Vikings hope to continue fast pace win-ways

MOSES LAKE — Winning isn’t just something the Big Bend Viking men’s basketball team expects to do.

As much as they have done of it over the years it could be argued that the program’s DNA could easily be made out of W-I-N.

That’s why they hope to bounce back from an aberration of a 2008-2009 season that ended 13-13.

As the 2009-2010 season approaches that winning rite-of-passage may be in the cards once again.

“We have great depth at all positions,” head coach Mark Poth said. “We feel like we have the potential to develop into a very good basketball team if we continue to work hard, play together, and maintain a positive attitude.”

Poth enters his 24th year with three starters back that could help his squad regain the Vikings’ 20-wins-a-year pace.

Team captain Jeff Ranstrom, a 6-5 power forward, returns as a second Team All-Region pick after registering 18.3 points and six rebounds a game last season.

Ranstrom is joined by fellow starters Michael Hattar (6-2 guard) who averaged 17.4 points in 2008-2009 and Chris Hatch (5-11 point guard) who chipped in six points a contest.

Other returnees include William Winn (6-0 guard) who returns after playing the sixth-man role on the 2007-08 team and Charles Nunn (6’6” forward),

Those sophomores will be key maintaining a solid balance of play for Poth (437-194 career record at Big Bend) who wants his Vikings to keep an constant and reliable level of performance.

“We need to consistently play every play and we need game experience to come together as a team and develop stronger team chemistry,” Poth said.  “We also need to consistently play hard on the defense end of the court to create easy fast break opportunities.”

Fast break play is initiated out of the trademark up-tempo style of basketball the Vikings play while they consistently challenge for Northwest Athletic Association of Community Colleges (NWAACC) supremacy.

“We must cut down on our turnovers and be patient offensively to get high percentage shots,” Poth said. “We must also become a dominate rebounding team on both ends of the court.”

Having a stable number of bodies only helps high-energy squads succeed and Poth will have a dozen recruits to pick from in hopes of unleashing the hounds.

Those recruits include:  Antonio Snow (6-1 point guard), Eric Martin, (6-4 guard, from Quincy), Dominick Brumfield, (6-8 guard/forward, transfer from NCAA Division I, Missouri State University), Alan Marsh (5-11 point guard), Brandon Brooke (6-5 forward),  Maurice Johns (6-1 guard),  John Buhler (6-5 guard/forward), Matt Stanger (6-3 forward), Shaun Hilton (6-3 forward),     Stuart Hilton (6-0 guard, out last season with a knee injury).

Lance Whitney, a 6-3 guard from Connell will sit out the year with a knee injury and Geovani Flores a 5-10 guard from Warden will redshirt this season.

Poth and his 15 eligible players will aim to keep up its 100-points-a-game pace that has become customary with Vikings’s teams. They still hold the highest points-per-game scoring average for a team in NWAACC (107) history, according to Poth.

“This year we plan on doing the same,” Poth said.

The Vikings’ pressure defense will have to come up big to make sure their offensive attack is complemented with deal closing stops.

“For the past 15 years Coach John Hohman has played a key role in the success of our teams,” Poth said. “He is our defensive coordinator and always has our team defensively ready to  play.” 

Poth knows both ends of the court have to execute to be able to challenge for the NWAACC throne.

“The Eastern Region should be as strong as ever,” he said. “Yakima Valley College at this point could be the best team in the entire NWAACC.  Spokane and Walla Walla CC will also be battling for a title.  We hope that by region play we will be able to compete against the elite teams in the (conference).”

Despite the strength of many teams on the schedule that won’t mean Poth will change anything about his approach to winning this season with his relentless style of Vikings’ ball.

“First and foremost, we want each of our student-athletes to be success in all aspects of their life; to make decisions and commitments that will enable them to be successful in the classroom, on the basketball court and in life,” Poth said.  “Our primary basketball goal this year is to win a NWAACC Championship.”

The Vikings open their season on Wednesday, Dec. 2 at home against Everett CC.