The Wheaton boys basketball team is heading into its Ozark 7 Conference slate this week at 1-0, hoping to make a run for a conference title and shot at the Class 2, District 11 championship.
Seth Lash, Wheaton boys basketball coach, said the Bulldogs (11-6) started off much stronger than last season, going 7-3 in its first 10 games compared to 3-7. The Bulldogs are on a three-game streak now after defeating Hurley on Friday, 67-32.
“We’ve done a really good job on defense overall,” he said. “We’ve only allowed 60 points twice this year, and it’s been a big thing for us to hold opponents to low numbers and give our offense a chance to score.
“We’ve also shot better this year and are doing a better job not turning the ball over.”
At Friday’s Homecoming win, Wheaton employed a suffocating press, turning multiple turnovers into points early on.
“Whether we press depends on the opponent and the time and situation of the game,” Lash said. “Sometimes we choose a spot to press depending on the opponents’ strengths.
“We try to get some energy off of it and give a boost to our offense to generate points.”
Lash said the Bulldogs are also benefitting this year from a whole team mentality, with each player taking responsibility for leadership and working together.
“We’ve returned almost the same team we had last year, and we have one freshman who is getting to play,” Lash said. “All these guys know what they need to do and hold each other accountable.”
The Bulldogs are now starting to focus on Ozark 7 play, having already beaten Thomas Jefferson. Wheaton faced McAuley Catholic (8-7) on Tuesday, with the result not available at presstime, and the Bulldogs host College Heights Christian (7-6) on Friday.
The toughest two games on paper left on the schedule are against SouthWest Central League teams, and both on the road: Blue Eye (13-4) on Jan. 30, and Galena (9-7) on Feb. 5.
“We want to put our best showing against these teams and compete for a conference title,” Lash said. “We want to stay undefeated in conference and are taking one game and one play at a time. We can position ourselves with the right mindset in those games.”
Lash said Wheaton’s district is a tough one, as it includes Blue Eye and Galena, plus other teams Wheaton has yet to see.
“There are a lot of SWCL schools, and we’ve already played Purdy and Galena, but teams like Spokane and Crane are not on our schedule,” Lash said. “We can look at scores, but that doesn’t always tell the full story. Until we see those schools, it’s tough to know exactly where they are.
“We are going to focus on us and the things we can control, and we’ll see where that takes us.”
