Ready to play

By Pete Watson/News Republic

 

After finishing 3-18 a year ago in his first year as head coach of the UW-Baraboo/Sauk County Fighting Spirits basketball team, Jim Weiland admitted he learned a few lessons along the way.

"What it takes to prepare for a season was the biggest," Weiland said, who was previously a Boo U assistant coach for four years.

Preparing for this season has already been made easier with the addition of assistant coaches Scott Gilbeck (strength coach) and Jordan Staniszewski (former UW-B/SC player).

Enlisting the part-time services of Brian Lutz, a basketball junkie according to Weiland who has 20 years of coaching experience, will also help bolster the team’s competitive edge going forward.

"It’s great to have these kinds of people willing to come and help us out," Weiland said. "We have a good outlook and our approach is different this year. The goal is to make this program better than it has been and that’s what we’re trying to do."

Though the coaching ranks have been beefed up, the same can’t be said about the Spirits’ roster.

With just three returning players and only eight total — six of them measuring 6-foot-2 or smaller — depth and size are the squad’s most obvious hindrances.

Opening its season tonight at the two day UW-Fond du Lac Tip-Off Tournament, UW-B/SC’s roster limitations will be tested as only seven players are available to make the trip.

"We’re going to find out a little more about ourselves this weekend" Weiland said. "It’s all a process, but we’re going to stay upbeat and up-tempo. We’ll come out with a bunch of positives and shore up what doesn’t work."

With three starters returning — Jacob Woggon (6-5, Baraboo), Jordan Taylor (6-2, Baraboo), Cory Ables (6-1, Reedsburg), the Spirits have experience and leadership to lean on to start the season.

"I think they’ll be our core players," Weiland said.

 

"Jordan brings a ton of offense with him and Jacob can find the basket. Cory has a good shot that will help with our offense."

Devoid of an imposing presence in the paint, Weiland intends on having his team create opportunities off the dribble in the paint and on the perimeter.

Newcomers Micah Kuchta (5-9, Baraboo), Brad Johnson (6-0, Pontiac), and Matt Kneeland (5-9, Reedsburg) brandish skill sets integral to the attack-oriented, dribble-motion offense.

They’re all tough, smart players when they have the basketball, according to Weiland.

"We’ve don’t have a big body in the middle, but we do have cutters and slashers," Weiland said. "The philosophy behind our offense is to get layups and outside shots and get to the free-throw line.

"We’ve got to spread the floor and generate offense that way."

Zach Batchelor (6-0, Oxford) and Joe Moser (6-4, Horicon) round out the Spirits current roster.

Weiland hopes Moser’s way of going about business from day-to-day impacts the team as the year progresses.

"He’s our older guy and he’s mature," Weiland said. "I hope that his attitude and his way of approaching things wears off on these guys."

If UW-B/SC hopes to compete with the UW-Waukesha’s and UW-Marathon’s (22 players) on its schedule, certain goals will have to be met throughout the season.

"Togetherness and playing as a team the best we can is priority one," Weiland said.

Despite competition for playing time being virtually a non-issue on a squad of eight, Weiland is impressed with the collective can-do attitude that’s already surfaced.

"I think these guys really want to prove themselves this year," he said. "These guys are kind of no-nonsense and they’re taking things serious. That’s good to see because we have to focus on doing the right things all the time this season."