March 18, 2019 at 11:21 a.m.
Team review: RHS boys' basketball
Hodag hoops finds form late in otherwise difficult season
Team review: RHS boys' basketball
That's about the only comparison that could be drawn between otherwise vastly different seasons for the Hodags.
Coming off a 20-win season, and a surprising first-game exit in last year's WIAA tournament, the Hodags were hoping to continue their winning ways in the Great Northern Conference. Instead the team was plagued by inconsistent performance - particularly on defense - all season and struggled to a 10-14 overall mark.
It was Rhinelander's first sub-.500 season since 2010-11, coach Derek Lemmens' first at the helm of his alma mater. Rhinelander's fourth place tie in the GNC was also its worst in conference play since 2010-11.
"It was an interesting year in a lot of regards," Lemmens said last Sunday during the team's year-end banquet. "We come off of a season with 20 wins, things really went well the year before and then this year, right off the bat, we struggled. It took us a little while to kind of get used to that."
Here are five key storylines from the season.
DISAPPOINTING D
Rhinelander's biggest struggles this season came on the defensive end of the floor. After allowing teams to score 60 points or more only 20 times during Lemmens' first eight seasons at the helm, Rhinelander gave up 60 points or more a whopping 18 times in 24 games during the 2018-19 season. Overall, Rhinelander averaged 63.1 points allowed per game this season.
"It's discouraging to see how many games we're allowing teams to reach the 60s," Lemmens said following a 67-60 loss to Wisconsin Rapids Feb. 18. "I'd have to look back but, in the last seven years, I don't think there's been as many 60-point games as this one year."
LOWLIGHTS
There were a number of low points for the Hodags this year, both inside and outside the Great Northern Conference.
Outside the GNC, the Hodags were routed by Marshfield and Merrill. Inside the conference, Rhinelander lost twice to Lakeland - snapping a 14-game winning streak against the T-Birds and giving coach Rich Fortier his first wins against his former team.
But the lowest point came Feb. 1 in a 68-54 loss at Northland Pines - the Hodags' first loss to the Eagles since joining the conference.
"There's only one way to go - up," Lemmens said after that loss. "We just have to start playing as a team, start playing to win and stop playing to not lose and just start executing. We said it all season, there's plenty of talent, it's the other things we don't have right now and we've got to find them because this team can do things."
HIGHLIGHTS
The Hodags did have some bright moments, including a regular season sweep of Antigo that helped the team earn a No. 6 seed for the WIAA tournament despite a sub-.500 record. The Hodags also used a defensive stand to defeat Medford by one point at home on Jan. 15.
That win moved Rhinelander to 4-1 in the GNC at the time. But a one-point loss three nights later to Mosinee sparked a 2-5 record down the stretch for Rhinelander in league play.
FINISHING FLOURISH
The Hodags limped into the playoffs with an 83-62 loss at Mosinee, but appeared to find a different groove - especially on offense - in the playoffs.
A big part of that resurgence was back-to-back big nights for senior point guard Junior Howard. Howard scored a career-high 30 points in the Hodags' 78-65 win over Shawano in the regional quarterfinal round and then bettered it with 32 in a 71-65 loss to Wausau East in the regional semis.
Rhinelander got hot from beyond the arc against Wausau East, hitting 17 3-pointers in the contest.
Lemmens said it came very late in the season, but the Hodags finally hit their stride at the end.
"That's really when we started saying, 'These guys are starting to believe a little bit, starting to see the way things are done.' I think the problem was, with me, I wasn't really noticing it as the journey was going on," he said.
"This team, at the end of the season, when things we're going that well, came together and found a way to really make some noise late and almost beat what I think is one of the best Wausau East teams we've faced in the last nine years - on their court."
WHAT'S NEXT
A young and undersized team will become more so next year with the graduation of Howard and second-team all-conference forward Bryce Schickert.
Ross Skeen, who emerged into the starting lineup during the second half of the season, will be back - along with guard Peyton Erikson and forward Drake Martin from the starting lineup.
A number of other underclassmen saw minutes in the rotation this year and will be counted on for more next season.
"We have a lot of young guys that got a lot of great experience. Moving forward, it's exciting," Lemmens said.
Jeremy Mayo may be reached at [email protected].
Comments:
You must login to comment.