With the basketball season on the horizon, there are still a lot of unknowns when it comes to the future of the Godwin boys Varsity team. Coming off an impressive season finishing second in the region with a 17-6 record, the guys are looking to follow up the season with the same success as last year’s team.
The team included familiar faces such as 2024 Godwin Alumn, Sean Smith, a shooting guard who led the team in scoring and was a crucial part of the team with a lethal stroke from behind the arc, who stretched the defense to the perimeter and made it easier for the Eagles to score inside
In addition to Smith, 6’4 center and 2024 Godwin Alumn Hank Piersol, was a physical player who gave the team intimidating energy and used his athleticism to protect the glass, secure rebounds, dunk on a fast break, and make sure there were no easy buckets in the paint.
In addition, Forward and 2024 Godwin Alumn Sarohn Turner had a very consistent mid-range shot, not to mention when he would get hot from three-point range. Also as a lockdown defender, he would always be causing havoc for other offenses by creating several transitional opportunities per game which was where point guard Daniel Keogh would thrive.
His explosive speed and impressive layup package allowed him to score in tough situations, especially during fast breaks when heavily contested. Keogh and Smith created a dual threat, leaving defenses not knowing who to double team.
Lastly, 2024 Godwin Alumn Quinn Cornwell, who acted as a Swiss army knife for the team, used his elite passing and game IQ to facilitate plays and make his teammates better, making the hustle plays the team needed in crucial situations when games were on the line. His leadership gave the Eagles extra grit to grind out tough games.
However, four out of the five players listed will not be returning to play this season, leaving Keogh the only starter remaining from Godwin’s 2023-2024 exciting team.
Over the offseason, the Eagles lost seven graduating seniors, as well as two players who transferred to other schools, Ahmad Thiam and Quincy Brown. With massive gaps in the roster, the team is a shell of what it was the prior year, leaving people and players wondering what Coach Oliver will do with such big shoes to fill.
To prepare for the upcoming 2024-2025 year, Keogh has been working hard to get back into top form for the season. After suffering a broken labrum in both hips, he needed double hip surgery over the summer. “I’ve been doing a lot of physical therapy, just trying to get back to normal after surgery, as well as just focusing on things I can control,” said Keogh.
Keogh has expressed his opinion on the team since practices have begun. “I think everyone is excited but there’s also a lot of unknowns since we lost seven seniors from last year. I’m confident we’ll be right back where we were last year, the last two years we finished 17-6 and 16-6,” said Keogh.
After a few practices, the team seems to have a lot of raw talent and athleticism with a high ceiling for potential, and they will only get better as they build chemistry and learn how to play with each other fluidly, adapting to play complimentary ball with different skill sets.
Losing so many players can cause a team to lose its identity so the playstyle is bound to change from last year’s. “It’s always the goal to try and control the paint every game, but we’ll be able to spread a lot of teams out this year and have a chance to hit a lot of threes,” said Keogh, hitting threes will be easy with the addition of Lincoln Hundley, a junior transfer from the Carmel school who can knock down shots from anywhere on the court with precision.
So what’s Keogh’s main goal for his final year? “My main goal is to be able to host one last playoff game in the nest. It’s a completely different game when somethings on the line, having the home crowd behind you is a huge advantage,” answers Keogh.
There’s no doubt that the outcome of Keogh’s final season will be defined by how quickly the guys find their identity as a team. Building chemistry and quickly getting into a rhythm by the end of sthe eason will be the deciding factor between the team dominating, or being a disappointment.
