Pioneers looking to be more physical
West Greene head coach Jim Romanus talks to his players as assistant coach Beau Jackson (left) looks on during a timeout in a game last season. (Photo by Rob Burchianti)
Rob Burchianti | 缅北禁地
West Greene鈥檚 Casey Miller (33) defends against a shot at Avella last season. Miller returns to the Pioneers for his senior year.
West Greene鈥檚 Wes Whipkey (2) challenges a 3-point shot by Avella鈥檚 Westley Burchianti (3) during a game last season. Whipkey returns to the Pioneers for his senior season although a football injury will likely keep him out of the lineup until January. (Photo by Rob Burchianti)
Jim Romanus is hoping to get back to normal in more ways than one this boys basketball season.
The West Greene coach has guided the Pioneers into the WPIAL playoffs for a school-record six years in a row, although all teams were invited to play in the postseason last season during the COVID-19 pandemic.
鈥淟ast year was a disaster, not only because of COVID but I also had a small roster and we had injuries that lingered throughout the year from football,鈥� said Romanus, who is in his 11th year as coach of the Pioneers and 45th year of coaching basketball overall.
What bothered Romanus most last season was his team鈥檚 style of play.
鈥淭he one thing we should get back to doing, which has always been a staple of mine except for last year, is we finally should be more physical again,鈥� Romanus said. 鈥淟ast year we weren鈥檛. We just got pushed around.
鈥淚 think we鈥檙e getting back to the kind of basketball I like to see us play.鈥�
Romanus does have his leading scorer returning in 6-foot-2 junior Ian Vandyne.
鈥淚an started last year and averaged about 10 points a game,鈥� Romanus said. 鈥淗e really worked hard in the offseason. He went to a couple camps, played in the Brownson House and in the Budd Grebb league, so he鈥檚 gotten a lot better.鈥�
The Pioneers have a few other key pieces returning also, one from two seasons ago.聽
鈥淥ur roster remains small this year but I do have some of my football players back, they鈥檙e just banged up,鈥� Romanus explained. 鈥淥ne of them who was a starter from last year, senior Wes Whipkey (6-1), will probably be out until January because he has a knee problem. Another senior, Corey Wise (5-10), who played as a sophomore but didn鈥檛 play last year, is back but he鈥檚 still a bit dinged up from football. Colin Brady (6-2), another football player with lingering injuries, is a sophomore who started some games for us last year.
鈥淐orey and Colin are both playing right now, they鈥檙e just not at 100 percent yet. When Corey was a sophomore he had a couple real big games. He can shoot it, as can Vandyne. Brady is just a pure athlete.鈥�
Romanus has a set starting five.
鈥淔or now, with Wes out, it will be Colin, Corey, Ian, senior Casey Miller (6-3 senior) and Kaden Shields (5-8), who鈥檚 a junior,鈥� Romanus said. 鈥淓ither Shields or Vandyne will be the point guard.
鈥淣athan Reed (5-9) is a junior who will play some, too.鈥�
West Greene will also be relying on some underclassmen as other key players off the bench.
鈥淚鈥檝e got a bunch of freshman and some of them are pretty decent,鈥� he said. 鈥淭wo of them played a lot in the summer and have really come on well, Lane Allison and Patrick Durbin. They have some potential and they have a lot of support from home. Their folks really push them. Patrick plays AAU basketball and Lane鈥檚 a really good athlete.鈥�
Romanus is hoping his team can extend its playoff streak to seven.
鈥淚 know everyone was invited last year but we鈥檙e proud of that record and want to see it continue,鈥� said Romanus, whose squad will again play in Section 2-A with the top four teams qualifying for the postseason.
鈥淏ishop Canevin will be one of the top teams in the state so they鈥檙e the obvious favorite, and Geibel has a lot of players coming back,鈥� Romanus said. 鈥淭hose are clearly the top two.
鈥淎s for the rest, Mapletown has some good kids back, Avella lost some good players but if they put it together they could be a threat. I really don鈥檛 know anything about what Propel Montour has.
鈥淚 think slots three through six are up for grabs.鈥�
Romanus doesn鈥檛 want to make a prediction on how the Pioneers鈥� season will go.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 know how good we鈥檙e going to be,鈥� Romanus said.
鈥淚 just want us to play physical and with a lot of energy. That鈥檚 what I鈥檓 looking for.鈥�