The SM East boys basketball team was special in many ways this year —but especially because of how close they were with each other on and off the court. This year there were only two returning varsity players, and everyone else was completely new to the atmosphere.
“[Having new players] made it super fun, because obviously, we weren't super close at the beginning,” Hlobik said. “But throughout the season we all grew into it and it was just a fun environment and fun people to be with every day.”
For the first time ever, the boys basketball team had the opportunity to play at an actual arena, the Municipal Arena, with 10,000 seats. The game was broadcasted on the news, with attendees from all over town for the first time ever this season.
The Rockhurst game has always been the biggest rivalry game of the season, according to junior Brooks Dillon.
“At the Municipal, there were so many open seats unlike Rockhurst or East,” Dillon said. “That day I remember going to Chick-fil-a with the guys and people would come up to us and say they were coming to watch us, like random people we had never seen before. It almost felt like the whole world was watching us.”
Many players found it fascinating to be playing somewhere other than a high school basketball court, let alone an arena with 10,000 seats. The Lancers lost 66-54, but they played the best they had due to the stadium adrenaline, according to senior Stephen Hlobik.
Throughout the season, the team would grow closer through losses and gains and being together everyday for five months.
To get closer, they would get food frequently before or after games at Jalapenos, along with watching movies at each other's houses like “Rocky.” They would also have sleepovers after the games where they would rewatch the highlights and funny moments of the game. Being close with the team impacted their time on the court heavily, as they weren't afraid of each other, according to Dillon.
“Being friends on and off the court was very helpful,” Hlobik said. “If someone was doing something that was negatively impacting the team, no one was afraid to speak up and hold them accountable so they do better next time. We brought each other up and made sure everyone was in line because we were close.”
The team started the season with a set goal of winning at least 15 games. They ended up with a record of winning 11 games and losing 12 games. Although they didn't achieve their goal, according to Trucksess, the team was still proud of how much they had grown from the season and are more motivated than ever for next season, according to Trucksess.
The season’s highs and lows pushed the team to trust each other, communicate better and stay composed under pressure according to Dillon.
“During halftime during the SM Northwest game we were down five or seven, so we were a bit worried,” Dillon said. “But in the locker room we all realized what we had to do in the second half to win the game and talked about key things to stay locked in and focused, then won, and that was a really big game for us.”
This year, the team struggled with shooting consistently and everyone playing their best at the same games. For example, at the 22nd game of the season Olathe West game, senior Pearson Konold shot four three-pointers and Dillon hit zero. In the next game SM West Dillon hit four three pointers and Konold hit two. Along with not letting outside forces like student sections or refs get into their heads they kept resilience.
“Although we had downs we took it as a positive thing knowing they would just need to be that much better in the next game," Hlobik said.
This season contained many memorable moments for the team, especially in the locker room, when head coach Shawn Hair would come in hyping the team up and spraying them with water after a big win.
Hlobik felt a lot of pressure on him to play his best this season, with it being his last season, especially in the couple of final games. Throughout the season, Hlobik reminded himself to enjoy and appreciate being on the team.
“I would tell younger players to (of course) always be competitive,” Hlobik said. “But really try to enjoy it because it does go by fast. In season it may feel long, but once it's done you'll realize it flew by.”
The season ended on March 4 with the SM South game with South winning 63-31, and their banquet was March 9. At the banquet, an award was given out to one player on each team called the Bill Wilkerson award. This award honors dedication and passion, and was given to Hlobik.
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