Karns City’s new faces, improved play from Knoch, Mars veterans: Boys basketball season’s biggest surprises so far
The PIAA basketball season is about halfway done, give or take, and a picture of the Butler County boys teams and players has started to take shape.
Here are some of the most pleasant surprises on the local hardwood scene so far this season. Note that all statistics mentioned are as of Wednesday afternoon.
Xavier Bartoe was a relative unknown as a freshman at this time last season. The same can’t be said this time around. The Gremlins’ sophomore guard is nearly averaging double digits points, and first-year coach Jalen Price has counted on him to check the opponents’ best player each night.
“I think he’s done a tremendous job of taking some pressure off of Cole Johnston by helping him handle the basketball and score points,” Price said.
Through 10 games, Karns City had already matched last year’s win total (seven).
Derek Lang and Liam Avon have become the big guys for the Knights, who are 10-2.
“We have utilized and worked on some of their post skills and playing with their backs to the basket,” Knoch first-year coach Joe Lafko said. “Derek, specifically, he was more of a perimeter guy for much of his earlier years, but he’s bought in to understanding that role.”
The tandem has been a force on the glass, turning rebounds into put-backs and second chances for its offense.
Ethan Kresinski hadn’t played basketball for Mars since his freshman year. He’s back as a senior and hasn’t taken long to stand out.
“He has our lowest turnover percentage,” Phillippi said. “He leads our fast break. He’ll get a rebound and he’s toting it the length of the floor, which is unique, unique for his build, but he’s got the skillset for it.”
Kresinski, who’s posting over six points per game, has worked himself into a semi-starting role for the Planets (6-6).
The Warriors are 4-4 under new coach Jake Jewart, and senior Ian Ross has more than doubled his scoring average from last year.
Ross has put up 11.1 points per game through Moniteau’s first eight, a season after turning in five. He’s helped on the other end, as well.
“(He’s) improved to be the best defender on our team,” Jewart said. “He averages four steals, two assists and four rebounds a game.”
Rockets boys coach A.J. Motta said sophomore Luke Caldwell missed most of last season with an injury. It seems like the guard is making up for lost time.
Caldwell has shown to be a talented finisher at the rim and shooter from beyond the arc (35% for the season). He leads Slippery Rock with 11.5 points per game. The Rockets trained with a Marine during the offseason, and Caldwell has stuck to the regimen.
“He does multiple military workouts each week — sometimes before school — frequently gets up and is in the gym by 6 a.m. and (works) there for a few hours,” Motta said.
Yellowjackets junior guard Gavin Tola served as a reserve last season, putting up just fewer than four points per game.
“This year, he’s just over 12 ... and a lot of our defensive concepts, we kinda run through him any time we need to do anything special,” Freeport coach Rich Macura said. “(He) moves where we need him to be. I don’t have to talk him through a lot of stuff as far as in-game (situations).
Tola also plays baseball and golf, which makes it hard on him to be at a lot of the ’Jackets’ offseason workouts. Freeport was 4-6 through its initial 10 games, but Tola will be a big part of a playoff push.
