New day for Knights
 
'Different feeling' for top-ranked SSC boys

By PAUL SHUGAR
YAKIMA HERALD-REPUBLIC

Almost everything about the 1B state tournament is new this year for the Sunnyside Christian boys and coach Dean Wagenaar, but he's trying to stick with tradition as much as possible.

Sunnyside Christian's Aaron Van de Graff averaged more than 20 points per game this season for the top-ranked Knights.   GORDON KING/Yakima Herald-Republic

There is no trip to Spokane or team bonding with parents in the hotels as the inaugural tourney takes up residence in the SunDome. So Wagenaar will do his best to simulate these situations as the Knights prepare to open up against Odessa at 5:30 p.m. today.

"We'll still have a big meal together each day and spend time together since school is out," Wagenaar said. "We'll also get to the SunDome a little early to scout the teams we might play, but this is a different feeling."

New opponents -- some of whom Wagenaar hasn't seen before -- the new location, a different schedule and the fact SC players will sleep in their own beds are the main differences the team deals with this week. Something the 22-0 squad experienced before is the tag of favorite.

The top-ranked Knights sported the same record in 2001, lost by three in the first round and won out from there to finish with a fifth-place trophy and a 25-1 record. Wagenaar's three state-championship teams all finished with 26-1 records; something this year's squad can top with four straight wins to clinch the championship.

Keeping that big zero in the loss column is the last thing Wagenaar wants his kids focusing on this week. Coming off a loss in the quarterfinals of the last Class B tournament before the division was split into 1B and 2B and a seventh-place trophy last season, this year's team will try to simplify and take it one game at a time.

It's a good mindset to have considering the field sports four teams that are state tournament first-timers.

"We haven't really talked about (the undefeated record); it's not been a focus at all," Wagenaar said. "Now, since the postseason has started, we just keep to our same motto -- 'find a way to advance to the next day.' "

There are plenty of tools on the SC team to make sure the slogan doesn't come off as mere lip service. Aaron Van de Graaf led all Valley Class B scorers with 20.5 points per game with his speedy, slashing style and the ability to spot up and knock down 3-pointers.

He leads a much deeper and more balanced cast than last year with Joel Koopmans (14 ppg) along the perimeter and Cole Van de Graaf (10.6 ppg) battling inside. From there the 12-man roster is filled with plenty of interchangeable parts, allowing Wagenaar to sub freely and keep his players fresh.

So, there are plenty of kids with game-tested experience and scorers who know how to share. Aaron Van de Graaf, Lucas Brouwer and Koopmans all average more than two assists per game.

"(The top scorers) have been on the bench halfway through the third quarter in most games," Wagenaar said. "It hurts their stats, but I don't hear a thing about it. Nobody says a word; it's been a great team effort."

With Moses Lake Christian -- the No. 2-ranked team in the state that SC dispatched 54-44 on Jan. 30 -- on the other side of the bracket, Wagenaar is pretty unfamiliar with most of the teams on the Knights' side. Odessa (8-15 overall) possesses some dangerous guards in Drake Costlow (14.3 ppg) and James Glenn (10.2 ppg) and has strong inside play from 6-foot-4 center Kendall Fisher.

Either St. John-Endicott or Lummi could await SC in the second round, and the winner of the Entiat-Curlew game would be a favorite for a possible semifinal opponent. The Eagles would be an interesting second-round game after the Knights defeated them 54-53 at state last year on Chad Den Boer's buzzer-beating 3-pointer that television replay later revealed to be a two-point basket.

Wagenaar, though, is more interested in keeping his roster completely healthy and that first-round game before chatting about potential rematches.

"So many teams have struggled with what is a serious flu bug," Wagenaar said. "We've really placed an emphasis on a healthy diet and a lot of vitamin C to help fend off this flu bug."

They're the same things the Knights always think about this time of year, just with a change of location.