b400-993981fd3e09.html
MANKATO — Mankato West head boys basketball coach Tom Boone has reached the state tournament twice in his 17 seasons leading the Scarlets, highlighted by a championship in 2004.
"We'd like to add to it," said Boone, nodding to the banners hanging in the West gym. "There's nothing better than playing in the state tournament. It's the pinnacle of high school sports, I think."
Last season, West overcame a double-digit deficit in the second half before losing a heartbreaker in overtime to rival Rochester John Marshall in the Section 2AAA finals.
"We did everything we could," Boone said. "Our guys did a great job overcoming adversity to tie it up, and we actually had a chance with the ball to tie it up or win the game, but the shot didn't go."
More than eight months later, the memory of the defeat still lingers and burns.
"Losing in OT of the section finals was rough," said senior guard Matt Braun. "Now we're trying to get back against Marshall, or whoever, and win this time."
The time is now. Boone's squad hopes this season ends at Minneapolis' Target Center in the state tournament.
"We liked it at state and we'd like to get back," he said. "We set our sights high every year; and when you get that close like we did last season, it doesn't take much to be motivated."
The Scarlets graduated two starters from last season, but their full rotation has yet to fully materialize in preseason practices. Several players, including starting guard Steven Nessler, have been absent from practice for good reason.
"A lot of our guys are still playing football," Braun said, "so we don't have the full team here. But it's been nice to get the young guys involved."
Braun, a 3-point specialist, was one of those young guys. He started last season on the junior varsity roster, but earned his way into the varsity rotation and is now viewed by his coach and teammates as a team leader.
"I can't say enough good things about him," Boone said. "He did the absolute right thing last season.
"He said, 'Hey, here's where I'm at right now. My job is to play as hard as I can, do the best that I can with where I'm at.' And he got bumped up to varsity and got to the point where he was hitting eight, nine 3-pointers a game."
Braun is an unabashed fan of shooting beyond the arc.
"I like the 3-point shot a lot," he said. "I think I can shoot pretty well, but I've been working a lot on my defense, too."
Bright and engaging, Braun embodies a team player in every sense of the description, his coach says. Accordingly, Boone's expectations have also been raised.
"He's very smart in the classroom, a super nice kid," Boone said. "He models those behaviors that you want from a player, and now he's ready to take it up another level, to not just being another guy in the game, but also being a team leader.
Senior forward and leading scorer Jake Dale (17.7 ppg) enters his fourth varsity season on the cusp of his 1,000th point for the Scarlets. Notable returners also include guards Carter Burmeister, Jake Makela and forward Alex Goettl.
"I really like our guys, it's a good group," Boone said. "We're expecting great things; if we do the right things, hopefully we'll give ourselves a chance."
Due to the Scarlets' run to the state championship in football, Boone decided to postpone his team's first two games against Austin and Northfield.
"They'll need time to mentally and physically get back into basketball," Boone said. "Otherwise, you see some injuries."
West is now slated to begin its season Dec. 4th at Owatonna.
www.mankatofreepress.com/sports/mankato-west-boys-basketball-looks-to-take-the-next-step/article_3de40258-bd35-571b-b400-993981fd3e09.html
MANKATO — Mankato West head boys basketball coach Tom Boone has reached the state tournament twice in his 17 seasons leading the Scarlets, highlighted by a championship in 2004.
"We'd like to add to it," said Boone, nodding to the banners hanging in the West gym. "There's nothing better than playing in the state tournament. It's the pinnacle of high school sports, I think."
Last season, West overcame a double-digit deficit in the second half before losing a heartbreaker in overtime to rival Rochester John Marshall in the Section 2AAA finals.
"We did everything we could," Boone said. "Our guys did a great job overcoming adversity to tie it up, and we actually had a chance with the ball to tie it up or win the game, but the shot didn't go."
More than eight months later, the memory of the defeat still lingers and burns.
"Losing in OT of the section finals was rough," said senior guard Matt Braun. "Now we're trying to get back against Marshall, or whoever, and win this time."
The time is now. Boone's squad hopes this season ends at Minneapolis' Target Center in the state tournament.
"We liked it at state and we'd like to get back," he said. "We set our sights high every year; and when you get that close like we did last season, it doesn't take much to be motivated."
The Scarlets graduated two starters from last season, but their full rotation has yet to fully materialize in preseason practices. Several players, including starting guard Steven Nessler, have been absent from practice for good reason.
"A lot of our guys are still playing football," Braun said, "so we don't have the full team here. But it's been nice to get the young guys involved."
Braun, a 3-point specialist, was one of those young guys. He started last season on the junior varsity roster, but earned his way into the varsity rotation and is now viewed by his coach and teammates as a team leader.
"I can't say enough good things about him," Boone said. "He did the absolute right thing last season.
"He said, 'Hey, here's where I'm at right now. My job is to play as hard as I can, do the best that I can with where I'm at.' And he got bumped up to varsity and got to the point where he was hitting eight, nine 3-pointers a game."
Braun is an unabashed fan of shooting beyond the arc.
"I like the 3-point shot a lot," he said. "I think I can shoot pretty well, but I've been working a lot on my defense, too."
Bright and engaging, Braun embodies a team player in every sense of the description, his coach says. Accordingly, Boone's expectations have also been raised.
"He's very smart in the classroom, a super nice kid," Boone said. "He models those behaviors that you want from a player, and now he's ready to take it up another level, to not just being another guy in the game, but also being a team leader.
Senior forward and leading scorer Jake Dale (17.7 ppg) enters his fourth varsity season on the cusp of his 1,000th point for the Scarlets. Notable returners also include guards Carter Burmeister, Jake Makela and forward Alex Goettl.
"I really like our guys, it's a good group," Boone said. "We're expecting great things; if we do the right things, hopefully we'll give ourselves a chance."
Due to the Scarlets' run to the state championship in football, Boone decided to postpone his team's first two games against Austin and Northfield.
"They'll need time to mentally and physically get back into basketball," Boone said. "Otherwise, you see some injuries."
West is now slated to begin its season Dec. 4th at Owatonna.
