Hounds to rely on seniors

By JIM BASTIAN

Journal Sports Writer

NEW ULM -- This season, the New Ulm Cathedral Greyhound boys basketball team will lean heavily on senior leadership in an attempt to repeat last season's 15-8 overall mark and fourth-place finish (13-5) in the Tomahawk Conference.

Gone from last year's team are post players Mike Hall and Jesse Ahlbrecht, along with James Hillsheim and Kyle Neubauer.

The biggest loss will be that of Ahlbrecht, who scored 1,000 points in his career at CHS.

But back are seniors Nate Osborne, Hans Biebl, Brandon Reinarts, Will Moeller, Joey Schugel and Dave Groebner.

Last year Moeller averaged 14.4 points per game and will be expected to hit double figures again this season from his guard spot.

His running mate at guard will probably be Schugel, who hit for just over seven points a game. Both Moeller and Schugel were one and two in assists (69 and 67 respectively) last year. Moeller also had 34 steals and Schugel added 31.

"We are a team that looks to take their direction from the six seniors that we have," commented head coach Dan Wolfe, now in his 15th season as head coach and 22nd overall at CHS. "Their leadership and experience our vital to our team's success as we lost three starters from last year."

Wolfe commented that a key aspect for the 2000-01 Hounds "will be the development of our juniors. We look for our juniors to add to our depth and challenge for starting positions."

That depth will come from juniors Tony Moldan, Luke Schmitz, Jacob Mertz, Bill Schreiber and Brandon Goblirsch.

Goblirsch, a 6-foot-6, is the tallest Hound player and will fill the spot vacated by the graduated Ahlbrecht.

"We need to be fundamentally sound defensively," said Wolfe. "Rebounding and taking care of the basketball are the keys for our team. Our overall size and possible depth will be a strength this season. We hope to use the success that we had in football as a springboard for the basketball season."

The Hounds open the 2000-01 season tonight when they host Buffalo Lake-Hector.