Stallions plan to heed lessons learned from '07-08

By SETH SHANER

Is there anything more dangerous than a basketball team stocked full of talent and experience that's as hungry as a complete unknown?

DeSales boys hoops coach Blair Albright is hoping both are the case, but especially the latter, because his squad includes four returning starters who went through a tough Division II district final loss a season ago.

"The most disappointing thing about last year's loss in the district final was that it was clear to me that we had taken winning that championship for granted," Albright said of the Stallions' 50-33 loss to Eastmoor Academy.

"That is a dangerous thing that can sometimes come with success, but we have to be honest in evaluating ourselves and admit that perhaps we forgot too much about how difficult it is to win a district title, and we assumed too much about our ability to secure a third straight one."

 

The previous two DeSales squads had advanced to the D-II state final four, and the 2007-08 version seemed poised to follow that same path, compiling a 19-3 record going into the district final.

The current Stallions look a lot like the last Stallions to take the court, minus centers Sean Hobbs (7-2) and Patrick Omameh (6-5). Hobbs is currently playing at the University of North Carolina-Asheville, while Omameh is an offensive lineman on the Michigan football team.

Those losses are significant, but they do set up a new way of attacking things with the remaining four starters and other experienced players.

"The loss of Sean and Patrick certainly changes the makeup of our team," Albright said. "Their presence in the middle of our defense will be missed. At the same time, though, they both had some defensive limitations that forced us to play a little more conservatively than the rest of our personnel may have warranted.

"With those two gone, our team loses significant size, but gains an across-the-board consistency in athleticism that will give this year's group more opportunity to be further aggressive both in our pressure defensive package and in our commitment to up-tempo, transition basketball."

Senior forward Ike Ariguzo (6-7) will slide from forward to center most of the time after averaging 7.2 points a contest a year ago, but Albright will be looking to all five players on the floor to get the job done together on the defensive end.

Also returning is one of the best players in Central Ohio a season ago in junior Nick Kellogg (6-2).

Kellogg averaged 21.7 points a game last season, including 11 contests with 25 or more points.

Sharp-shooting senior guards Nick Goff (6-3) and Zak Gaborcik (6-1) return after averaging 11.5 and 9.9 points, as does likely starter junior Adam Griffin, who started six games last year and broke onto the scene with 22 points to help hand Worthington Christian its only loss of the regular season.

Kellogg, Goff and Gaborcik all played roles on the state final four group in '07.

Coming off the bench will be seniors Seun Adejobi (6-2) and Marcus Liston (6-6), along with juniors Chi-Chi Ariguzo (6-2), Aaron Selmek (6-8) and Patrick Levy (6-0).

"The progress that this group makes in terms of establishing and defining their roles in support of the starters will be one of the most instrumental parts of the team's overall growth and maturation," Albright said.

"It's the contributions of these individuals to the whole of the team that will have a major impact on the success of this year's club, but remains an unanswered question."

The Central Catholic League will again feature competitiveness not seen in many leagues, but the Stallions remain a favorite to capture a fourth straight crown.

Worthington Christian should again be a force, returning Division IV state player of the year Brian Hecker, but losing several outside shooters to graduation and transfer.

Watterson, Hartley, Ready and St. Charles will all be formidable, with solid players returning to each roster.

"As always, our primary focus and goal for the year is to win a CCL championship," Albright said. "This is a goal that becomes more difficult to attain with each one that we win, as our opponents grow increasingly motivated to beat us.

"Add that to the fact the league is much stronger this year across the board, and there leaves no reason for us to take anything for granted."

Added to a tough league slate are non-league games against powers such as Toledo Whitmer, Cleveland Garfield Heights and Cleveland Benedictine, along with a trip to a national tournament in Orlando over the holidays.

The first test, at home with Whitmer, comes Saturday, Dec. 6, at 7:30 p.m., while the first league challenge, home against Worthington Christian, is Dec. 12 (8 p.m.).

Beyond the CCL hopes, Albright hopes to see a hungry squad come postseason tournament time.

"We know if we can accomplish (the goal of a league title), we will certainly be worthy of a solid seed in the district tournament," the coach said. "Then and only then can we begin to pursue what alluded us a year ago.

"This group has left much on the table when it comes to tournament play, and while we must remember that this is a long way off, the season serves as the preparation for tournament play, and ultimately it's tournament play that defines a team."