Boys Basketball
Scioto determined to improve on record year

Thursday, November 2= 2, 2007

SCOTT GERFEN<= /b>
Villager Contributor=

At a glance· Coach: Tony Bisutti, 13th season

· Opener: Nov. 30 vs. Franklin Hei= ghts

· Key players: Ben Ashwill, Kyle D= uncan, Rainer Duzan, Blair Gorn= iak, Bradley McDougald, David McKinley and Marco S= t. John =

For Dublin Scioto High School boys basketball coach Tony Bisutti, last season's strategy was unique, yet simpl= e.

With such a deep bench, the Irish were able to utilize a plato= on system to wear down opponents and set a program record for victories in the process at 20-2 overall after a 53-47 loss to Upper Arlington in a Division= I district semifinal.

It was typical to see five players come off the bench at once.=

Scioto doesn't have the same luxury this season, but those who played a supporting role a year ago enter the opener Nov. 30 against OCC-Capital Division challenger Franklin Heights with plenty of know-how. <= o:p>

"Watching them this summer, you can tell they're ready to= be the elite group," said Bisutti, who begins= his 13th season at Scioto. "The system last year was good for us and, quite frankly, one I like to play. But it created two different groups and had some drawbacks because of it. This group is more of one unit."

The Irish won the OCC-Capital at 10-0 last year ahead of New Albany (8-2), Franklin Heights (5-5), Big Walnut (5-5), Olentangy Liberty (1-9) and Watkins Memorial (1-9).

It is a junior-dominated group that replaces six graduates, including last year's league Player of the Year in Austin O'Connell, an honorable-mention all-district selection who averaged 12.5 points per game = and 5.0 rebounds.

Guard Kelly Winter averaged 11.0 points and 3.5 assists and was first-team all-league and honorable mention all-district and forward Kevin = Lolli was first-team all-league at 10.0 points and 5.0 rebounds per game.

Those graduates led a team that opened with 15 victories before falling to Mount Vernon 54-52. It was fifth in the final state poll. <= /o:p>

"Our goal is to improve on last season," senior and third-year starting guard Ben Ashwill said. "The team is the focus this year which I think is different from last year. You could tell the chemistry just wasn't there at the end of the season. We're more like a family this year."

Ashwill (6-foot), who was honorable mention all-league, is one= of two returning seniors along with wing player Blair Gor= niak (6-0). The Irish welcome senior Kyle Duncan (6-2 wing player), who was a top shooter at Watterson last season.

"He was injured last year when we played them," Bisutti said. "He's a real good catch-and-shoot = guy and he's probably the best shooter we have. We'll put him out there with the guards and he should be able to pop it a little bit."

Rainer Duzan (5-10 wing player), Bradley McDougald= (5-11 guard), Marco St. John (6-3 post player) and David McKinley (5-7 guard) are juniors who earned a number of minutes last season.

The Irish lack a strong inside game with O'Connell's departure, but Bisutti likes how St. John and Gorniak have developed defensively in the paint.

Juniors Destin Thomas (6-0 guard), Eric S= tamets (6-0 wing player), Dylan Coscia (5-11 guard) an= d Deji Olatoye (6-1 post pl= ayer) and freshman Jamare Mills (6-4 post player) rou= nd out the roster.

= Bisutti expects his team to challenge for the OCC title along with New Albany and Big Walnut.

The schedule also includes games against Jerome on Dec. 27, Coffman on Dec. 29 and City League power Brookhaven on Feb. 5

"If we're playing together, I think we're capable of competing with anybody," Bisutti said. &qu= ot;But we're not going to be the type of team who can take possessions off. We're going to have to play every possession."