POULSBO — It may only be the first day of practice, but the North Kitsap Vikings boys basketball team already has shifted into high gear.
Vikings second year head coach Tony Chisholm said he has absolutely no doubt his team will improve upon last season’s 2-18 record.
“We are starting off fresh this year, but we’re going to build from what we did last year,” he said. “We were in every game last year and competed hard. We will give ourselves a chance to win. It’s not that daunting of a task. Some of those close games we lost last year, we should win this year.”
Of the North Kitsap Vikings 18 losses last season, 10 were decided by 10 points or less.
Senior guard Jordan Coover agreed with Chisholm’s observation.
“It feels good to be out here. I’m pretty excited,” he said. “I think we’ll be able to win those close games this year. We have more experience this year and I think that will help us finish games.”
Coover said Chisholm’s focus on the defensive end will result in victories.
“We’re going to win games this year with our defense,” he said. “Defense is the most important part of the game. We’re going to stop people this year and get out on transition and score some points. I think we can take anybody we go against.”
Senior forward Kyle McCown said he thinks team camaraderie will play a pivotal role in the success of the Vikings this season.
“Last year, we had a whole bunch of individual talent but this year I expect us to bond more as a team and because of that we will win a lot more games,” he said.
Max Skelley, who is a senior guard, said he believes in Chisholm’s coaching philosophy.
“Coach brings a lot of energy and life lessons to the team. He teaches about life, not just basketball,” he said. “This year, the key to our success is going to be defense. Our defense is going to spark our offense. Everybody will hustle down the floor which will result in some fast break opportunities.”
Chisholm is a big fan of an up-tempo, high octane offensive and defensive attack.
“The strength of our team is going to be on D,” he said. “We’re going to be able to get out in transition and run up and down the floor. That’s the kind of basketball we play. We grab the boards, hit the outlet and get out and run.”
Chisholm said he has a good group of returners who play well together.
“We’re adequate at every position,” he said. “We have a lot of players who know their roles. We’ve got go to guys and we have players that can come off the bench. I think we’ll be good this year.”