Scott Kaniewski
For the first time in the program’s history, the Arapahoe boys
basketball team won 22 games last year.
It’ll be tough matching that success, but the Warriors have a
good chance to do it.
Arapahoe reached the quarterfinals last season before being
eliminated by eventual state champion Regis. They won the
Centennial Conference, going 13-1 in league (22-4 overall). They
went undefeated at home.
This year’s team might have more depth.
“It’s a nice problem to have,” Warriors coach Dan Snyder said.
“One of my issues will be finding minutes for my guys.”
Center Parker Semin will see plenty of minutes. The two-time
first-team all-league player will be the Warriors go-to man in the
middle. The senior was the team’s second-leading scorer last
year.
“We think now in the post he’s probably going to have to be
double teamed unless they have somebody who’s really big,” Snyder
said. “We think he’s ready for that.”
After Semin, the Warriors can go with seven or eight more
players interchangeably.
“After Parker none of these guys are superstars,” Snyder said.
“It’s more that we’re deep with lot of experience.”
A lot of that experience rests in the hands of seven other
seniors. Javon Moore, Beau Webb, Corbin Fromm, Tyler Balli, Will
Ratterman and Bobby Johannsen will compete for playing time. With
so many players so closely grouped in talent, the Warriors’ offense
will be the strength of the team early.
“I’ve never had this kind of depth from a 3-point shooting
standpoint,” Snyder said. “We’re going to be hard to guard.”
On the flip side, Snyder is concerned about Arapahoe’s defense,
the strength of last year’s squad.
“You can’t always rely on your offense,” Snyder said. “It would
be a weird night to have them all missing, but we know how that
goes.”
The Warriors know the better they play, the more time they’ll
see on the floor. They’re anxious to show what they can do.
“We have guys that have bought into our system,” Snyder said.
“Now those guys that our seven, eight, nine (off the bench) have
more talent, so they’re able to shoot.
“We had a couple people (over the summer) say, ‘My goodness,
there’s no drop off.’”
