By JOSHUA MCKINNEY, Staff Writer
It’s not a rebuilding year for Hanna. It’s more like retooling.
Hanna boys basketball team might returns four players from last year’s District 32-6A Co-Championship team but 2015-16 is considered a reloading year for one of the area’s strongest programs.
“I don’t think we’re really in a rebuilding year,” coach Todd Barckhotlz said. “We’re just trying to put new kids in different spots. It’s going to be the same jersey numbers we’ve had every year. We’re building to our strengths. It will just be a little bit different from the last few years.”
The BISD Tournament will allow Barckholtz and the Golden Eagles’ coaching staff to see who figures in this season’s rotation and give some of the younger guys court time in boys basketball’s opening week.
“We haven’t played in a couple of months, so we need to get out and play new teams.” Barckholtz said. “We need to play against different styles and talent levels to find out where our guys slot in against that competition. It helps us see day-to-day improvement from the kids but also lets us give them a lot of court time. They have to think when they’re tired and focus on the stress of playing on the varsity level.”
Only one starter returns from last year, senior guard Andy Lopez, and he’s out with a knee injury for an extended period time.
But the three returning bench players from last year have stepped into leadership roles on the team.
“We just have to keep them motivated,” senior guard Eric Garcia said. “With silly mistakes, we have to tell them what to do. They’re going to make mistakes because they haven’t played much but they just need to keep their heads up.”
Garcia, sophomore point guard Gabriel Martinez, sophomore post Vicente Garcia, represents the Eagles’ returning experience.
Having last year’s All-Metro Most Valuable Player Alex Herrera and receiving key playing time down the stretch last season has helped young players like Martinez develop into a team leader.
“I had a lot of people like (Herrera) help me last year,” Martinez said. “He motivated me to do good in district. He would come to my house and let me know what I did wrong in a game.”
It’s that type of leadership that keeps Hanna’s basketball program strong when the next player has to step up in a new role.
“You come to Hanna to play ball,” Barckholtz said. “You learn from the kids in front of you and keep the tradition of being the best school of town in terms of basketball. You should be proud of that and accept that challenge, and make sure to leave the program rolling the way it was when you came in.”
Hanna lost to Sharyland Pioneer 66-46 and beat Houston First Baptist Christian 57-52 in Friday’s tournament action.
Joshua McKinney writes for the Brownsville Herald. You can reach him at (956) 982-6663 or via email at [email protected]. On Twitter he’s @joshuabvherald.