Leopards will build around Whitlock
The Belle Vernon boys basketball team was the WPIAL Class AAAA runner-up a year ago and came up a basket short of making the PIAA quarterfinals.
Gone are four starters, but coach Joe Salvino has all-section point guard Devin Whitlock back and the team will be built around the junior.
鈥淒evin is Devin,鈥� Salvino said while smiling about Whitlock, who will go over 1,000 career points early in the season. 鈥淗e is a kid who is going to compete against you no matter who you are, how big you are, or how strong you are.
鈥淗is athletic abilities are a plus and when he does something, other players see him lead by example and the team feeds off of him.鈥�
Senior guard Jake Haney made a few spot starts a year ago and has shown glimpse of scoring abilities, especially from the outside.
Three juniors are filling out the starting lineup to begin the season in guard Daniel Gordon, small forward Tyler Kovatch and power forward Joe Klanchar.
鈥淒aniel brings a lot to the outside game and Tyler is a good defensive player,鈥� said Salvino. 鈥淛oe is going to have to handle the inside for us as we don鈥檛 have a lot of great height, but hopefully we鈥檒l use our athleticism.鈥�
Three key reserves are junior forward Tommy Kovatch, junior guard Logan Cunningham and 6-2 freshman Quinton Martin, who Salvino said doesn鈥檛 have a specific position.
鈥淨uinton is coming along and can play the point, shooting guard or small forward,鈥� he said of Martin, a stud athlete who has already received college football offers.
When asked about his expectations, Salvino said that he hopes the players have set expectations for themselves.
鈥淔rom what we did last year, I am hoping the players鈥� expectations are very high,鈥� he said. 鈥淭hey have seen what has to be done to get to a certain point.
鈥淭his group is more of a group that concentrates on everything they do, meaning when it is football season, they focus on football and when it is basketball season, they focus on hoop.鈥�
Salvino said North Catholic and Lincoln Park will probably be the top teams in Class AAAA, and then broke down Section 3-AAAA.
鈥淓F is going to be good and Uniontown with their athletic ability, will be good,鈥� Salvino said. 鈥淪outhmoreland and Mount Pleasant are new to section, and we know about South Park and Yough.鈥�
When asked about what it will take to have a successful season, Salvino did not hesitate.
鈥淪taying healthy is a big key and we are doing what has to be done,鈥� he said. 鈥淲e will have to put a lot of effort into the defensive end.
鈥淲e lack height, so we have to push the ball up and down the floor, take good shots, box out and rebound.鈥�
The COVID-19 pandemic has affected every team and Salvino said he wishes the season would start in January.
鈥淲e could play each section team twice a week to keep teams away from each other,鈥� he said. 鈥淏ut this is a very different year, and after 37 years, I didn鈥檛 think I would be (coaching under these circumstances).鈥�
Belle Vernon has been practicing with the varsity and JV teams apart from each other.
鈥淲e are being as safe as possible, sanitizing balls and doing whatever we need to do,鈥� said Salvino. 鈥淏ut, we have some really good young players with size and in time, they may be able to move up.鈥�