By Chris Parker
After profitable 20 video games mixed within the six seasons from 2012-13 by way of 2017-18, Buffalo boys basketball has received 28 video games mixed in simply the previous two seasons. Final 12 months, Buffalo completed with a 13-13 total document.
Buffalo will look to get again above .500 with two all-conference seniors main the way in which.
Senior Jamen Smith is likely one of the space’s high athletes. He has led the Buffalo soccer crew as its quarterback. He’ll fulfill an identical function on the basketball courtroom. Final 12 months, Smith led the Bison in factors (18.1), rebounds (6.4), assists (4.9), and blocks (1.3) per sport whereas ending second in steals at 2.7 per sport.
“Jamen’s pure athleticism provides him a bonus over most gamers, however it’s his intelligence and arduous work that basically elevate him to being such a fantastic participant. He does such an amazing job of attacking weaknesses of the opposite crew, and he at all times creates conditions during which he can benefit from teammates or the opposite crew. Only a few gamers can actually do all the things on each side of the ball, however as a result of his basketball intelligence is so excessive, we by no means have to fret about placing him in conditions he can’t determine,” Buffalo head coach Kyle Gawlowski stated. “That is one other season during which we are going to ask Jamen to do some little bit of all the things on each side of the ball. Nonetheless, Jamen is a born chief and handles that stress with maturity. He’s an especially genuine individual as effectively, so management isn’t one thing he has to drive. He naturally does a fantastic job of understanding when to encourage or deal with points with our underclassmen.”
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Smith has scored 1,133 profession factors in 76 varsity video games.
Fellow senior Bode Abraham returns after incomes second-team all-conference final 12 months. Abraham has proven regular enchancment all through his highschool profession going from 1.7 ppg as a freshman to eight.4 ppg as a sophomore to 14.2 ppg final 12 months the place he was the crew’s second-leading scorer.
“The best quantity of development we have now seen from Bode has come off the courtroom in growing his maturity and dealing within the weight room. From his freshman season, we knew Bode was going to be the toughest working participant on the courtroom. He simply needed to develop emotionally, mentally, and bodily to match his extraordinary work ethic. All of that basically got here collectively in his junior season during which he constructed himself into being our greatest perimeter defender and an emotional chief for our total crew,” Gawlowski stated. “Bode was our most constant outdoors menace on offense and our greatest perimeter defender final 12 months. This 12 months, we anticipate him to be a fair greater a part of the offense. Thanks to a different 12 months of nice work within the weight room, we are going to see him far more efficiently taking the ball to the rim and ending over greater defenders. This can make him a extra versatile menace and can assist him open up extra passing lanes to develop his function as a passer too.”
Dominic Miller is a 3rd senior that Buffalo will lean on. He scored 6.7 factors per sport final 12 months.
“Dominic Miller is a senior guard that we anticipate to play a a lot greater function as effectively. He confirmed flashes of how he might use his athleticism on each ends of the ground final 12 months, however this summer season he seemed like a totally completely different participant. Each his outdoors capturing and talent to drive have proven a large amount of development primarily on account of his maturity and confidence increasing,” Gawlowski stated.
This trio can be key to Buffalo’s success.
“Our seniors as a gaggle have finished an incredible job of getting the whole crew to take part in all the things we have now been capable of do within the low season, and so they have created a fantastic aggressive environment. All three of them can be significantly better gamers on the courtroom, and due to them, the whole crew has elevated throughout the board,” Gawlowski stated.
Each junior guard Cameron Portis and sophomore publish Joseph Horinek have proven marked enchancment within the low season.
“Cameron actually got here on robust on the finish of final season, and was really our main scorer and rebounder in a sport in opposition to El Dorado Springs to finish the season. He can be a lot stronger and far more assured on each side of the ground,” Gawlowski stated. “Joseph Horinek is a 6’4 publish participant with nice gentle arms and a fantastic intuition for shielding the rim. He dominated a number of JV video games final 12 months. Though he didn’t see a lot varsity motion, his function will vastly develop with how a lot stronger and assured he has gotten.”
Junior guards Pierce Obernuefemann and Colby Smith can be two new gamers to observe. Sophomore Brett Schwanke was considered one of Buffalo’s high seven gamers by the top of final 12 months, and his function will develop this 12 months. Jaren Smith returns to the courtroom for his junior season after sitting out final season.
“This 12 months would be the deepest crew I’ve coached in my 5 years at Buffalo. This can lastly enable me to play the fashion I’ve actually wished to play. We’ll look to essentially push the tempo on offense and enhance the stress on protection. Now that we have now a plethora of guards to throw at different groups, we are able to work in much more ball stress and trapping that we haven’t had the personnel prior to now to essentially decide to. This excessive tempo grind is the fashion the participant’s actually like to play as effectively, so will probably be enjoyable to show them free on opposing groups,” Gawlowski stated.
Buffalo will open the season Nov. 30-Dec. 5 on the Marionville Invitational.
“We anticipate to have a really profitable season. We’ve a fantastic group of skilled upperclassmen returning, some thrilling new transfers, and underclassmen which can be pushing arduous to get on the courtroom. We’re coming off again to again convention championships, however each crew in our convention ought to enhance from final season. We had some heated battles with these groups, and all of them are pushing to knock us off,” Gawlowski stated. “That is an extremely enjoyable group of gamers to teach. All of them actually take pleasure in being round each other, and our practices strike that good steadiness of enjoyable and intense. I can’t emphasize sufficient how a lot I’m wanting ahead to beginning the season and attending to see them enhance and develop as individuals this 12 months. I actually am fortunate to have the ability to coach such a fantastic group in such a fantastic crew tradition they’ve created.”
