MEET THE TEAM
The split with Eisenhower left the Goddard program without much varsity experience and a coach last season. The Lions hired Kyle Taylor, a Jesse Herrmann disciple from Andover Central, and he begun the rebuilding job last season.Goddard was over-matched last season and lost 19 games and that might not improve much this year. But Taylor is laying the foundation and realizes turning Goddard back into a winner will take time. Winning doesn't happen overnight and Taylor is still implementing his system and his way of things into the program.
Much like their crosstown rivals from Eisenhower, Goddard will play a 4-out, 1-in offense this season. That's not because the Lions necessarily are loaded with talent on the perimeter, but Taylor wants to spread the court and give returning starter Collin Nevil, a 6-foot-4 senior, as much room to work with in the paint as possible. He'll be the centerpiece to Goddard's offense this season and Taylor said his leadership from the football field being a quarterback has transitioned to the basketball court.
But after Nevil, the question marks for how Goddard will score begin. The Lions do have a few players that saw extended minutes on varsity in Maxie Mikle and Tucker Vang, but neither did much scoring. It will have to be a committee approach for the Lions to succeed.
Taylor will continue along with his man defense that he put in place last season. It's still a work-in-progress, but he's seen strides made by his players this season just because they have another year of experience playing in it. The Lions aren't as deep as they were last year, so they will have to rely more on their starters.
It looks like another year in the rebuilding process for Goddard, but Taylor does like his team's chances if they can defend like he wants them to. They know they won't be a favorite in many games, but Goddard thinks it can win a few through stingy defense and grinding games out on the offensive end. If the Lions can exceed their win total from last year, it will be a step in the right direction under Taylor.
MEET THE CAST
#11 | COLLIN NEVIL | POST | 6'4" | SENIOR
The unquestioned heart and soul of the team, Nevil will be the feature of the offense in the post. Also a QB in football, Nevil is a natural leader and should be Goddard's best player this season.
#25 | MAXIE MIKLE | WING | 6'1" | JUNIOR
Was a spot-starter last year as a sophomore and will be counted upon more this season as a scorer. He is a slasher that can get to the rim and should thrive in Goddard's 4-out offense with room to attack the basket.
#12 | TUCKER VANG | WING | 6'2" | JUNIOR
Another player that saw some starts last season, Vang will slide into a more regular role and become one of the team's top scorers. The best shooter on the team, Vang has the ability to stretch defenses and will be needed this year.
#23 | JOEY SAN MIGUEL | WING | 6'2" | SENIOR
A senior that didn't see much time last season, but will play an expanded role this year. He's a slasher that can penetrate and score or get fouled and has the awareness to kick out to the open shooter.
#41 | AUSTIN CHIPPEAUX | POST | 6'6" | JUNIOR
He's coming along in the basketball sense and could play a major role this season with his 6-foot-6 frame. Has the ability to be a shot-blocker and rebounder, but also is working on his offensive game and could become a force by the end of the year.
The unquestioned heart and soul of the team, Nevil will be the feature of the offense in the post. Also a QB in football, Nevil is a natural leader and should be Goddard's best player this season.
#25 | MAXIE MIKLE | WING | 6'1" | JUNIOR
Was a spot-starter last year as a sophomore and will be counted upon more this season as a scorer. He is a slasher that can get to the rim and should thrive in Goddard's 4-out offense with room to attack the basket.
#12 | TUCKER VANG | WING | 6'2" | JUNIOR
Another player that saw some starts last season, Vang will slide into a more regular role and become one of the team's top scorers. The best shooter on the team, Vang has the ability to stretch defenses and will be needed this year.
#23 | JOEY SAN MIGUEL | WING | 6'2" | SENIOR
A senior that didn't see much time last season, but will play an expanded role this year. He's a slasher that can penetrate and score or get fouled and has the awareness to kick out to the open shooter.
#41 | AUSTIN CHIPPEAUX | POST | 6'6" | JUNIOR
He's coming along in the basketball sense and could play a major role this season with his 6-foot-6 frame. Has the ability to be a shot-blocker and rebounder, but also is working on his offensive game and could become a force by the end of the year.
FROM COACH TAYLOR
"The biggest difference this season will be the familiarity with the kids. They've been in my system for a year already and know what to expect and the style we want to play. We spent a lot of time this summer and that's the biggest improvement I saw. The kids understand what we want and I think with a little more experience under their belts this season, we'll be a more competitive team."
THE PREDICTION
Taylor has Goddard headed in the right direction, but he arrived at an unfortunate time when the Lions are playing in a ultra-competitive division and right when the town split into two high schools. Another year under Taylor will pay dividends this season and I expect Goddard to increase its win total from last year, but probably not by much. It looks like another rebuilding year for the Lions as they set out to be a team that no one wants to face in sub-state.
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