By Chris Parker
Buffalo boys basketball was a young team last season relying mostly on freshmen and sophomores.
The Bison won just four games but showed growth throughout the campaign.
“Although we had some rough stretches to the season, we did improve dramatically and learn a lot throughout,” Buffalo head coach Kyle Gawlowski said. “The defensive side of the ball saw some dramatic improvements as the season progressed. By the end of the season, we were much better able to execute detailed defensive strategies, and we saw a large improvement in our communication and rotations.”
In the offseason, the young Buffalo basketball players have made physical gains that will help this season.
“Since the end of the season, our guys have gotten much stronger,” Gawlowski said. “As we have gained strength, we have also developed a stronger, more aggressive mindset. I expect our finishing around the rim and our rebounding rates to be much better to begin this season. Defensively, we will be able to dictate tempo, control the lane, and have much better ball pressure.”
Blair Abraham, who stands at 6-foot-7, returns after earning all-district and all-conference honors last season. He averaged 11.4 points and 8.5 rebounds per game.
“Blair Abraham is a returning all-district and all-conference versatile player who we counted on to be a significant contributor on both ends of the floor,” Gawlowski said. “As a dominant rebounder and shot blocker, Blair did a great job of providing a major defensive presence. We are counting on Blair to become a greater threat around the rim this year after getting significantly stronger over the summer. Offensively, we will look for him to become more efficient and a consistent scoring presence.”
Braden McGregor led the team in scoring at 14.1 points per game as a sophomore.
“Braden McGregor is a returning all-conference performer who led us in scoring and shot at an incredible rate from behind the three-point line,” Gawlowski said. “He is a rare shooter, and he works continuously to improve his shot. This year he has been working on rounding out the rest of his game. We are going to ask him to take another step in becoming an even more aggressive scorer and develop into a great defender to match his scoring abilities.”
Dalton Bennett added in 5.6 points and 4.1 rebounds per game.
“Dalton Bennett is a combo player who we will ask to play both around the rim and on the perimeter,” Gawlowski said. “He has had a good summer in the weight room, and we expect him to be a much bigger presence on the boards and around the rim in order to be the player that can clean up any messes and always be in position to make the winning play.”
Skinner was just behind Bennett in scoring at 5.4 per game with a team-high 3.5 assists per game.
“Matthew Skinner is a team leader that many of our guys look up to for the way he plays with a bulldog mentality throughout the entire game,” Gawlowski said. “He does an incredible job of using his strength and tenacity to frustrate guards all game. This season, Matthew will be asked to handle the ball and initiate our offense more as he continues to be a major defensive force on the perimeter.”
Mota contributed 2.2 points and 1.6 rebounds per game as a sophomore.
“Landon Mota is a quick guard who came off the bench for us last year,” Gawlowski said. “He has great ball handling abilities to pair with a killer pullup jumper. We look for Landon to expand both his scoring and assists numbers as he takes on more responsibility on the offensive end of the floor. Defensively, he has quick hands, and we will look to use him to pressure teams more effectively.”
Sophomores Tray Aven and Brenden McGregor along with senior Lucas Jones will be newcomers.
Gawlowski on Aven: “Tray Aven is an athletic sophomore. He was able to give us minutes off the bench last season. This year, we look for him to earn a greater share of minutes and develop into a solid role player to increase our depth and athleticism.”
Gawlowski on McGregor: “Brenden McGregor improved steadily throughout the season. He has gotten stronger and become a better all-around athlete since the end of the season. We are looking for Brenden to be an important rotation player who can play any position 1-5, and who will be able to provide sparks in any lineup on the floor.”
Gawlowski on Jones: “Last year was Lucas’s first year playing for us. We will expect him to give us a physical post presence who can give us strong minutes off of the bench.”
Buffalo is expecting an improved season with a wealth of experience returning.
“Execution will be our number one priority to begin the season,” Gawlowski said. “We will have experienced upperclassmen for the first time in a few years, so we will expect more from our guys to begin the season. If we improve our execution from short spurts throughout the game to being able to put complete games together, our team will be in a much better position.”
Buffalo opens the season on Nov. 26 at home against Lighthouse Christian.
“This year the focus is again to build each and every day,” Gawlowski said. “We are moving into a tough conference and our district has been tough every year, so our goal is to be a tough out when it comes to the end of the season. If our guys really buy into having a physical mentality and build every day to be more aggressive, we will see a lot of success this season.”
