Leopards will build around Whitlock
The Belle Vernon boys basketball team was the WPIAL Class AAAA runner-up a year ago and came up a basket short of making the PIAA quarterfinals.
Gone are four starters, but coach Joe Salvino has all-section point guard Devin Whitlock back and the team will be built around the junior.
无毛视频淒evin is Devin,无毛视频� Salvino said while smiling about Whitlock, who will go over 1,000 career points early in the season. 无毛视频淗e is a kid who is going to compete against you no matter who you are, how big you are, or how strong you are.
无毛视频淗is athletic abilities are a plus and when he does something, other players see him lead by example and the team feeds off of him.无毛视频�
Senior guard Jake Haney made a few spot starts a year ago and has shown glimpse of scoring abilities, especially from the outside.
Three juniors are filling out the starting lineup to begin the season in guard Daniel Gordon, small forward Tyler Kovatch and power forward Joe Klanchar.
无毛视频淒aniel brings a lot to the outside game and Tyler is a good defensive player,无毛视频� said Salvino. 无毛视频淛oe is going to have to handle the inside for us as we don无毛视频檛 have a lot of great height, but hopefully we无毛视频檒l use our athleticism.无毛视频�
Three key reserves are junior forward Tommy Kovatch, junior guard Logan Cunningham and 6-2 freshman Quinton Martin, who Salvino said doesn无毛视频檛 have a specific position.
无毛视频淨uinton is coming along and can play the point, shooting guard or small forward,无毛视频� he said of Martin, a stud athlete who has already received college football offers.
When asked about his expectations, Salvino said that he hopes the players have set expectations for themselves.
无毛视频淔rom what we did last year, I am hoping the players无毛视频� expectations are very high,无毛视频� he said. 无毛视频淭hey have seen what has to be done to get to a certain point.
无毛视频淭his group is more of a group that concentrates on everything they do, meaning when it is football season, they focus on football and when it is basketball season, they focus on hoop.无毛视频�
Salvino said North Catholic and Lincoln Park will probably be the top teams in Class AAAA, and then broke down Section 3-AAAA.
无毛视频淓F is going to be good and Uniontown with their athletic ability, will be good,无毛视频� Salvino said. 无毛视频淪outhmoreland and Mount Pleasant are new to section, and we know about South Park and Yough.无毛视频�
When asked about what it will take to have a successful season, Salvino did not hesitate.
无毛视频淪taying healthy is a big key and we are doing what has to be done,无毛视频� he said. 无毛视频淲e will have to put a lot of effort into the defensive end.
无毛视频淲e lack height, so we have to push the ball up and down the floor, take good shots, box out and rebound.无毛视频�
The COVID-19 pandemic has affected every team and Salvino said he wishes the season would start in January.
无毛视频淲e could play each section team twice a week to keep teams away from each other,无毛视频� he said. 无毛视频淏ut this is a very different year, and after 37 years, I didn无毛视频檛 think I would be (coaching under these circumstances).无毛视频�
Belle Vernon has been practicing with the varsity and JV teams apart from each other.
无毛视频淲e are being as safe as possible, sanitizing balls and doing whatever we need to do,无毛视频� said Salvino. 无毛视频淏ut, we have some really good young players with size and in time, they may be able to move up.无毛视频�