Near Misses Last Season Have LHSS Hoops Squad Hopeful For Big Year

boys basketball coach Brian Lind still can’t get over how close his team was to having a winning season last year.

The Lancers finished the year 12-15, the closest the program’s been to a winning season in nearly a decade, but just missed out on being an above .500 team. For whatever reason, they just couldn’t hold a fourth quarter lead.

“We felt like we were always just a play or two away,” Lind said. “We were in so many games. But that’s the way some seasons go.”

“You just have to credit the other team. They seemed to be able to pull those games out, and we didn’t. We had a whole season of fourth-quarter blown leads, it seemed like. And when you look at where we finished up, we could’ve had a heck of a year.”

This season, Lind and his Lancers aim to be a club capable of holding on to those leads, by playing tough defense and relying on its group of five returning seniors to lead them to the promised land.

“We have a good group seniors this year, that’s for sure,” Lind said. “I think they’re all going to be good contributors. They’re very talented and very athletic, and I’m confident that we’re going to have a good year with them.”

The leader of that group this season, will be 6’3 forward Jim Hudson.

Last year, he led the Lancers in scoring and rebounding, with 12.2 points and 7.5 boards a game. And he did so without even taking the most shots on the team.

This year, Hudson will be South’s primary weapon, and Lind believes he could be in store for a big year.

“I’m really excited about Jimmy Hudson this year,” Lind said. “He’s been a four-year varsity player, and he’s just a really smart, intuitive, and athletic basketball player. And him coming back gives us a really good anchor to work away from.”

Also back this year are 6’2 senior point guard Alex Platipodis, 6’5 post man Brendan Kurtz, 5’9 Ryan Strom, and 5’10 Nadum Meneh, all of whom are players who contributed significant minutes last season.

The one junior on the club this year will be 6’2 forward Thomas Schultz, who’ll provide depth off the bench for the Lancers, along with an exciting group of sophomores, including 6’2 post Angelo Ceko, 6’3 forward Brandon Downey, 6’1 guard Avery Hohenstein, and 6’0 guard Parker Van Nest.

South will also have one freshman on the varsity this year, in 5’10 passing whiz Trey Martin.

“I think the key for us will be if (our veterans) can give our (young guys) a chance to grow up in the beginning of the year,” Lind said, “then they’re really going to be a big part of our team as we go down the stretch.”

Lutheran South will open its 2011-2012 season by playing in the Southside Classic, a season-opening tournament featuring teams from Affton, Bayless, Bishop DuBourg, Hancock, SLUH, St. Mary’s, and host-school Mehlville.  

The Lancers will officially tip-off the new season on Monday when they’ll take on Mehlville in the 6:30 p.m. game of Day 1 of the event, at the Mehlville High Gym.

South’s first home game this year is set for Friday, December 9, when the Lancers will host Westminster Christian Academy, at South High at 7 p.m. 

“Consistency will be the most important thing for us,” Lind said. “We can’t just play three good quarters and then have one (bad one). We need to be pretty solid for four quarters every time. If we can do that, we’ll be alright.”