Three starters remain from last year’s team, so leadership and experience will be key strengths for the maroon-and-gold squad in the 2008-09 season.
The Tide is coming off of a disappointing 5-18 2007-08 season. While last year might have been painful for the players and coach Chris Duncan, it will be a building point for this year’s squad.
The Tide will be led by its “Big Three” -- 6-foot-3 junior guard Colby Treadway, 6-4 junior forward Jacob Rollo and 6-4 junior center Justin Maloskey.
“We are very athletic and very big,” Duncan said.
Treadway, a standout quarterback for Sherman’s football team, will be the Tide’s floor general.
“I expect a lot from Colby,” Duncan said. “He is a leader and has gotten much stronger in the off-season.”
Rollo returns after a breakout sophomore season. Rollo’s strength lies in his ability to drive to the basket, but he also can hit the three-pointer consistently.
“Jacob has tremendous athletic ability,” Duncan said. “He is going to have a big season.”
Maloskey will be entering his third season as a Tide starter. He is a dominant post player who should have no problem recording a double-double every night.
“I expect a lot out of Justin,” Duncan said. “He is fighting some nagging injuries right now, but I expect him to be ready to go soon.”
Junior guard Tyler Boulet will add a smart basketball sense and a good shot to the starting lineup.
“Tyler has a good sense of the ball and always knows where to be,” Duncan said. “His shot has improved over the summer.”
Senior guard Brandon Lovejoy is the lone senior on the team and will provide leadership as well as a keen shot.
“I look for Brandon to be able to run the team and keep everything under control,” Duncan said. “He is the best shooter on the team and will contribute a lot.”
Sophomore guard Justin Woodrum will be the Tide’s sixth man.
“Just has a bright future ahead of him,” Duncan said. “He just needs some experience.”
Junior forward Eric Davis will provide even more height to a towering Tide lineup. Davis stands at 6-5 and uses his size to his advantage underneath the basket.
“Last year was his first year for us, and he gained some valuable experience,” Duncan said. “I expect him to take up space down low and clean up.”
Sophomore forward Carlos Masingo stands at 6-3 and will provide another skyscraper to the Tide roster. Masingo played junior varsity last year, but he has the size and skill to contribute.
“Carlos will see a lot of minutes off of the bench,” Duncan said. “He has a good three-point stroke.”
Junior guard Cody Cooper will be a valuable asset from the bench.
“Cody stepped up his game over the summer,” Duncan said. “He can give us a spark coming off the bench.”
The Tide has high expectations for the season, including a trip to the Charleston Civic Center in March.
“I think we have a legitimate shot to make it to the state tournament this year,” Duncan said. “I think we can win at least 10 games in the regular season, but I want more than that.
“We have to have confidence,” the second-year coach added. “When we have confidence, there is no limit to what we can do.”
Noticeably missing from Sherman’s regular-season schedule is Boone County rival Scott. One can imagine that after last year’s unfortunate incidents this would be a possibility, but the teams eventually could meet in the sectional tournament.
One thing is for sure: The Tide has all of the tools to make it deep into the playoffs this season. It could be an exciting year for Sherman basketball.
Sherman opened its season at Independence on Tuesday. Results for that game were unavailable before this week’s deadline but will be published in next week’s edition.
Sherman was scheduled to play St. Mary’s today at 4:50 p.m. in the Hoops Classic at the Charleston Civic Center.
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