SOUTH WHITLEY - After going 26-78 between 2003 and 2008, last season's 19-6 record has raised expectations for Whitko's boys basketball team.
Last year's big turnaround included the team's first sectional crown since 2001, as well as a 73-67 win over Fort Wayne Harding in the regional semifinal before bowing out of the tournament following a 64-50 loss to Delta in the regional championship."We've gone from wanting to compete to now having to prepare to play against everyone's best game," Whitko's fifth-year head coach Rob Irwin said. "If we don't play our best each night, we're going to get beat."
The Wildcats will be getting the opposition's best shot because they return the core of last year's team, outside of the graduated Ryan Bumbaugh, Kaden Krull and Todd Reed.
"All three of those guys did a nice job at the end of the season," Irwin said. "But this year's team may be better.
"We'll probably have eight guys play a whole bunch," he added. "We're deep, long, athletic and quick. I like what I've seen, but we still need to gel."
Once the team does gel, it can be said that sophomore point guard Logan Irwin will be doing the stirring.
As a freshman, Irwin exploded onto the scene, scoring 450 points, averaging 18 points a game, as well as four rebounds and four assists per contest earning all-Three Rivers Conference honors.
"He has the second most experience on the team," the coach said. "(Senior) Travis Lepper's been here four years and (junior) Zac (VanDeWater's) been on the team for three years, but Logan has a lot of experience. Last year, people saw what he was about, and he wants to win. He's plays harder than anyone out there. That makes him a lot more accepting to his teammates."
That hustle made the point guard earn the respect of his teammates, but as a sophomore, his father would like to see his points decrease a bit.
"I hope he scores less," Irwin said. "He's not going to want to hear that, but I don't care. We'll be better if he doesn't. He's going to to be able to play more like a point guard and the other guys will feed off him."
One of those guys who may be able to flourish off the attention Logan Irwin sees should be fellow all-TRC member VanDeWater.
After attending middle school in the Warsaw district, like Logan Irwin, expectations were high for VanDeWater, who started as a freshman for Whitko. Through two seasons, he's done well, averaging 12 points and six rebounds as a junior, Irwin hopes he can do even better.
"Expectations are expectations," Irwin said. "You can't control those.
"I just want him to play to have fun and nothing else," Irwin said of the 6-foot-5 VanDeWater. "I think he'll play inside a lot this year. He can go inside and outside. We didn't really get him into the post a lot with Kaden here. You'll be able to see just how versatile he is," Irwin added. "You'll be able to see his whole package."
With Irwin and VanDeWater likely leading the attack, opposing teams may forget about the inside presence of junior Max Elder, as well as sharpshooters Lepper and junior Mitch Yeager.
"Hopefully Mitch can shoot well to take the pressure off the other guys," Irwin said.
Also providing height for the Wildcats will be 6-foot-3 junior Travis Weigold, junior Brett Busz (6-3), sophomore Derek Snep (6-3), freshman Alex Stoddard (6-2), Belgium foreign exchange student Colin Donner (6-2) and 6-foot-9 sophomore Kolten Krull.
"Hopefully Kolten will be ready to play on the varsity by January," Irwin said of the big man who's still working on his game.
Last season, Whitko shared the TRC crown with Rochester and North Miami thanks to a 6-1 record, and the Wildcats would like to match that effort, if not claim the title all for themselves.
"(Tippecanoe) Valley has everyone back and so does Southwood," Irwin said. "I do feel like (Southwood) is the team to beat."
Prior to getting into the conference, Whitko opens its season against Whitley County rival Columbia City at home Wednesday at 6:15 p.m.
After losing 11-straight to Columbia City, the Wildcats have won the past two meetings, adding even more to the rivalry, which has been Whitko's season opener since 1994.
