BY SAUL BERRIOS-THOMAS | STAFF WRITER
EDINBURG — The Edinburg Vela boys basketball team is taking position-less basketball to the next level.
The SaberCats have a deep roster full of shooters.
“We’re going to play a really fast-paced game,” senior big man Noah Sekinger said. “Our whole team is suited for it. We can shoot the ball, play well together, get back in transition, and get ready for the press.”
One SaberCats player tells the story of what the team has been through over the past few years.
Kaleb Coronado was a freshman two years ago, when chaos enveloped his world. He was at the center of accusations about eligibility, and Vela’s wins were vacated. In the final year of what was one of the Valley’s best basketball dynasties, everything came to a halt.
Life was tough after that. Coronado was at the center of a scandal he never asked to be a part of, and even worse, he couldn’t play varsity ball. He returns to the court this year, and figures to play a pivotal role on this year’s SaberCats.
“I have known him since I was in seventh grade; he was in sixth,” Sekinger said. “I’ve known this guy and his family for a long time, so to see him go through that stuff was tough. But I’m glad he is back on the team now, because he is a great asset to this team. He is a great shooter, play-maker, and the more he jells with us, the better we will be.”
The SaberCats have had three coaches in three years. Things weren’t always easy last year even as the team made it to the postseason. The team chemistry was pretty low at times. But, the SaberCats revamped the program and changed the priorities.
“Academics are really important,” Sekinger said. “Especially with coach Lucio (Rodriguez), he is emphasizing it. If you are not passing, you are not playing. We have to get tutoring if our grade drops below a certain level, and we can not play until we get our grades up.”
Sekinger is the embodiment of the new era at Vela.
“To me personally, academics have always been really important,” Sekinger said. “I have always been able to attain high grades. Through hard work and dedication, I have been able to maintain all A’s throughout my entire high school career.”
Austin Garza is also an all-A’s type of student.
“It’s student before athlete. We know we have to do the work in there, so we can play out here,” said Garza, the younger brother of Ryan Garza, who dominated at Vela for four years, before moving on to St. Edwards, where he is still playing a big role. “It’s tough to balance. You have to juggle both things: practice until six and you have projects due the next day. Tournaments on the weekends. It’s tough to handle them both. My parents help me out a lot. They push me and they make sure I am doing well in both.”
Behind coach Lucio Rodriguez, who was an assistant last year, and took over after the departure of David Keith, Vela is focused on doing things the right way, on and off the court.
Rodriguez has the team working well together. Gone are the chemistry problems, and gone are the days of scandal. Now, the players can focus on what they do best: playing basketball.
“That’s the main reason why we are here,” Rodriguez said. “It is about the kids. It’s about them enjoying this season. For Noah and Josh (Diaz), the seniors, they have been through three different coaches. If I can make an impact, it is making sure these guys have a great senior year.”
The smarts in the classroom translate just as well to smarts on the court. Diaz, Sekinger and Garza are off the charts with basketball IQ, which spreads to the whole team.
“These guys, whatever we say or whatever is on the practice sheet, they pick it up within minutes,” Rodriguez said. “We work in segments, and most of the stuff we teach is picked up in one or two five-minute segments, which allows us to roll through practice efficiently. We are able to get a lot in.”
The understanding of the system is crucial, because Vela hopes to run up and down the court at a break-neck pace, which means they have to make split-second decisions.
Luckily the decisions aren’t extremely hard, because kicking out to anybody on the perimeter is likely to result in three points.
That starts with Diaz, who has an uncanny ability to hit shots from anywhere on the court. Like Stephen Curry, Diaz has shown his ability to hit any shot by winning shooting contest with teammates.
“Josh is always going to hit his three,” Seknger said. “That is what Josh does. When we need a bucket he will get it.”
Diaz wants to be known as the best shooter in the Valley, and he continues to prove it every time he steps on the floor.
Typically a team would only have two or three guys who can shoot, but Vela is loaded with them.
“Kaleb can shoot, Bobby (Espericueta) too,” Sekinger said. “Austin’s shot has gotten a lot better. Mike (Garcia) is a real good catch-and-shoot guy. Nate (Gomez) has a real good shot off the dribble. JD (Velasquez) is real good catch-and-shoot type of guy as well. I think that is one thing that really separates us from other teams: we have a ton of depth. Our bench guys can fill in for anyone.”
That has allowed Rodriguez to de-emphasize positions and instead focus on matchups.
“Our offense is designed for one post and four players, “Rodriguez said. “They are not set positions; they are interchangeable because most of these guys have similar skill sets, the passing, the shooting, the playmaking and the defense. So, on the outside we can put any four guys.”
Diaz and Garza are both exceptional athletes who excel on both sides of the court. Each can legitimately lock down players 1-4. They have faced much bigger players in the summer during AAU, and they know how to overcome any size or speed disadvantage.
Vela has big goals and the talent to achieve them. The SaberCats begin the year with a tough road contest. They travel to Laredo to face United at 7:30 on Tuesday night.
“There is just something about playing over there,” Sekinger said. “The long bus ride, the fans, the energy. It will be a really good test for our team.”