BY SAUL BERRIOS-THOMAS | THE MONITOR
When coach Nicholas Lopez came to PSJA High after working as an assistant at Edinburg Vela, he knew he wanted to bring one thing to the program, and that was speed.
“That is something we completely brought in,” Lopez said. “The kids were kind of used to getting back into a man defense and trying to keep the score low. … We have a lot of great athletes at PSJA, similar to what we had at Vela. So we instituted, we call it the new Bears system. We pick up full-court pressure as much as we can. We run as much as we can, and we feel like we have great kids, great athletes at PSJA, so we think we can run with anybody.”
The Bears run up the court when they get the ball, run back on defense and make group substitutions to keep the players fresh.
The first group packs a potent punch on offense, led by senior guard Isaiah Garcia, who is averaging 12.3 points per game through his first 21 games.
“Isaiah is a great player,” Lopez said. “With him being a senior, we talked about, ‘This is your last chance to do something.’ We talk a lot about legacy. … That is one of the things Isaiah has really taken to heart. He has elevated his game.”
Senior guard Robert Garza has taken perhaps the biggest step forward this season for the Bears. Garza worked to improve, and through 22 contests this year, he is averaging 9.6 points per game.
“I think Robbie Garza has put in a lot of time,” Lopez said. “He was a junior last year who didn’t get much playing time. But he spent a lot of time this summer working on his game. He did a lot of personal training, he came to a lot of camps that they had here in the Valley, and he played a lot of summer ball. So he has been a pleasant surprise. He is a starter now at the two spot. He is a great shooter. He has put in the time, and now I think he is starting to see the fruits of his labor.”
The second unit for the Bears brings a different look, with two football standouts playing big roles. Senior forward Nathan Sanchez is averaging 3.4 rebounds per game off the bench, which is the third-highest mark on the team. Junior Andrew Liszt is averaging 4.6 points.
“We have the first group that is a little bit more of the basketball IQ kids,” Lopez said. “Then we have that tough scrappy second group that I think is a really good change of pace off the bench. I think it’s really a good one-two punch. We have that smooth ball movement of the first group, and then we have the tough gritty defensive unit that comes off the bench that can get us some quick steals and turn the game around for us.”