Reds look to build depth
Grade 12 guard Noah Honsberger will be counted on heavily for the Denis Morris Reds this season.
It’s going to be a question of balance for the Denis Morris Reds senior boys basketball team this season.
The Reds feature a strong starting five — Noah Honsberger, Zubeer Liban, Michael Conlon, Michael Cassidy and Thomas Davidson — but are working on building depth off their bench.
“Depth is our weakness,” Reds coach Randy Conlon said Tuesday, as the Reds opened the Niagara Catholic Athletic Association regular season with a 65-35 loss to the St. Francis Phoenix. “I start five club players and after that, we don’t have any club players, but the kids are here and they are working hard.”
Conlon admits there is a fine line between winning and development once the ball is tipped off.
“Once the game starts, it’s hard to not coach the game to win when you’re me,” he said. “At the same time, you have kids you want to develop but they are developing in practice and playing against five really strong players.”
The Reds took a hit to their depth when they lost Sacade Kasamba to St. Francis and Max Grant to Governor Simcoe, who both transferred.
“That hurt, but I can’t do anything about it. These are the cards I have been dealt,” Conlon said. “I’d like to think we’re progressing. We’re older, but I lost two players.”
Honsberger, who suits up at the club level for the Niagara Tigers, played all but two minutes Tuesday.
“Obviously, a lot of things have to go through Noah,” Conlon said. “He’s a 6-foot-4, Grade 12 player who probably has a 6-foot-8 wing span and is a very experienced player. Him and Zubeer have to stay out of foul trouble and keep their breath because they have to play 30 out of 32 minutes, if not more.”
Honsberger seems up for the challenge.
“You know you have to deliver every night so you just have to make sure you are there for your team,” he said.
Conlon is confident in his big guard.
“He knows he’s our best player and other teams do as well and that’s only going to make him better. If he wants to play at the next level, he has to get stronger and take that leadership role.”
Honsberger, who indicated he may return for Grade 12B next season, is ready to do whatever is asked of him.
“Pretty much everything. Score, bring the ball up, play good defence,” he said when asked for his role.
He feels his experience playing club ball gives him an advantage come the high school season.
“It helps because you’re playing against better competition in the club season which helps when you get to the high school season,” he said.
The Reds are ranked fourth for next week’s Standard High School Tournament behind St. Francis, Governor Simcoe and Blessed Trinity.
“The Standard Tournament matters a lot,” Conlon said. “I’d like to have a good showing there and get to the semis and play them again but we have to beat Centennial and they are a good team. I want to win our first two games and see what we can do from there.”
The Reds fell behind 14-3 after one quarter and were down 29-18 at the half and 50-29 after three quarters.
“We fell behind early, but our lack of depth hurt us,” Conlon said. “He’s running fresh players out there and we’re not.
“I was happy. We missed a lot of open looks. They’re obviously a stronger team but we performed a lot better than the first time we played them.”
Conlon is looking at a birth at SOSSA (Southern Ontario Secondary Schools Association) AAA as his main goal this season.
“It’s a marathon, not a sprint,” he said. “We have to go through Notre Dame, Simcoe and BT.”
Individual scorers were not kept on the game sheet.
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