Basketball coaches size up their teams
Shelter Island School boys varsity basketball Coach Jay Card Jr. and junior varsity Coach Ian Kanarvogel are aiming for the same thing, they said this week.
Their objective is to improve both individual and team skill levels. And after five weeks on the court, both coaches feel their teams are heading in the right direction.
Coach Card and I, as a volunteer coach, have a pretty good idea what the varsity is capable of accomplishing this season. The team is averaging almost 63 points per game and shooting well from 2-point (47 percent) and 3-point (36 percent) range, as well as from the foul line (68 percent). All three of these stats are the highest over the last five-plus years of record keeping.
In addition, the team has recorded an average of eight steals and almost 15 assists per game, also representing high marks in those categories during the past five years.
The downside is that varsity has given up 61.6 points per game and needs to improve their defensive efforts. Two other areas that need work are both offensive and defensive rebounding, as well as limiting turnovers to about
12 per game, instead of the current 15.4 give aways.
Senior standout and co-captain Tristan Wissemann, is having an outstanding year. Wissemann will surpass the magical 1,000-point mark within the next few games. He’s currently leading all scorers on Long Island with 29.2 points per game, shooting 59 percent from 2-point range and 80 percent from the free throw line. Fellow senior Billy Boeklen is averaging just under 16 points per game and shooting a sizzling 49 percent from 3-point range.
Coach Card has been pleased with the development of his guards, Jack Kimmelmann and Peter Kropf. Junior Luke Gilpin has provided some great energy in the past three games, both on the defensive end, as well as offensive rebounding and scoring.
Center Semaj Lawrence is the team’s third leading scorer and second leading rebounder. He is the “X” factor on this team and needs to continue to stay energized on both ends of the court if the team is to be successful.
Seniors Max Moroz and Henry Lang, as well as junior Will Garrison, continue to improve and give Coach Card a solid bench for the remainder of the season.
Coach Kanarvogel has a squad of 17 players that will only get better as the season progresses. He has had the valuable help of assistants Jimbo Theinert and Peter Miedema to develop both individual and team skills. In addition, both Coach Card and I have assisted in this endeavor with the JV.
Obviously, the varsity team is loaded with seniors who will graduate in June and be replaced by many of the most talented players on the JV roster next November. Both Coach Card and Coach Kanarvogel are teaching the same offensive and defensive sets in order to help in that transition.
The coaches appreciate the efforts of our fans, whose support and enthusiasm truly motivates the players.
