The Hampton-Dumont-CAL boys basketball team had a somewhat down season at 4-19. With only one varsity player from the previous season, it was destined to be a rebuilding season.
Head Coach Brian Niesen says ball security was a key factor in several games.
“Handling the ball is big for us,” Niesen says. “We’ve got to cut down on our turnovers. Some of the games where we didn’t stay competitive, it was a lot of turnovers, like well over 20 turnovers. As a coaching staff, we’ve got to get better at helping kids handle the ball under pressure, passing the ball under pressure, just making smart decisions. And we’ve also got to get better shooting it. We’ve got to make more threes and we just got to get better finishing at the rim. But I think we can really take off from the perimeter. I think we have some kids willing to put time in and willing to work and become a confident shooter by the time our official game starts next November, December.”
The team averaged 22.5 turnovers per game with an average point margin of -21, an example of the importance of ball security.
Brady Harr led the team with 17.5 points, 8.3 rebounds, 4.2 assists and 2.4 blocks per game. Varsity newcomer Caden Woods was second with 9.5 points per game on 55 percent shooting.
Most of the varsity production is expected back next season.
Brian Niesen interview:
