In the 12 years since Lehman High first opened, the Lobo varsity boys basketball program has never experienced a winning season.
Second year Lehman High head coach Michael Whitten hopes to change that as his Lobos began practice this past week for the upcoming 2016-2017 campaign.
During his first season last year, Whitten led the Lobos to a 3-20 record. But for Whitten, the three-win mark is also somewhat misleading.
Especially when nine of Lehman’s 20 losses last season ended as single digit games.
When asked how he plans to improve the Lobos’ ability to close out games, Whitten said that he believes the experience his players gained in multiple close games last season is the most important factor this year.
“I just think they’re really hungry to be back in those type of situations and begin finishing these things off,” said Whitten. “Hopefully we can do that this year, but I definitely believe our experience coming back is going to be a huge part of it.”
The Lobos return 10 juniors from last year’s roster, but look to fill the void left by senior Aaron Rodriguez, who led the Lobos in points, assists and steals per game.
However, Whitten said the balance of the Lobos this season will create problems for their opponents. Their offensive approach is to share the ball more, exploiting the mismatch wherever it may be.
“Teams last year were just trying to stop him so he really got a lot of attention,” said Whitten. “I think with our core, our top 7-8 guys, they’re all capable of scoring. I just believe we’re gonna be a much more balanced team.”
One player Whitten mentioned specifically was sophomore Cameron Jones, who managed to work his way into the starting lineup for multiple games.
“He’s gonna be a great player,” Whitten said. “Obviously he’s still young and learning, but he’s able to do some things as a sophomore this year that some seniors have trouble with.”
Although he admitted that fall league is not always the most accurate barometer of success, Whitten was very pleased with his team’s performance.
“We only lost one game this year,” said Whitten. “The previous year we had only won two games. So that’s a positive sign for the future of our team.”
Whitten believes that experience and preparation for the types of teams they will face in district play will play the biggest role in the Lobos’ success.
“We’re more of a well-oiled machine, and obviously we have a long way to go, but I really like where our guys are at,” said Whitten. “What last year did for us as far as experience, being in so many close games and just not quite getting it done, I just think they’re hungry.”
