South Looking to Improve

The Twin South Boys basketball program will try to improve on last season’s  record.  This year the team is almost all seniors and juniors.  And almost all have varsity experience.  Many players have 2 or more years of varsity basketball under their belts. Last year the team had some success, but faded towards the end of the season due to injury.   The team will have good depth at most positions with the exception of post. 

When asked about this season, Coach Augspurger noted that South has had several years of moderate to lackluster success.  “We are in a 5 year drought where we have been right around .500. We’ve had some obstacles, but we have not been able to put together the types of years that we are capable of doing.  With the experience we have coming back, we are hopeful that this will be the type of team that can compete for a conference championship, a sectional or even a district title.  Our goals and expectations are high. “

South basketball is returning a lot of players with varsity experience this season.  They return 4 starters from last year’s team. Notably center Mike Green who is a senior this season.  As well as fellow senior forward Seth Baker .  Anthony Augspurger and Wes Cole – juniors, and both have seen varsity time since their freshman years.  Troy Innis is back as well. But he had an injury plagued season last year.  And the injury bug has bitten again in the preseason and at this time, his return to the team is doubtful.   Augspurger had been injured during summer basketball,  but reports are that he will be good to go for the winter campaign.

Players who saw significant varsity playing time last season and are expected to contribute again this season are JJ Utz and Jordan Burns.   Zane Cottingim, who missed all of last season with a knee injury, will help round out the varsity roster as well as Jacob Bassler – who was the top scorer on the JV team last year.   So South will have a variety of offensive weapons.  Coach Augspurger noted that Jake Osbourne will see some varsity time this season as well. 

South will be hampered at the start of the season as several student athletes violated the schools code of conduct and so will be suspended from the team in the early portion of the season.   They will miss the first 5 games of the season. So it will be tough to get early momentum since they will be playing with a handicap.  With Innis questionable and several other starters out, South will be shorthanded.  The team will start their season Thanksgiving weekend with a Tip Off Tournament at South.  The games will start Friday, November 29^th.  The South girls will start by hosting their own Tipp Off tournament the week before on Friday, November 22^nd.  So the next few weekends will be all the basketball you can eat at the TVS gymnasium.