Las Vegas Sun

March 28, 2024

High School Basketball:

Coronado basketball plans to limit mistakes, give maximum effort

High School Basketball Teams

Christopher DeVargas

Coronado HS: Rear:Jake Desjardins, Nick Kornieck, Front: Bryce Savoy

Coronado basketball 2014-15 season preview

The first game of the high school basketball season proved what Coronado High coach Jeff Kaufman had been telling his players the entire offseason: They can play with any team in town.

The Cougars lost by four points at Centennial, the No. 2 ranked team in the preseason, in a confidence-building victory. Centennial is expected to challenge three-time defending champion Bishop Gorman, meaning Coronado’s roster of mostly underclassmen is heading in the right direction.

“Everybody has their niche,” Kaufman said. “Our niche is playing hard and playing smart. We know and we talk about it everyday, (about) not having a margin for error. We don’t kid ourselves and think, ‘Hey, we have the best athletes on the floor.’ But we are going to play harder than everyone else plays and we won’t make mistakes.”

Coronado finished second in the Southeast League last season, but lost by nearly 30 points in the Sunrise Regional quarterfinals to finish at 13-13 overall. That loss helped fuel some of the offseason training with players realizing they had to improve their games to challenge the Sunrise powers.

“Over the summer it was in the back of mind,” said Jake DesJardins, Coronado’s 6 foot 7 junior wing. “I just kept thinking I don’t want to be in that position of losing in the first round again. I want to make it further.”

Coronado, and every other team in the Southeast League, hasn't been able to figure out how to consistently beat Foothill. The Falcons have won nine straight league titles, including going undefeated in league play last season.

This offseason, longtime Foothill assistant Keith Starr, a former assistant from UNLV’s 1991 Final Four team, joined the Coronado staff. Coronado now employs some of the same philosophies as Foothill in working the ball around the perimeter to spot-up 3-point shooters.

“He has taught us to be unselfish, and to move the ball as much as possible and get the best shot,” DesJardins said.

Against Centennial, and during a 33-point win against Silverado in Coronado’s second game, Starr’s impact on the program was evident. Senior Nick Kornieck, one of the area’s best pure outside shooters, scored 22 points against Centennial and 23 against Silverado.

Coronado should be well tested come league play. It plays in tournaments in San Diego and Miami, and has another game in California in mid-January.

Games with Foothill on Jan. 9 and Jan. 22, though, could partially define the season.

“It is a great rivalry game,” Kaufman said. “Our kids are friends the rest of the time of the year. ...The team are similar. We both shoot the ball well. We run a similar offense. We know what they do.”

Ray Brewer can be reached at 702-990-2662 or [email protected]. Follow Ray on Twitter at twitter.com/raybrewer21

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