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STEUBENVILLE -- When one coaches basketball at a school that's a perennial football power, they get used to getting a bit of a late start.
Veteran Big Red head coach Mike Haney is certainly in that category.
While, due to the Big Red football team's run to the state semifinals, his team may be getting a later start than most, he's excited about what they can when they get in basketball shape and get to their full potential by midseason.
"We're used to it, we just went through the same thing last year," Haney said. "Last year we practiced three times and went right into games, this year we postponed some early games and are going to give ourselves a little bit more time to practice.
"There's a process to get from football shape to basketball. Your body takes a beating in football ... we're gonna give them time to recover and the big thing is we gotta get the skill work in. I know it takes about three weeks to a month (to make that transition).
"The positive is they're coming in from competing at a very high level and being competitors, so it's really just a matter of getting in basketball shape and getting the skill work in."
While he does have some guys that weren't on the football team, the bulk of the unit was. The ones that weren't, though, have been getting their work in.
"It's good for them to get a lot of work in," Haney said. "We've got a junior, some sophomores and freshman in practice. We had two scrimmages and were able to get up and down a little bit so that was good."
Last season ended in heart break as Steubenville closed a 10-12 campaign with a loss at the buzzer on the road at John Glenn in the tournament.
Departed from that group are five seniors that graduated, including leading scorer Phaeton Hill who averaged better than 16 points per game and key contributors Kyjhuan Hopkins, Ivan Buggs, Ty Pierce and Frankie Vostatek.
"Losing five is tough," Haney said. "We lose about 40 of our 59 points per game we averaged so we've got to replace a lot of our scoring."
Looking to fill some of those voids will be a senior class that consists of three players in
returning letter winners Keith Lewis, who because a key defender and scorer last season and averaged about 13 points and Jace Kernahan, as well as transfer Kellen Lester, who is the son of former Big Red player Johnny Lester, who suited up for the Crimson and Black in the early 2000s.
Joining them are a junior class of Kyleigh Hopkins, Jemier Faulks and Michael Cassinelli.
Sophomores are returning letter winner Cole Bowers, Tre'von Wiggins, Ca'Juan Bryant and JoJo Rea.
Freshman Santino Haney also saw time in the summer and looks to be in the mix
That summer performance has coach Haney excited about what this group can do once it comes together.
"We had a really good summer, we had the 34th Steubenville Summer Slam and we won it this year," coach Haney said. "We went up to the Eastern Ohio Basketball Camp and had a good camp up there. We're expecting our guys to play some good, solid defense and get up and down the court."
Once they get going, the goals are set high.
"We want to make that top four in the OVAC and compete for an OVAC championship, and preferably you want to be a top-two seed and get a home game, and we definitely want to make it far in the tournament," coach Haney said. "The goal is to make the regional in Athens and get to Dayton."
Defense, he thinks, will lead the way to those goals.
"Throughout the summer our defense really got after it and pressed a little bit, got up and down the court and we really played well together," coach Haney said. "We shared the ball, and no one played selfish. That's going to be a strength."
Assisting Haney will be Phil Casinelli, Jeff Lombardo and Anthony Saccoccia.
"It's an experienced group that's been with me," coach Haney said.