The Meadowdale boys basketball team is flush with excellent players.
Or so head coach Chad McGuire says.
He’s got a steady bank of returning players and multiple talented underclassmen, he said. All he needs to do is teach them the playbook.
“We’re working on teaching the new guys the defensive and offensive sets,” McGuire said. “We’ve got to find people to fill the gaps left by graduates.”
This summer, the Mavericks have competed all over the state. They’ve been to Western Washington University, the University of Washington and Mount Vernon High School.
“We’ve played close to 35 games in the month of June,” McGuire said.
The Mavericks did well at the tournaments and have begun honing their skills in a team camp at Eastern Washington University. They will also be holding a junior basketball camp for younger players to work out with more skilled players.
But for the upcoming season, McGuire can rely on his four returning players, including seniors Milan Moncrief and Nero Threet, both wings, and Caleb Law, a guard.
“They’ve expanded (their) games from last year,” McGuire said of his seniors. “They’ve scored well both inside and out (of the key).”
If the seniors play well, the team plays well, says McGuire. He’s confident that next year’s team will go far.
“The key is our depth,” McGuire said, referring to the large amount of varsity-level athletes he has on his team. Having a good deal of skilled players will allow Meadowdale to use substitutions to keep other teams on their toes, while the Mavericks will get time to rest, he said.
McGuire also said varsity assistant Dean Wiley will bring a lot to the team. Wiley worked with the Meadowdale squad in 2004-05 and will be with the squad for next season.
But how far will the Mavericks go next season?
“Ya never know,” McGuire said. “We’re down to 3A this year and we’re going to compete well.”
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