By:  Kyle Bordner ’14

Assistant Editor-in-Chief

“Nice, Hard-Working, Tough” – These are the words Head Coach of the Varsity Basketball team Hamisi Tarrant uses to describe this year’s group of players. These adjectives represent the dedication of West Basketball, a team that lives by the motto, “Care about West Basketball.” Though this motto is tradition for Varsity players to live by, the team hopes to begin a new tradition this year. This team has eager aspirations to compete in and ultimately win the South Jersey Group 4 championship, a feat that hasn’t been done for decades. With the group of players we have and the optimism of the coaching staff, this aspiration could become a reality.
The Varsity Basketball team in recent years has had a lot of talent and a lot of determination but unfortunately some bad luck. Bad luck has hit the Lions again this year as Rodney Williams (who already has scored more than 1,000 points during his first three years at West) will have to sit out for at least the entire first half of the season with a leg injury. Though we will miss Rodney in the lineup, Coach Tarrant and the Lions are not fazed one bit. Coach Tarrant insists that the team this year will “shock the world.” He wants to “be the best team we’ve been in a while” and has full intentions to take over South Jersey basketball. Coach Tarrant has full confidence in the entire program. Even though the local press has not ranked the Lions in the South Jersey Top 20, the team still believes that they will compete at a high level with fire in their hearts and hunger in their eyes. In response to the lack of respect from the Top 20, Coach Tarrant says “we haven’t earned it yet. Once we start winning, the respect will come.” The only thing the team needs to focus on is taking their games one at a time and growing as a team every day. When the team can do this, then it is right to “demand respect.” After all, a Preseason Top 20 is a “Preseason” Top 20. This means nothing until the teams prove themselves on the court.
The Lions are a relatively young team but have some serious potential and determination. Players to watch on the squad include Seniors Joe Ajike, Adriel Bustonera, Zohaib Jamil and Ryan Lazarow, Juniors Elijah Bey, Chris Burlotos and Can Oztamur, Sophomores Danny Buckwalter, Jack Goan and Nick Krake and Freshman Bruce Neal. Can Oztamur, a forward who the Lions will rely on to score as many ways as possible, says that is 100% the players’ goals to have “more than one win in the playoffs” and “win South Jersey Group 4.” He and the rest of the squad want to take the Lions somewhere they haven’t been since 1988, having a taste of that Sectional Championship. In order for the Lions to achieve these very lofty aspirations, they need to stay hungry and as Coach Tarrant says, the “players need to exceed expectations” and “make plays.”
Even with expectations of championships and such the Lions still understand that this season will be enjoyable no matter the results. With such a great group of players, the results can only be positive. In fact, Coach Tarrant says his favorite part about coaching this team is “being around the players.” West Basketball is one of the most exciting sports to watch or be a part of and it is important that we have many fans come out and support the team on their quest for a South Jersey Championship. The Varsity squad opens up on December 20th at home against cross-town rival Camden Catholic. If you ask me, this team has a legitimate chance to achieve all their goals this year and they will be quite the exciting team to watch. We look forward to seeing how the season will pan out. It is time for everyone to “care about West Basketball.”