Senior forward Joseph Scott is making the most of his last year as a Knight as the boys basketball team leans on experienced players to lead it this season.

“I’ve been working out every day, going to every gym I can, just focusing on locking in,” Scott said.

Scott says he gets motivation from a craving for personal and team success.

“The love for the game [is what keeps me motivated],” Scott said. “I love everything about it and definitely winning.” 

Junior guard Kyle Hanson plans to step up this year as a leader as well.

“I try to bring leadership; I try to have my voice heard out there,” Hanson said. “I try to uplift them when they’re down and try to lead them through adversity.”

Second-year head coach Patrick Johnson leans on the experience of veteran players in order to deliver in clutch moments.

“We have a large junior group and small senior group,” Johnson said. “We have enough experience, and I think collectively, when it comes to close games at the end, we know what we are doing.”

Johnson says Hanson has established himself as a team leader. The coach has developed a special trust with Hanson and plans  to rely on him throughout the season.

“[Hanson] brings everything,” Johnson said. “He’s got a lot of experience; he’s a guy capable of scoring the ball; he’s one of our best defenders; we are going to be asking a lot from him, but I think he’s up for it.”

Johnson is impressed with the new players’ confidence and court presence.

“We have a bunch of JV guys who can now hold their own,” Johnson said. “We’ve got a nice mix of experience and new players.”

The trust and respect are mutual between Johnson and the players.

“He brings a lot of professionalism and definitely a lot of energy,” Scott said. “He requires respect; you respect him; he’ll respect you, and if you respect one another, everything will work out.”

After a loss in a scrimmage to Mays in early November, the team is 2-3 in the regular season. Hanson believes improvements must be made in practice. 

“We just need to work on everything,” he said.

Some players have developed in the offseason. Junior guard Autrey “Slim” Barnes’s improvement has been noticed by teammates, including Hanson.

“I think [Barnes] did a good job,” Hanson said. “He was doing a great job rebounding, making shots, diving on the floor, and playing really good defense.”

On December 4th, the Knights narrowly defeated Paidea by a score of 65-64. Scott, who had 17 points, believes the team is starting to come together after a slow start.

“We played well as a team, we’re starting to click,” Scott said.

Scott also noticed some issues that call for improvement moving forward.

“We have to do a better job with consistency on attacking the defense at the rim all game,” Scott said.

Overall improvement will come through practice and building team chemistry.

“Just continue to get sharper with our stuff; this early on, you won’t have everything together,” Johnson said. “We’ll get used to playing with each other, all that will come.”