Arundel Basketball Gets In Some Work

The Arundel High varsity boys basketball team got its first taste of game action on Wednesday with an energetic scrimmage against Huntingtown High.

The two teams played five informal sessions of eight minutes each, as coach Jeff Starr rotated in all returning players as well as a handful still looking to make the varsity squad.

"We learned that we need to work on some things at both ends of the floor," Starr said. "Some of these guys haven't played at the varsity level before and learned kind of effort it takes to compete at this level."

This year's team will see some new faces, as nine players are gone from a team that finished third in the county with a record of 14-2 and 18-4 overall. Senior Tyler Washington, who averaged about ten points per game last season and was a first team all-county selection, will be the lone returning starter. 

But Starr said he does not see this season as a rebuilding year.

"We've been top three in the county the last three years and we hope to compete in the top four or five in the county," he said. "It's all going to depend on how quickly we mesh, how quickly guys want to buy into our system and how hard they want to work."

Starr said several players, including Washington, have not practiced much after recently completing other sports seasons. But there is still some time for the team to gel. The Wildcats practice Friday and will take on Catonsville in a scrimmage on Saturday. On Wednesday, the team will travel for a scrimmage at Patapsco, and the regular season begins Dec. 8 at Severna Park.            

"We have the components of being able to compete, but the results have to match up to their abilities," Starr said.