BOURBON - The Triton High School boys basketball team is looking to continue its success from the past three seasons.
As if going 61-8 with a state championship, a state runner-up and three-straight sectional crowns wasn't enough, the Triton Trojans return all but two players that saw significant minutes a year ago.Gone are starting point guard Ben Montalbano and Taran Holderman, who started 21 of 25 games, but sixth-year coach Jason Groves returns plenty.
Returning starters for the Trojans are seniors Griffyn Carpenter and Austin Davis and sophomore Clay Yeo.
Along with those three, Groves also welcomes back sophomore Quentyn Carpenter, who is expected to play a greater role, as well as junior Zak Shively and seniors Blake Lemler and Jordan Everett.
"We have a lot of seniors with leadership," Groves said. "I've talked with them and they know what's expected of them. They need to set the standard for the program."
The top senior will be Griffyn Carpenter, who's seen action since helping the team win the 2007-08 state championship as a freshman.
"He's been to all the conditioning practices we've had and he's in a lot better shape," Groves said about his leading scorer from a year ago with 18 points a game. "He suffered a concussion last year, which kept him off the court for about three weeks. He's been a real bright spot in the first few days of practice."
Yeo has also been a bright spot in practice and should be an even brighter spot on the court this year after starting all but one game a year ago. In his freshman year, Yeo averaged 10 points, four rebounds, a steal and a blocked shot.
"He's gotten stronger and more confident," Groves said about Yeo. "Last year, he'd put a couple good games together, then fade a bit. As soon as it starts clicking for him, he's going to be tough to defend. He just needs to be a lot more consistent."
Yeo will be joined down low by Davis, who returns as the team's leading rebounder with five per game to go with five points.
Triton does return a lot, but did lose quite a lot with Montalbano gone at point guard.
Leading the show last year, Montalbano did a great job of directing the offense with eight assists a game.
With him gone, Groves may go with last year's starting junior varsity point guard Shively or Griffyn Carpenter's younger brother Quentyn Carpenter.
"We may see a little of both," Groves said. "Quentyn sees the court well in transition and Zak can handle the ball really well. Zak also does a good job around the basket."
As the Trojans settle into who's going to run the offense, Groves and his coaching staff hope the entire squad can buckle down on defense.
"We need to strengthen up that aspect of the game," Groves said. "Clay Yeo has a big wingspan that can defend. We also have Marc Lindsey, who brings toughness after playing football. Austin Davis and Blake Lemler are also physical, and Dane Kennedy also comes over from the football team, which I think is a good thing."
With a more physical team, Groves sees this team being a little different from years past.
"We've got athletes, but we're not as quick," he said. "We're bigger and longer, but the kids still understand the system we want to play."
That system has helped the Trojans go 19-2 in the Northern State Conference over the past three seasons, winning the crown in 2008 and sharing it with John Glenn last year, but Groves knows dormant NSC teams are getting better.
"New Prairie should be good," Groves said. "They seem to have really gotten better - Culver too. Our entire conference will be competitive."
Triton's schedule outside of the NSC isn't a cakewalk either, with Plymouth, NorthWood and Rochester on the slate, not to mention Class 4A state runner-up Warsaw on Dec. 21 at the Orthopaedic Capital Center on the campus of Grace College.
"It should be a good opportunity," Groves said about playing Warsaw for the first time since a 60-50 loss in the second round of the 1997 sectional. "We're thankful to have them on the schedule. It will be a good learning experience. The game will show us our weaknesses and what we need to work on. Win or lose, it's going to be good for us."
The game against Warsaw may be a good one win or lose, but Groves isn't taking that mindset into many other contests.
"Our expectations don't change," he said. "We want to win the conference, the (TCU) Bi-County and sectional. After that, anything can happen."
