The Shiocton boys basketball team made their return to the hardwood earlier this week, and if their opening game is any indication, they’re offense will be a force to deal with.
The chiefs eclipsed 90 points on their way to a 91-88 win over St. Mary’s Springs, and it’s no secret that they like to get out and run.
“We don’t want a half court game,” said Shiocton head coach Chad Schmidt. “We feel like we have personnel that can get up and make plays in space. We have guys on the team that can beat their guy in front of them, and when that happens I think we can create some offense for everyone else.”
In order to have the kind of pace and tempo coach Schmidt would like, it requires a good amount of depth on the roster, something that hasn’t been seen in a number of years from Shiocton.
“Instead of one or two good guards, we’ve got three or four guys who can really handle for us,” said Schmidt. “Not only that, but now we have spot up shooters that are shooting it well. Even if they’re not a great ball handler they can shoot, so I feel like the more possessions that we have, the better off we are. I think our asset is our offense.”
One of the core leaders on the team is Nathan Schmidt, who is a four-year varsity letter winner. Having been playing at the varsity level for so long, he knows what it will take to make a run, and they could do so because of their quality depth.
“For our fast-paced tempo, depth is everything,” said Schmidt about Shiocton’s offensive style. “We have a lot of guys we can sub in for two or three minutes and it really helps our energy as a team.”
Nathan Schmidt says the team is competitive with each other also, which gives them confidence in knowing that their offense won’t miss a beat if someone needs to step up.
“Everybody is competing for spots everyday in practice. We have a good enough bench to where they can easily fill in for the starting roles if they have to.”
The depth at all positions is what will allow coach Schmidt to unleash his offense, and they will be able to in a number of ways, whether it be outside or in the paint. Although the team is filled with potential, coach Schmidt just wants his players to enjoy the ride this season.
“We’re really focused on the process of getting better every night and this journey needs to be fun.”
With one win already under their belt, the Chiefs have a brief lay off, but will be back in action on Dec. 8 when they play at Manawa.