Boys basketball: Scouting Batavia

If success indeed follows success from football to basketball seasons, Batavia could be on to something good yet again.

After the first week of boys basketball practice, the Bulldogs roster featured nine players, omitting such probable returnees as Noel Gaspari, Zach Strittmatter, Evan Zeddies and, perhaps the biggest of them all both literally and figuratively, Cole Gardner.

Junior point guard Mike Rueffer and senior guard Matt Tevonian were the sole varsity returnees listed. On this preliminary roster they joined junior newcomers like guards Nathan Tague and Trevor Chapman, forwards Taylor Brandt and Mike Carlson, inside-outside big man Luke Horton, perimeter shooter Joey Simonetti and slasher-shooter Jake Pollack.

As long as Batavia’s football team enjoys its football playoff run, Hall of Fame basketball coach Jim Roberts — 2 victories away from 450 in his 27-year head coaching career — respectfully avoids pestering those players about their winter pursuits.

Thus, a goal for this season is simple: “To get better as the season progresses,” Roberts said.

The cause would certainly be bolstered by the return of 6-foot-5 junior Strittmatter and 6-6, 250-pound senior Gardner. The former averaged 6.3 points and 5.3 rebounds; the latter averaged a team-high 14.4 points with 8.7 rebounds while sharing the paint with Strittmatter and since-graduated Eliot Vaughn.

Vaughn was part of an inside-outside combo that included All-Area guard Jesse Coffey, also graduated.

“Like anything else,” Roberts said, “it presents some challenges and opportunities for some of the younger guys coming up. That’s the basis of high school athletics.”

Fortunately Rueffer stays put at the point. As a sophomore he averaged 5.1 points but more importantly provided more assists than turnovers, joining Mike Clopton as the only rotation players to own a positive ratio. Rueffer averaged 3.3 assists last season and will now be in a leadership position.

Overall, Roberts believes his team already has nice chemistry, and will use its length to rebound well.

They will certainly be tested with nonconference games scheduled against Proviso East, Quincy and West Aurora in addition to its Upstate Eight slate.

“It’s a group that’s hungry and I think it’s a group that is looking forward to some of the challenges we’ve set up for them,” Roberts said.