Many of the faces and names are the same, but the product on the court is completely different.
The Dublin Scioto boys basketball team suffered through the worst season in school history a year ago, posting a dismal 5-16 mark which included a D-I first-round tournament loss to Grove City.
But so far this year the (2-1, 1-1) team has looked dramatically improved and coach Tony Bisutti said it's a credit to the amount of work his kids put in during the off-season.
"We're way ahead of where we were at the end of last year," Bisutti said. "We're a year bigger, stronger and smarter and just have a better understanding of the game."In watching us there is a lot more room for growth, we're not close to reaching our full potential."
The Irish spent a lot of the summer playing together and working in the weight room.
That dedication is starting to show in a major way.
In a pair of season-opening wins Scioto showed that it has multiple options on the offensive end of the floor and has the ability to lock teams down defensively.
Even in its lone loss thus far to highly touted Westerville South, the Irish played hard and kept it relatively close before falling 65-39.
Despite the loss to the Wildcats, Scioto is expecting to be among the collection of teams in close pursuit of South for a league title.
"There's no doubt we want to compete for a league title," Bisutti said. "South is the favorite but after that there are a handful of teams right there with each other."
Of the returning players on the roster, the biggest figuratively and literally is 6-5 senior post Jamare Mills. He missed most of last season with a shoulder injury. Just having him back on the floor has opened things up for everybody else.
"He just changes the game for everybody," the coach said. "He demands attention on the offensive end, which opens things up for other guys.
"Defensively he's another big body that gives us a presence in the paint and on the boards."
The offense will run through Mills and senior guard Raneal Ewing (6-0). The athletic playmaker has done a good job scoring and setting his teammates up for easy baskets.
"Raneal and Jamare are our go-to guys when we need a basket," the coach said, "But there are other guys that have shown they have the ability to score if we need them."
That list of improving players includes senior guard Justin Craig (5-10), sophomore guard Antonio Bisutti (6-0), sophomore guard Josh Ashwill (5-11) and junior wing Ryan Duncan (6-0).
"We've a number of different guys that can lead us in points," the coach said. "We didn't always have that last year."
One of the biggest areas of improvement in addition to simply being a year older and physically more ready to compete at the varsity level, is that when things go wrong, their not ballooning out of control.
"Last year we would have three and four turnovers in a row," the coach said. "Now we're to the point we can get past the last possession and continue to play."
The Irish will play at Westerville North Friday, Dec. 17 (7:30 p.m.), before traveling to Westerville Central Tuesday, Dec. 21 (7:30 p.m.).
"In watching us there is a lot more room for growth, we're not close to reaching our full potential."
--Tony Bisutti
