The 2024-25 boys basketball season has officially come to an end. With many highs throughout the season, specifically their win against number one seed Bolingbrook High School, they were hopeful for the rest of the year. Unfortunately, they fell to Benet Academy with a score of 32-44 during the sectional finals. Many things contributed to their successes, including adaptations and changes for each of the players, helping them become a more cohesive team.
“Early in the season, we worked towards instilling many of the concepts we thought our team could use to help their chances of being successful,” varsity boys’ basketball coach James Thomas said. “In the latter portion of the season, we moved towards fine-tuning things based on each game in order to give us the best chance of winning.”
Individual players are important, but so is team dynamic. Sophomore Colin Doyle has found that the team aspects aided in his personal success. The team helped him learn important lessons both in the game and in life overall.
“Being the only underclassman could have been a daunting thing for me, but the upperclassmen, especially the seniors, helped guide me all season long,” Doyle said.
The team spent the season instilling values and norms that helped in the sport and in their lives. They have learned many valuable lessons throughout their time as athletes, and one in particular stuck with senior Bobby Grganto.
“Win the day. It’s always my mindset along with the rest of the players and coaches in the program,” Grganto said. “By winning each day, one day at a time, you will keep stacking the days of success.”
This concept will be carried over throughout the next season. While the team is going to experience changes, they will focus on what they can control. They will spend time progressing the skills of newer players and improving those of the returning players.
“This will be a big summer for us as we are graduating 90% of the players that played the majority of the minutes this year,” assistant varsity boys’ basketball coach James Haack said. “We will spend the summer taking a look at our returning seniors as well as a sophomore class that had a very good season of their own.”
Each season brings new excitement and challenges, and the coaches believe the athletes are prepared for anything that may be thrown at them. They are constantly working to be better, striving towards newer and bigger goals.
“We continue to challenge our players to work to the best of their ability. We will work to push them on and off the floor because November comes quickly,” Thomas said. “But in the end, we will ask the same of all of the groups: to return the program to the next group better than they received it. That will be their story to write.”
