The path to success for boys varsity basketball
by gabby petruzzello
After an abrupt end to the 2017-2018 boys Varsity basketball season, it is important look ahead on the outlook for next year, but also to reflect upon the season to focus on what works and what needed to be modified.
The boys Varsity basketball team finished their regular Conference season 9-9, their regular season games 11-11, and their overall season 11-12, after they lost in the first round playoff game. The team achieved their goal of going 500 in the regular season games. The team finished sixth in the Big 8 Conference, with several of the Big 8 teams in the sectional still playing for a state qualifying placement. The team won two games at end of the season and never lost more than two consecutive games in a row.
“I think that as you look back, there’s some games that we won that maybe we shouldn’t have and there’s some games that I though we should’ve won and didn’t, so it all kind of works out,” said head boys Varsity Coach, Ben McCormick.
Looking back at specific accomplishments, the team came back in the third game of the season against Madison East and was down nine points with a minute to go. Seconds after the game ending buzzer rang, the Cougars were declared victorious. Jack Huml scored a couple 3-pointers in the last minute. With five seconds left on the clock and the score being 77-75, Huml attempted a 3-point shot that went into the basketball hoops a second after the final buzzer rang. The officials declared the point legal and the Cougars were victorious. Madison East made it past the first round playoff game to continue in their championship season. Looking back, beating a championship caliber team is one of the most memorable games of the season.
The leadership of the Seniors on the team has contributed to the selflessness of the team and the strong friendships between the players. Five seniors led the team this year including Captain Jacob Ngobi, Captain Blake McCann, Dominick Rizzo, Seth Glissendorf, and Luke Malmanger.
“We try to teach all of our guys aspects of leadership...the guys on our team saw as leaders and voted as captains were Jacob and Blake,” expressed Coach McCormick.
Senior, Point Guard, and Captain Jacob Ngobi is one of the leading scorers for the Cougars. Receiving 3rd Team All-Conference, Ngobi scored 35 points in the Craig vs. Sun Prairie game. Averaging fifteen points per game, Ngobi was one of four seniors who composed the starting lineup.
Senior, Forward, and Captain Blake McCann received All-Conference Honors. McCann is the second leading scorer in the Big 8 Conference and often has to overcome the opposing team’s best defenders. McCann regularly scores 30 + points per game, and on multiple occasions has scored 32.
Senior and Forward Luke Malmanger was injured during the second game of the season, and was forced to sit out for six games, returning to the team at the start of the new year. Malmanger averaged nine points per game. Senior and Forward Seth Glissendorf started for the team the entire year. Dominick Rizzo, a Varsity Forward, is also one of the key leaders of the team. The team this year was composed of five seniors, ten juniors, and one sophomore who regularly practiced with the team. The four starters remained consistently seniors, but the fifth position rotated every game.
One of the keys to the success of the leading scorers and the entire team is the time spent in the off-season maintaining fitness and skills. McCormick noted that Ngobi and McCann put in the most off-season work, and it really shows in their capabilities. Time spent is a key aspect to any successful athlete; working on skills and focusing on repetition will leading to the attention to detail that separates the good athletes from the elite ones.
“If you want to be good at something, you need to spend time doing it,” said Coach McCormick. “It’s a matter of finding time to do those things...we always tell our kids, if it’s important to you, find the time.”
The team focused on competitive practices in order to improve their fundamental skills, mental strength, and limitations. The emphasis of the practices is to do things right.
Coach McCormick explained, “What we really emphasize is trying to do things the right way. Not only on the court, but in the classroom, in all aspects of your life.”
The athletes are also taught selflessness. In order to work together and be successful as a group, the talented individuals need to be willing to work with the rest of the team to be successful. The key to a successful team is to work together, without caring who gets the credit. The Craig Cougars were successful this year because no individual player was in it for themselves. All of the players put in the work to be good as a team, and placed the team’s goals and accomplishments above their own.
The outlook for next year is bright for the Varsity Cougars. Although the team is losing five seniors and two leading scorers, the team has ten juniors willing to put in the work to take the place of the seniors.
“I think we have guys who are willing to commit to do that, who are basketball guys, basketball junkies, I think they’re willing to put the time in to do that,” commented Coach McCormick.
The team has lofty goals for the 2018-2019 season, including being the top three in the Big 8 Conference. With a little less than a year to prepare, the Cougars will be ready by next year to put up a fight against the other conference teams.
“We were a pretty deep team this year and I think we should be a pretty deep team again next year. We will see how our guys get better from now until next November; there is a lot of opportunities to work on their game,” stated Coach McCormick.
The boys Varsity basketball team finished their regular Conference season 9-9, their regular season games 11-11, and their overall season 11-12, after they lost in the first round playoff game. The team achieved their goal of going 500 in the regular season games. The team finished sixth in the Big 8 Conference, with several of the Big 8 teams in the sectional still playing for a state qualifying placement. The team won two games at end of the season and never lost more than two consecutive games in a row.
“I think that as you look back, there’s some games that we won that maybe we shouldn’t have and there’s some games that I though we should’ve won and didn’t, so it all kind of works out,” said head boys Varsity Coach, Ben McCormick.
Looking back at specific accomplishments, the team came back in the third game of the season against Madison East and was down nine points with a minute to go. Seconds after the game ending buzzer rang, the Cougars were declared victorious. Jack Huml scored a couple 3-pointers in the last minute. With five seconds left on the clock and the score being 77-75, Huml attempted a 3-point shot that went into the basketball hoops a second after the final buzzer rang. The officials declared the point legal and the Cougars were victorious. Madison East made it past the first round playoff game to continue in their championship season. Looking back, beating a championship caliber team is one of the most memorable games of the season.
The leadership of the Seniors on the team has contributed to the selflessness of the team and the strong friendships between the players. Five seniors led the team this year including Captain Jacob Ngobi, Captain Blake McCann, Dominick Rizzo, Seth Glissendorf, and Luke Malmanger.
“We try to teach all of our guys aspects of leadership...the guys on our team saw as leaders and voted as captains were Jacob and Blake,” expressed Coach McCormick.
Senior, Point Guard, and Captain Jacob Ngobi is one of the leading scorers for the Cougars. Receiving 3rd Team All-Conference, Ngobi scored 35 points in the Craig vs. Sun Prairie game. Averaging fifteen points per game, Ngobi was one of four seniors who composed the starting lineup.
Senior, Forward, and Captain Blake McCann received All-Conference Honors. McCann is the second leading scorer in the Big 8 Conference and often has to overcome the opposing team’s best defenders. McCann regularly scores 30 + points per game, and on multiple occasions has scored 32.
Senior and Forward Luke Malmanger was injured during the second game of the season, and was forced to sit out for six games, returning to the team at the start of the new year. Malmanger averaged nine points per game. Senior and Forward Seth Glissendorf started for the team the entire year. Dominick Rizzo, a Varsity Forward, is also one of the key leaders of the team. The team this year was composed of five seniors, ten juniors, and one sophomore who regularly practiced with the team. The four starters remained consistently seniors, but the fifth position rotated every game.
One of the keys to the success of the leading scorers and the entire team is the time spent in the off-season maintaining fitness and skills. McCormick noted that Ngobi and McCann put in the most off-season work, and it really shows in their capabilities. Time spent is a key aspect to any successful athlete; working on skills and focusing on repetition will leading to the attention to detail that separates the good athletes from the elite ones.
“If you want to be good at something, you need to spend time doing it,” said Coach McCormick. “It’s a matter of finding time to do those things...we always tell our kids, if it’s important to you, find the time.”
The team focused on competitive practices in order to improve their fundamental skills, mental strength, and limitations. The emphasis of the practices is to do things right.
Coach McCormick explained, “What we really emphasize is trying to do things the right way. Not only on the court, but in the classroom, in all aspects of your life.”
The athletes are also taught selflessness. In order to work together and be successful as a group, the talented individuals need to be willing to work with the rest of the team to be successful. The key to a successful team is to work together, without caring who gets the credit. The Craig Cougars were successful this year because no individual player was in it for themselves. All of the players put in the work to be good as a team, and placed the team’s goals and accomplishments above their own.
The outlook for next year is bright for the Varsity Cougars. Although the team is losing five seniors and two leading scorers, the team has ten juniors willing to put in the work to take the place of the seniors.
“I think we have guys who are willing to commit to do that, who are basketball guys, basketball junkies, I think they’re willing to put the time in to do that,” commented Coach McCormick.
The team has lofty goals for the 2018-2019 season, including being the top three in the Big 8 Conference. With a little less than a year to prepare, the Cougars will be ready by next year to put up a fight against the other conference teams.
“We were a pretty deep team this year and I think we should be a pretty deep team again next year. We will see how our guys get better from now until next November; there is a lot of opportunities to work on their game,” stated Coach McCormick.