Anything seems possible as hoops season tips off

You have to love the start to a new season. Whatever the sport, whatever the season, the start is where you find that thrilling intersection of full-on hope and full-throttle expectation.

When your team is in a dead heat with every other team in the win-loss department, all things remain possible. Those hopes, for a brief, shining moment, do not have to bow to the unyielding force of realism.

All the hard work during the summer, all the promise of young players getting their first chance at a varsity career and all the expectations for veteran players now a year older is sitting there, waiting for the chance to pay off.

The 2014-15 boys basketball season is right there in that sweet spot.

At Central Valley, a new cast of starters have high expectations. At University there is added pressure of moving back up to Class 4A after a stint at Class 3A. At West Valley, the Eagles must learn to play without a four-year starter. At East Valley, a team that was hit hard by graduation gets a new start under a new coach.

Central Valley

That hard work over the summer Rick Sloan and the Bears put in earned the team a load of expectations.

The Bears had no returning starters going into Tuesday’s opener at North Central, but despite that were the preseason pick in a survey of Greater Spokane League coaches.

One player Sloan was counting on, 6-foot-6 junior Scott Peck, is out for the year after surgery to repair an injured ankle. Peck was penciled in as the Bears starting post, so filling that hole in the middle will be an immediate challenge.

The Bears still will have size with Peck on the shelf.  Cameron Tucker, a 6-5, 205-pound junior, saw plenty of playing time a year ago and can play a range of positions from shooting guard to power forward. Marty Munyon was a 6-4, 220-pound guard and defensive tackle for the football team. Tanner Sloan, the quarterback on the football team, and P.J. Bowden, a 6-0 wide receiver/free safety, both check in a 6-0.

The Bears got off to a strong start Tuesday, downing North Central in their season opener, 66-38.

University

Garrick Phillips has built a program at University that competes well year in and year out by fielding a team that is greater than the sum of its individual parts. His teams play hard in service to each other, not in search of individual honors.

A year ago that chemistry got the Titans into the state Class 3A tournament, where the team lost both of its games (53-39 to state runner-up Eastside Catholic and 47-45 to fourth-place O’Dea) and came home without a trophy.

Team chemistry will once again be a significant team strength for the Titans. Team captains Robert Little, a two-year starter, and Garrett Schmerer, a three-year varsity player already have shown great leadership.

Phillips said he’s pleased with how hard his team has worked over the off-season to make both themselves and their individual game skills stronger.

Last year the U-Hi junior varsity was 17-1, an indication of just how deep the talent pool is for this year’s team to draw from.

The Titans opened the new season with a loss at home to Rogers, 72-70.

U-Hi was strong on the boards, outrebounding the Pirates 51-28, and the Titans leading scorers, Spencer Matt and Austin Dill hit the boards hard and picked up double doubles (19 points, 11 boards and 12 points and 12 boards, respectively). But the team shot just 31 percent from the field.

East Valley

Long-time coach Drew Vanderpool stepped down after a 12-10 season in order to spend valuable time with his family and Jason Wilson was hired to take over the Knights.

The new coach has three returning starters in Gabe Bancroft (5-9 guard, senior), Tanner Jacobs (6-1 guard, junior) and Terron Standifer (5-11 guard, senior).

Wilson must replace six graduated seniors from his varsity, and if the season opener is any indication, he’s found plenty in the cupboard.

The Knights crushed Timberlake in the opener, 84-38.

West Valley

A year ago the Eagles finished 15-8 behind two-time state champion Pullman and Clarkston, and those three teams will again battle for the Great Northern League title.

While West Valley returns four starters in Brandon Ray (6-2 post, senior), Brennen Folkins (6-2 post, junior), Alex Hall (5-11 post, junior) and Martin Herford (6-0 guard, senior), the biggest challenge may be finding someone who can be floor leader the way graduated four-year starter Jake Love was.

Coach Jay Humphrey has said the team’s biggest challenge may just be finding team chemistry.

Freeman

The Scotties have turned to long-time area coach Marty Jessett to lead their boys basketball program.

Jessett stepped down after three years coaching the University boys basketball program after the 2005-06 season. Before that he’d been the Cheney girls head coach for nine seasons and three as the head boys coach at St. George’s.

Jessett will build around three returning starters: Jake Phipps (6-1 guard, senior), Jack Paukert (5-10 guard, junior) and Ryan Maine (6-2 guard, sophomore).