The Gresham Community High School boys basketball team is trying to fill some big shoes.
Those shoes belong to Brady Hoffman, one of three graduated seniors from last year’s team, along with Tom Williams and Jaz Mohawk.
Hoffman led the team in scoring (264 points, 14.7 points per game) and rebounding (203, 11.3 per game). Those marks were fifth and second in the Central Wisconsin Conference-10, respectively. He was also third in field goal percentage, helping lead the Wildcats (18-6, 13-5 CWC-10) to a third-place finish in the CWC-10.
“We’re probably never going to be able to replace him 100 percent,” Gresham coach Jeff Zobeck said. “These posts are probably going to do some different things, but at least they’ll have to do the minimal things, which are play solid defense and boxing out.”
The coach has yet to settle on the starting forwards.
“We’ve got about five guys fighting for two spots in the starting lineup there and we need depth there, too,” he said.
While the post position is still muddy, the guard position is clear.
“I think the known commodity for us is the guards,” Zobeck said. “We return three guards that started for us last year.”
Juniors Christian Haffner and Killian Eggert and senior Scott Cerveny return as starters at guard.
Haffner and Cerveny were first and second in the conference in assists, Haffner with 84 and Cerveny with 83. They also were pretty good from beyond the 3-point arc. Haffner was second in the conference, making 40.3 from 3-point land, while Cerveny was third, making 38 percent.
Haffner was sixth in the conference in scoring with 247 points, a 13.7 points per game average, and led the conference in free throw percentage, making 86 percent from the charity stripe.
Cerveny averaged 11.7 points per game for the Wildcats.
Zobeck said the top of the CWC-10 will be crowded this season.
“The top part of the conference is going to be really tough,” he said. “I think Almond-Bancroft is state-ranked. We split with them last year. Wild Rose is always tough and has some good young players coming back. I think Port Edwards is going to be a tough team, well-coached and returning everyone from last year.”
Those three teams feature tough post players, including Almond-Bancroft’s Ethan Yonke, who was the conference’s player of the year, averaging 19 points and 11.5 rebounds a game.
“Something we’re a little weak in is post,” Zobeck said. “So if we can find a way to guard those big guys on those three teams, we can compete with them. To win a title we’re going to have to beat those three teams.”
Categories
