Edina Boys Basketball Looks to Show Team Grit

There was a method to their madness. The boys basketball team did not open up their 2011-12 season with cream puff competition. Instead, the Hornets faced Class 4A’s second-ranked Eastview and eighth-ranked Lakeville North, according to Minnesota Basketball News polls.

And they paid for it on the scoreboard, losing 86-61 and 63-49, respectively. 

Considering the competition Edina will likely face as the state tournament nears, those early-season tests might have been just what the Hornets needed. The Hornets finished the season 18-9-0.

“Having such a tough conference with Hopkins and Eden Prairie always being good, we’re always viewed as the underdogs,” senior Derek Hill said. “But we strive to come out and prove the conference wrong—that we’re not this bunch of stereotypical Edina kids, you know, come out and play tough.”

There’s a palpable hunger among the Hornets at practice, one that shows their desire to compete against some of the state’s top teams. By matching up against two non-conference foes to start the season, Edina got a glimpse at what could await them in the state tournament later this month.

Coach Pat Dorsey said facing those two opponents early helped show his team is battling some undisciplined tendencies, but it’s nothing the team can’t fix.

“Even though the scoreboard didn’t make us feel very good, it showed us what we can work on,” Dorsey said. “And all the mistakes I thought we were making in these games, they are things I think we can work on, so we’re excited about that.”

Dorsey said fixing footwork, cleaning up passes and handling the ball in pressure situations are all things the Hornets learned from the early-season games.

"We won't (always) have the luxury of playing smaller, less talented teams," Dorsey said.

Senior forward Flip DeBerg said even though Edina doesn’t have other teams’ size, the Hornets play big on the boards thanks to grit and positioning. He said the biggest thing the team learned this season is handling intimidation.

“We need to play less scared out there,” DeBerg said. “We played two tough teams the first two games, and I think we let it get into our heads that they’re top in the state. We need to go out there and stick it to them.”

The Hornets’ task hasn't gotten any easier as the state tournament nears, but Edina has a good idea of what it takes to compete with the state’s best.

After beating Minneapolis South 76-51 in a Section 6AAAA quarterfinal matchup, the boys are still in the hunt for a state title. They're hoping those early hardships give them an added boost as the playoffs begin.

“You look around and we’re not very big, but we play bigger than we are,” senior guard Jack McGarry said. “We have strong players and big guards, and we’re trying to get better every day.”