One thing is for sure with the Lake Washington boys basketball team this season: Another year like the last one isn’t acceptable.

The Kangs stumbled through a tough KingCo and non-league schedule to a 2-18 record last season. And since the last ball bounced in a Feb. 8th loss to Eastlake that capped a disappointing season, the team has been taking precautions to make this year better.

“They haven’t really left the gym since last season ended,” said Lake Washington Coach Terry Johnson. “They understand it’s going to take a different type of work ethic to have a better season.”

But this wasn’t your typical 2-18 team.

The Kangs lost five games by just seven points or fewer and three games by three points or fewer.

The problem last season? Offense. The team scored 915 points during the season, which was the fewest in the KingCo. But strong defense kept the team from being blown out. The Kangs allowed 1118 points, an average of 55.9 per game, and the second-fewest in the league.

This season, Lake Washington’s greatest asset to combat the offensive shortcomings of last season is depth. Though the team has lost Chris Hashimoto, who was third on the team in rebounding last season(4.2 per game), it returns most of its players who were big contributors last season.

“We’ve got eight kids coming back that are very experienced,” Johnson said. “Any of those eight could really lead us in scoring on any given night.”

However, Johnson pointed out three players who will carry most of the offensive weight and need to be consistent through the season: Greyson Blue, Ryan Guisness and Tyler Staudacher. The biggest portion of that weight may fall on Blue’s shoulders. The 6-9 senior led the team in scoring last season, with 9.5 points per game. Blue also led the Kangs in rebounding, with an average of 5.1 per game.

“He’s our big, 6-9 guy,” Johnson said. “We really need him to stay healthy and keep out of foul trouble so he can stay on the floor.”

Blue led the team last season, scoring in 11 of his 17 games and fouled out of three games.

Guisness was second on the team last season in scoring. The junior averaged 8.8 points per game and was also second in rebounds (4.7 per game). Johnson said Guisness is probably the Kangs’ best scorer, and the team will need him to put up points consistently to compete.

Staudacher was fourth on the team in scoring last season (6.4 points per game), leading the Kangs with 2.1 assists per game. Johnson said Stuadacher is a great defender and playmaker.

Senior Spencer Wozeniak averaged 7.3 points per game last season and gained some momentum as the season wound down. He averaged 9.1 points per game in the final 10 games of the season, and scored 26 in the final two contests.

Stevie Downs stood out in a few contests last season. The senior scored nine or more points six times, but he also had seven games of less than five points. With more consistency, he could improve on his 6.3 points per game average of last season. Downs added 3.5 rebounds per game as a junior.

Another player to watch this season is senior Eric Folkers, who averaged 4.3 points and 3.2 rebounds per game last season.

Looking at the team’s recent history, 2007-08 appears to be an anomaly. Two seasons ago, the Kangs started the season 9-4 (ended up at 10-12) and made the district playoffs. Three seasons ago, Lake Washington was a 16-6 team that won the KingCo East Division. Four seasons ago, the Kangs also won the East with a 14-9 record.

“Last season’s results are definitely not the expectations for this program,” Johnson said.

He doesn’t want to lay out specific goals in the win/loss column for this season, but Johnson said the players have worked hard enough and deserve a trip to the playoffs.

For those returning to the court this season, most of whom are seniors, the 2008-09 season is their last shot.

“These guys really want to finish on a high note,” Johnson said. “Sometimes they put a little more pressure on themselves than they need to, but we, as a coaching staff, feel this group will probably reach their potential better than any other group we’ve had.”

The Kangs start the season with a Dec. 6 non-league game against West Seattle. In the middle of a tough league slate, the team will travel to Phoenix for the Cactus Jam from Dec. 26-31 for a non-league tournament.

Adam McFadden can be reached at amcfadden@reporternewspapers.com or 253-219-2282.