The boys basketball team at Royal Oak Shrine has a lot going for itself this season. The Knights are a deep team, with lots of good shooters, experience and speed.

"This is a high-energy group," said Shrine head coach Mike Massucci. "Our depth and perimeter game are going to give teams problems."

Massucci, entering his 16^th year at the helm, expects an exciting campaign in the Knights quest for their first conference crown since 2004 and their first district banner since 2003.

"We're going to be a fun team to watch because we're going to play all 94 feet and force the action up-tempo whenever possible," he said. " I don't know if we had the personnel to do that the last couple years. This team is going to press and run the break at every opportunity."

Shrine is led into battle by the standout backcourt of seniors Bertram Marks and Blake Washington, both entering their third year in a starting role for the Knights. Marks and Washington each have a knack for scoring the basketball in bunches and are excellent defenders.

The Wangler brothers, sophomore Jack and freshman Jared, will both dot the starting lineup as well. Jack is a rugged rebounding forward with a sweet stroke from downtown, while according to Massucci, Jared is, "the best shooter the program's seen in quite a long time."

The team's post game will be anchored by senior center Joe Oldani, someone Massucci calls a "gritty rebounder who will hit the open jumper if you leave him open."

Coming off the bench for the Knights this season will be a series of talented reserves, providing Massucci more depth than he's had at his disposal in recent years. Juniors Lorenzo Dewberry and Jared Terrill will be sparkplug guys that more than adequately spell Marks and Washington. Sophomore sharpshooter Connor Francek will join the varsity this season after leading the Knights JV last year in 3-point accuracy. Francek, who will start at quarterback for the school's football team next fall after coming in late this past season in a back-up capacity and leading the Knights to a first-round playoff win, will join the Wangler boys as the squad's most reliable outside marksmen.

Last year Shrine posted a 10-12 overall record and Massucci feels with a good core returning this season improvement on that mark is probable.

"We'll be more well-balanced this year and hopefully that will translate to more wins," he said. "There's going to be an infusion of youth onto this team that's going to benefit us greatly and when you combine that with the solid group of veterans we already have coming back, I think we can be really good."

 

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