It’s that time of year—basketball season is here! The Benton Central Boys’ Basketball team is about to begin their season. Tryouts were on Monday, November 11, and their first practice followed.
Even though last year didn’t end in a sectional championship, it was still a successful season. The Bison finished with a 15-9 record and a 2-2 conference record. They are hoping to improve upon an impressive season and finish with a sectional championship.
The team is coached by Ben Lambeck, who is returning for his fourth season as the varsity head coach. He is assisted by Troy Watt, a former Benton Central Basketball coach, who is returning to help his hometown team. While the coaching staff has mostly carried over from the previous season, the roster will be relatively new. The Bison lost eight seniors and only have a few current players who have logged varsity minutes. Senior Hunter Sisson will be leading the charge, as he’s the only remaining player from last year’s starting group. He’s a big man who can stretch the floor and he possesses impressive, guard-like skills for his size. After being named to the All-Conference team last season, Hunter hopes to continue right where he left off. Other seniors include Colby Dixon, Austin Kuckartz, Kolton Watt, and Ian Metzinger. Colby is a lethal shooter who isn’t afraid to attack the rim. Kolton and Austin are both guards who can handle the basketball. Then Ian provides some extra size and rim protection down low.
Several seniors will be able to contribute this season. But if the Bison want to reach their ceiling, some of the younger guys will have to step up. Sophomores Adam Foster and Rowan Heim will see a lot of varsity playing time. Adam is a shifty guard who can score from anywhere on the court. He is also an elite playmaker and knows how to get his teammates involved. Rowan will likely be the primary ball-handler for the varsity group. His quickness allows him to maneuver through traffic. Another underclassman who will have a big role this season is Junior Bennett Senesac. Bennett is an excellent shooter and provides some additional scoring to the starting lineup.
While there are a lot of new faces on the team this year, they are all very talented and should be able to make an immediate impact.
The Bison play their first game on Tuesday, November 26, at Benton Central in the Arena gymnasium. They begin their season against the Frontier Falcons. I asked Senior Kolton Watt what his expectations are for the upcoming season: “Compete each and every game and see where we can go from there.” He wants to see improvement and gradual progression from the Bison this season. Watt hopes that by the end of the season, the Bison will be ready to compete in sectionals.
Good luck to the boys’ basketball team as they begin their season!
