With the new season rolling around for the boy’s varsity basketball team, what did these student-athletes do to prepare for the new season?  The team has high expectations this season, being ranked a top 4 team in the Prince William area, what has the team improved on, and what changes will help meet these high expectations?

After going 8-15 last year and losing 4 starters from last year’s team, the team added a couple of transfers who heavily impacted the Osbourn Park team in Trey Terrell and Tay Faison who both bring many skills to the table. They also bring back heavily recruited Tey Barbour and many key players who are looking to take a big step up.

New players on the team or people who would play both varsity and JV or just JV have to adapt to the team and build chemistry with their teammates.  Junior Brayden Weeks said, “This is my first year playing high school basketball and I’m trying to get to know some of my teammates better, I haven’t played since Metz Middle School so I am trying to get my game back in rhythm.”

There are also athletes who recently are transitioning from a fall sport and are looking to adjust back to basketball after not being with the team for conditioning due to their fall sport. Senior Kiyon Boxeley said “The transition from football to basketball was a very difficult process, the sharp pain and tiredness of running in basketball is a killer, but you know I fought through it and kept pushing. How I prepared for it was by running outside of school and stretching and coming to every practice, trying to get better at the sport of basketball.”

Although the spotlight is on the varsity team, the JV team helps the varsity team by scrimmaging against them and always giving them a challenge. The JV team is also a good support to the varsity team by being ready in case they get moved up to varsity for a game. JV player Jaxon Burke said, “We help the varsity team out with scrimmages against them during practices, although I’m only on JV I expect them to win and get better every single week.”

The fans play a key role in the game by supporting the team and showing school spirit. Osbourn has many students who are in the school spirit and will be attending many of the basketball games this year. The Osbourn basketball fans can bring the team up by hyping them up and giving them the extra morale boost they might need in close game situations. Junior Victor Elueme said, “Although I’m not going to be able to make many of the basketball games because of my own winter sport I look forward to going to the games I can go to and support the team. I have a couple of former teammates from football on the team, and I’m looking forward to going to support them and I wish the best for them.”

With the season ongoing and many games yet to be played, the Osbourn basketball team is hungry and ready to play ball. Osbourn is looking to have a winning season, and this squad is very capable of passing that mark. This team is full of athletes ready to compete together and ready to win.

Watch for more updates on the season soon!