Wilde Lake boys varsity basketball is looking to build upon its playoff run last season after winning two playoff games and losing six players after they graduated.

With four returning players from last year’s team, Wilde Lake has experience on their side this season.

Coming to Wilde Lake after being on the varsity at Hammond, senior Darius Nicholas is aiming to help bring Wilde Lake’s team back to the top.

“Suiting up for Wilde Lake for the first time was a good experience because there’s high intensity, competitiveness, and we’re still having fun,” said Nicholas. “I feel like I bring a winning attitude to the team and I hope that helps us win.”

Another transfer varsity team member, senior Marquis Bullett, returns to Wilde Lake after attending an out-of-county school during his junior year.

“It feels good to be back at Wilde Lake. I feel like I’m home because I felt out of place at my old school,” said Bullett. “I feel like I’m a leader on the court, and I’m good at making my presence known.”

Bullett thinks that if the team “builds on their playoff run from last year by playing together and having each others’ backs” that they’ll get really far this season.

Returning senior Tyrell Barnes believes that “the atmosphere has been the best since [he] was on varsity [his] sophomore year.” Barnes said he will bring “defense and intensity” to help his team.

Barnes’ goal is to “win counties” and he believes he can achieve that by playing with the “defense, heart, and effort” that coach Deon Wingfield has been preaching to the team.

Senior Isaiah Raymond who played for Centennial last year said, “I feel as though this team is different in the way that we execute plays and play defense. As a whole we work better together. We talk about situations that we see on film.”

Raymond also believes that his “up tempo game pace” and “defensive attitude” can help his team win because people “feed off the energy I bring when I’m in the game,” he said.

“Our main strength is when our defense is communicating and clicking and when we get into transition, we change the way games turn out,” said Raymond.

Nick David, a senior captain, believes that he “brings a lot of leadership to the team. Being that I am a senior captain and it is my third year on varsity, I have the responsibility of leading the team,” said David.

David also said the team is “optimistic” after ending the season “hot” last year and are “looking to carry that momentum into this year.”

David believes the team can “push the pace a lot more” because they are “more athletic” than past seasons, and they will look to use that athleticism to “wear teams down.”

Wilde Lake basketball has improved since last year as they already achieved their season win total from last year at the mid season mark this year with their home win over Hammond on January 6.

Wilde Lake is using teamwork and dedication to help win games this season and reach their goal of a county championship, Wilde Lake will continue their fight on January 13 with an away game against the Reservoir Gators.