Las Vegas Sun

March 19, 2024

HS BASKETBALL:

Basic boys without starter Carducci to open season

Wolves will rely on younger players in hunt for first playoff berth in four years

2010-2011 Boys Prep Basketball

Sam Morris / Las Vegas Sun

Basic basketball players, from left, Paul Bunkley, Kyle Taitano and Kevin Bayes.

Steve Bentz

Basic High boys basketball coach Steve Betnz talks about the upcoming season.

The Basic boys basketball team was on the verge of breaking through in the Southeast Division last winter.

The Wolves took fifth in the Henderson-based league, missing the playoffs by one game. It needed a victory in the final week against Coronado or Foothill — two of the league’s playoff teams — to reach the postseason.

They were competitive in both games, but lost in missing the playoff for the third straight season.

Challenging for a playoff spot this year will depend on how the squad’s young players develop.

Take the first week of the season as an example.

The Wolves were defeated by 30 points in their opener against Centennial, but responded three days later by beating Boulder City. Those kinds of up and downs are common with a team still getting its feet wet.

“We are a little young and inexperienced,” Basic coach Steve Bentz said. “We needed to come back, and go over the film and fix our mistakes.”

Basic will be without one of its top players for the first month of the season. Senior guard Vince Carducci is recovering from an upper body injury he suffered in the last week of the football season.

In his place, the likes of sophomore guards Devonte Boyd and Jaylen Rose, and post player Kevin Bayes will have to carry the load. The 6-foot-6 Bayes is one of the Southeast’s best interior players.

“He’s our big guy on the inside with rebounding and blocking shots,” Bentz said.

Other players to watch include guard Kyle Taitano and forward Paul Bunkley.

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