The Pleasant Hope boys must replace six graduated players from last year’s 9-16 team. That group includes one of the area’s most dominant individual players in Jordan Hillenburg. Hillenburg averaged 26.5 points, 11 rebounds, 4 assists and 3.8 steals per game in his senior season.
Hayden Aleshire, Michael Werland, Calvin Mitchell, Evan Hillenburg and Chris Nibbellink were the other seniors on last year’s team. The senior group combined for 41.7 points per game.
Junior Teagen Keck will lead the way this season after averaging 4.4 points, 2.4 rebounds 1.4 steals and 1.1 assists per game last season.
Seniors Mason Curnutt and Peyton Johnson are also back after averaging 3.5 and 1.4 points per game, respectively.
Pleasant Hope will try to outwork other teams this year, as they work to replace a large amount of production.
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“We have a very hard working team this year that are eager to improve,” coach Eric Sechler said. “Our communication and confidence are improving a lot as well.”
The key newcomers to varsity this season will be: seniors Ben Wells, Austin Stidham and Chris Rodgers; juniors Jeremy Rotramel and Brandon McClain; sophomore Lane Brown; freshmen Colton Highfill and Brendel McDaniels.
“With so many seniors graduating, the talent level from top to bottom is much more balanced this year,” Sechler said. “We’ve got younger players hungry to prove themselves and earn minutes, while our older players are working their tails off to stay ahead of the newcomers. The amount of effort and competition give practices much more of an edge this year.”
Pleasant Hope opens the season on Dec. 5 at New Covenant.
