By Chris Parker
Southwest boys basketball won three games overall last season in the first season as a member of the SWCL. The Trojans will again be young this year with two seniors and one junior comprising the upperclassmen on the squad. Five sophomore and 10 freshmen will have a lot of youth taking the court for Southwest this year.
Sophomore Cruz Marquez is the top returning player. He earned all-conference honorable mention honors last year as an underclassman. He averaged 8 points, 4 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game last year.
“Cruz is very a gifted player. On top of his natural ability to play basketball, he is very coachable and does not mind discipline. Cruz wants me to push him and to hold him to the highest of expectations,” Southwest head coach Rusty Roe said. “Cruz is very quick and has a motor that doesn’t stop. He loves competition.”
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Caden Uthe, Haiden Sanders, Max Terry and Aubrey Cornell all return to the varsity squad this year. Uthe will be relied upon to score more this year after averaging five points per game last season. Sanders returns after his season was cut short by injury last year.
Zak Starr and Allen Hendrix are two freshmen that should have an immediate impact at the varsity level.
Leadership will be a strength, but many players will have to get used to varsity competition.
“We have leaders who want to be challenged daily and enjoy practice,” Roe said. “We have to learn to play at varsity speed, with the ball and without.”
Southwest opens the season at home against Exeter.
