The only assurance Dublin Scioto High School boys basketball coaches have as they prepare for a new season lies in the middle.

Senior Clark Crum, a 6-foot-7 post player, has shown he can produce in three seasons as a starter. The question marks remain in the supporting cast around him, especially among an untested backcourt.

"We're still trying to figure it out, quite frankly," said coach Tony Bisutti, whose team opens Friday -- a week later than most teams -- at OCC-Cardinal Division-rival Olentangy. "Right now we're going to have to gear our lineup both offensively and defensively. To make a long story short, there might never be the same five out there."

Crum, who averaged nearly 18 points and nearly seven rebounds last year and was honorable mention all-district in Division I as Scioto finished 14-9 after a 53-46 loss to Thomas Worthington in a district semifinal, will be the driving force for the Irish. But he realizes he can't take on all the workload.

"There is a little bit of pressure, but I want to have fun this year," said Crum, who has made a verbal commitment to play football for Virginia Tech. "I want to be able to go out there and do the best I can but not feel like I have everything on my shoulders."

Crum and junior forward Austin O'Connell (6-3) are the only returning starters from a team last year that finished 6-4 in the OCC-Cardinal to tie Olentangy for third behind Grove City (8-2) and Pickerington Central (7-3) and ahead of Chillicothe (2-8) and Westerville Central (1-9).

Scioto opened the tournament with a 60-46 victory over Whetstone and a 47-46 upset of eighth-seeded Gahanna in the second round before facing Thomas.

When addressing the successes and failures of last year, the Irish pointed to the last five weeks when they lost four in a row at one point, including three to league opponents to erase hopes for an OCC title.

There were no secrets in trying to get the ball to Crum, who scored 15 of his 23 points in the first half against Gahanna in the postseason.

Bisutti will look to do the same this year.

"I"m really looking forward to him having an outstanding year," he said. "He's got chances to break every record in our record book. The thing about him is he wants to win first. Early on, he's shown he's going to be quite unstoppable."

As Bisutti looks to fill out his lineup, he welcomes back junior guards Kelly Winter (6-0) and Michael Eubank (6-1) and senior forward Jake Doherty (6-5), all of whom saw playing time at the varsity level last season.

Others expected to see playing time include senior guard Jamel Scott (5-5), who will bring quickness to the lineup, junior forward Kevin Lolli (6-2) and guard Ben Ashwill (6-0).

The top players off the bench are seniors Jordan Thomas (5-10) and Chris McLain (6-5) and junior Spenser Mooney (6-1). McLain is a transfer from Watterson.

"We've got a young backcourt that we've got to try and develop and that's going to take some time," Bisutti said. "But these guys are tough, coachable kids and that's an upside.

"Like anything else, there has to be some balance and we've got to keep people honest with an outside game."

The Irish will need that balance as they face an ambitious non-league schedule that includes Worthington Kilbourne (home Tuesday), Independence (away Dec. 20), Whetstone (home Dec. 23), Watterson (away Jan. 3), St. Charles (home Jan. 10), Hilliard Darby (home Jan. 14), Mount Vernon (home Jan. 28) and Westland (away Feb. 14).

Scioto will compete in a tournament Dec. 29-30 at Parkersburg (W.Va.) South.