Boys basketball: Scouting Geneva

Geneva’s boys basketball team doesn’t have great height. The Vikings don’t have a lot of points coming back.

What coach Phil Ralston does have, though, is a bunch of solid, athletic players who get things done.

“We have a lot of kids we feel can do several things well,” said Geneva’s fourth-year head coach, looking to improve upon the 12-17 overall record of 2010-11.

“We’re kind of hoping that if they gel together we’re going to have a seamless operation.”

Last year there was a definite go-to guy in willowy Dan Trimble, who averaged 15.5 points and 8.3 rebounds his senior year. This year’s roster doesn’t return a single standout in those categories.

In the intangibles of hustle and desire, however, several players emerge.

In fact, Ralston said, “There are probably nine kids right now that I think could start — and not just on our team, I think they could start on other teams.”

Right off the bat there are seniors Phil Lorenz and Brendan Leahy.

The 5-foot-10 Lorenz was thrust into the point guard position last season and still committed less turnovers than he dished out assists. Lorenz, who Ralston called a “defensive tone-setter” due to his quickness and leaping ability, averaged 4.4 points and 2.3 assists.

The 6-4 swingman Leahy, the one Viking to play in all 29 games last season, averaged 3.5 rebounds and 5.5 points on decent 46 percent shooting, and led Geneva in steals with 35.

“He seems to have a sense of urgency, and I think that’s just going to help the team,” Ralston said.

Geneva, which used its grit and will last season to hold nine Upstate Eight Conference River Division foes under 50 points as it finished 6-6 in league play, won’t lack for powerful forwards.

Athletic Ben Rogers returns as does 6-5 Connor Chapman and 6-4 Drew White. Football players all, Chapman was an offensive linemen, White on the defensive line. White shot 57 percent from the floor last season, albeit putting up limited numbers.

Ralston also nodded to guards Jay Kafer, Mark Becker, John Swiderski and Ryan Willing and forward Matt Lamb as players ready to get after it.

“I think the Upstate Eight Conference is going to be a real bear this year for basketball,” Ralston said. “There aren’t many teams that lost stuff, and in that sense we’ve got a big hill to climb as a team. But I really like what I’ve seen so far, and I have a strong sense that we can be competitive.”