Rebuilding a team takes more than just adding a few more wins to an overall record on a season. It requires a fundamental change to make it happen. This season the Juanita boys basketball team is working their way to making that rebuilding happen. The program, which hasn’t been as successful as its KingCo counterparts in recent years, is hitting the court with a new vision this season, led by first year head coach Derek Witt.
“Overall the kids are working hard,” he said. “It’s a good group, they are learning how to play the right way. They haven’t had a lot of success.”
Witt, who coached for almost two decades at the junior college level, joined the Rebels this season, after being an assistant last season at Woodinville.
“We came over here and I was really impressed with the facilities and getting to know some people around here. When it came open, it seemed like an opportunity to stay around here and put down some roots. I talked to some people and they said they are good people and are just dying for someone to come in and guide them.”
Doing the guiding will be easier with a group who wants to make that change happen.
“I think our strengths are that they have a huge heart, they want to win,” said the coach. “They are willing to work hard so that’s good. What we lack in maybe a true superstar, we make up for in eight or nine guys that can all contribute. Our overall team depth probably helps us.”
While it may be Witt’s first season coaching in KingCo, he knows the league is tough and so do the captains. Senior captain Kellen Gildersleeve said he felt the team’s work ethic will help the Rebels out in close games later in the season.
“We want to change the name of the program,” fellow captain Nicola Stanjik said.
In order to make those changes a reality, Witt said the team is going to have to be consistent, a big key he thinks to winning in the league.
“I think the biggest key is consistency, night in and night out. You don’t take nights off. I think that you’re seeing it, a lot of it is about match ups. It’s about match ups and that’s where we’re trying to stress to our guys that in close games it’s about attention to details,” said the coach. Of course, continuing to work hard is another big part of the equation for the Rebels. Witt said the focus at the beginning of the season has been on both the physical and mental sides of the game. Their determination has paid off in a league win over Mount Si, and a close loss to rival Lake Washington.
“We want to show everybody we’re good at basketball,” said Devan Jackson, adding he’s ready for a rematch of the Lake Washington game.
Witt said he’s not particularly focused on one rival or another, just on making sure the level of play is the same.
“We ask the same thing out of them everyday, we try and not make any game any more special, just worry about us doing our best,” he said. “We’ve said all along everyday our goal is to be better than the day before. I think that we’re working hard on not looking at the end result. My philosophy is that if you’re building the foundation, if you’re doing things right, then good things will happen. If you get too worried about wins and losses you’ll forget to do the little things right. Again it’s trying to work on consistency day in and day out. Our goals are more internal than external.”
After playing in the Bothell holiday tournament this past week, the team will take a break before playing Sammamish at home on Tuesday, Jan. 4 and heading to Mercer Island on Jan. 7.
