There’s a young basketball team and then there a youngbasketball team.
Its one thing to have a couple of freshmen or sophomores sprinkled throughout your varsity roster but the Tustin boy’s basketball team takes the cake.
They start five sophomores. They are probably the youngest team in the county and by far the youngest team that Tustin Coach Ringo Bossenmeyer has ever coached.
The hope for Bossenmeyer is that the youngster’s athletic ability will be able to compensate for the lack of experience.
NOT A SMALL LOSS
The team’s biggest loss wasn’t the season opener against Orange Lutheran.
It was a few days before the team’s first practice when they learned that their best player senior Ornett Small would be sidelined indefinitely for an undisclosed medical condition.
More tests are scheduled in the coming weeks to determine whether he will be able to play at all, Bossenmeyer said, but the team is preparing as if he won’t.
“Our main concern is for his long term health,” Bossenmeyer said. “As a team it’s a lot to overcome. He is our best rebounder, our best defender and he does a little bit of everything. Shock is the first word that comes to mind.”
SOPHOMORE STARTERS
Sophomores Matt Glover and Tanner Leonhardt will be handling a majority of the guard duties.
Bossenmeyer calls Glover, a transfer from Villa Park, the hardest worker on the team. Glover has the court vision needed to run the point guard position.
Leonhardt has shown the ability to shoot from behind the arc and be an offensive force, but the coaching staff is trying to make him a more complete player.
Anthony Wilkerson has become the team’s go to guy on defense and will set tone with his on the ball pressure.
He brings the same aggressiveness he displayed as the tailback on the football team and has taken the role of the team’s vocal and emotional leader. However, the team will be cautious with Wilkerson who tweaked his ankle and knee during football season.
“We had to shut him down for a week and that was a challenge,” Bossenmeyer said. “His big thing is he’s a competitor and loves to compete. It was hard to keep him off the floor.”
Center Ryan Ebel and Dominic Coulter will round out the starting rotation.
Ebel’s sudden assertiveness on offense has pleasantly surprised his coaches as he is learning to use his soft hands, size and perimeter game to add another component to his game.
Coulter has emerged as the team’s most dynamic scoring option in the early going and versatility is a big reason.
He can handle the ball, post up smaller players and has a strong outside game as well.
He was named to the La Quinta Aztec Classic All-Tournament team and has averaged 15 points, seven rebounds and three assists through the first few games of the season.
SENIOR LEADERSHIP
Seniors Tyler Sakimoto, Chris Williams, Kamal Bhakta and Amit Gupta may not share the floor as much as the underclassmen but their presence is felt, Bossenmeyer said.
Their experience will be crucial for the team’s success especially in league play.
Sakimoto may be undersized be is by far the smartest player Bossenmeyer has ever coached, he said, and the other seniors’ maturity has helped shape the team.
“The team understands just how important the seniors are to the program with their leadership even if they are not in the starting lineup,” Bossenmeyer said.
HOPES AND GOALS
If Tustin meets their goal of holding teams under 48 points and can manage to commit fewer than 10 turnovers per contest, they may have a shot to compete for automatic playoff berth, but an at large berth may be more realistic.
As expected the Century League will be one of the toughest in the county.
Jermine Anderson, who already committed to UCLA, and Canyon look to be the clear cut favorite to win the league. Brea Olinda has a strong group of underclassmen and Villa Park is always tough.
OUTLOOK
The youngsters will have to learn on the fly and improve as the team goes on, but the inexperience will hurt them down the stretch.
They are probably a year or two making some noise in the conference but the expectations for next year and the following year are already growing.
TUSTIN’S ROSTER
Kamal Bhakta
Steven Cantaro
Dominic Coulter
Ryan Ebel
Amit Gupta
Brian George
Matt Glover
Tanner Leonhardt
Jordan Rodriguez
Tyler Sakimoto
Ornett Small
Anthony Wilkerson
SEASON SCHEDLUE
Tustin at Valencia Dec. 19 @ 7 p.m.
Foothill vs. Tustin Dec. 21 @ 7 p.m.
El Modena vs. Tustin Jan. 4 @ 7:30 p.m.
Tustin at Villa Park Jan. 8 @ 7:30 p.m.
Canyon vs. Tustin Jan. 11 @ 7:30 p.m.
El Dorado vs. Tustin Jan. 15 @ 7:30 p.m.
Tustin at El Modena Jan. 18 @ 7:30 p.m.
Tustin at Brea Olinda Jan. 22 @ 7:30 p.m.
Villa Park vs. Tustin Jan. 25 @ 7:30 p.m.
Tustin at Canyon Jan. Feb. 1 @ 7:30 p.m.
Tustin at El Dorado Feb. 5 @ 7:30 p.m.
Brea Olinda vs. Tustin Feb. 7 @ 7:30 p.m.
* Home games, noted in bold, will be played at the Tillers gym.
