ELGIN — Three starters from last year’s team give Wolfpack boys basketball fans a reason to be optimistic about the season ahead.
Coach Michael Becker said the team has a strong nucleus to build around as Paiton Hoefer, Jack Wemhoff and Colton Wright played big roles in the team improving their won/loss record to 10-14, winning six of their last 10 games last season.
Hoefer, a sophomore. led the team in scoring last season with 246 points (10.3 points per game).
Colton Wright, a junior, was a force in the paint for EPPJ. He pulled down a team-high 120 rebounds last season and was third on the team in scoring.
A sophomore, Wemhoff led the team in assists with 79 and in steals with 40.
There’s every reason to believe, barring injury, that the threesome will improve in every aspect of their game for the Wolfpack.
They will need to as there’s not a wealth of varsity experience on the rest of the roster.
Sophomore Austin Good is the only other player on this year’s team who saw extensive action last year. The long-range sharpshooter, in limited action, made nine of 36 treys (25 percent).
“The biggest challenges we will face,” Becker said, “will be continuing to develop our younger players throughout the year to be able to have some depth, especially early on.”
There are just two seniors on the team (Layne Bullock and Jordan Lindgren). Bullock missed last season with a football injury and Lindgren saw very limited action.
Sophomores on the squad this year include Camryn Pelster, Ethan Hinkle, David Durre and Corbin Kinney.
New to the team this year are freshmen Myles Kittelson, Blake Henn, Brian Heithoff, Nick Anderson, Dylon Lueking and Gage Thiessen.
“We do have more size than we have had in the past so hopefully that will be an advantage for us in a lot of games,” Coach Becker said.
The Wolfpack will open the season Thursday night on the road at Riverside (Cedar Rapids), then play their home opener Friday night against Niobrara-Verdigre. On Tuesday, Dec. 8, they will be at home to play Neligh-Oakdale. All games on the schedule are subject to change due to the current pandemic.
