Sports

Sioux aim high in 2012-13

By Tyler Ohmann

11/27/2012

The Westhope-Newburg Sioux boys basketball team returns four of five starters from last season’s squad, which made a strong showing advancing to regions after an up and down regular season.

The Sioux are also coming off a strong football season as they advanced to the state championship in Class A.

“Coming off that football season, they had a lot of success, and a lot of confidence goes with that. So our expectations are pretty high,” said Sioux head coach Bob Beaudrie. “We feel that if we put the work in and work as a team, we can take it as far as we can go with it.”

Big returners for the Sioux include junior point guard Hunter Braaten, who averaged 15.8 points, 6.3 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game a year ago, and Kodie Hancock, a senior, who averaged 16.9 points and 9.6 rebounds per game in 2011-12.

“The biggest thing this year is to keep ourselves out of foul trouble and be extremely well-conditioned,” Beaudrie said. “We have some quality, but we don’t have a lot of quantity.”

However, the Sioux hope to force a lot of turnovers with strong defensive play and push the tempo, using their athleticism to score in transition.

“Teamwork, defensive positioning, so we can stay out of foul trouble, we can’t have a lot of unaggressive fouls,” Beaudrie said. “We just need to be smart on the defensive end, and work it that way.”

“If we can do that, and just play smart basketball, make them think a little more, and make it more of a mental game, that’s what it’s about this year,” Beaudrie added.

Beaudrie said the Sioux, who were 10-13 a year ago, and were projected by the Hoopster preview magazine to finish second in District 11, have high expectations.

“We’re looking forward to the season, and hoping that we can be right there come tournament time,” Beaudrie said. “Be right there with the DLB’s, the Rugby’s, the Ryan’s and everyone else, and try and be competitive that way.”

“Every year there is a goal to make the state tournament, but this year there is a little more of a possibility,” he added.

Westhope-Newburg also returns senior starters Karlie Hancock and Jon Sivertson, as well as role players senior Logan Hermes and junior Ethan Miller. Other returners include seniors Brent Romsos and Lane Berentson.

The Sioux kick off their season at 7:15 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 4 at St. John. Their home opener is at 7:15 p.m. on Dec. 7 in Westhope against rival Glenburn.