But playing under control, taking care of the basketball and playing defense also factor into that success formula.

“These guys want to play fast, but can we play fast and take care of the basketball? That will be a key,” the veteran coach noted. “You have to limit turnovers.”

And what about that defense?

“That’s a work in progress right now,” Reeder admitted. “We’re not as good as we should be, but we’re getting better. We need to find our identity at the defensive end, but we’re not where we need to be yet.”

The two leading scorers from last year – seniors Caleb Siemer and Brendan Niebrugge – are back. Both averaged nearly 13 points a contest.

Siemer, a 6’6” post player, put in a lot of work during the off-season.

“He really worked on his shot,” Reeder said. “I think you’ll see more scoring out of him this year and more than just posting up. Caleb will also be the anchor of our defense. He’s shown a lot of leadership.”

Niebrugge is the team’s best shooter.

“I think you’ll see him come out of his shell and be more aggressive,” Reeder noted. “Brendan has put in a lot of work, too. He’s also been more vocal in practice and assumed more of a leadership role. We like seeing that. We challenged him to do that.”

A third returning starter is 6’3” senior James “Jimmer” Niebrugge.

“He’s come out of his shell, too, especially at the offensive end,” Reeder pointed out. “I look for Jimmer to score more. He was kind of like Jekyll & Hyde last year, but I think you’ll see more consistency this year. He’s also our most athletic player. He can do things that others can’t.”

Four other players are vying for the final two starting positions –seniors Caleb Bloemer and Logan Roepke; and juniors Joey Niebrugge and Garrett Gaddis.

Gaddis, another terrific shooter, saw ample playing time during the second half of the season.

“He can be streaky at times, but when Garrett gets hot, everything he throws up you think is going in,” Reeder said. “He’s also a good rebounder for a guard and has sneaky athleticism. He can provide instant offense.”

The THS coach said Bloemer and Roepke are “two peas in a pod. They’re both like bulls in a China shop. They’re defensive specialists, but they can also make outside shots.”

Reeder also explained they are the team’s top vocalists on the bus rides to and from games.

“They will just start singing country songs,” he said.

Joey Niebrugge is a 6’5” guard-forward.

“He’s one of our better defenders, a good rebounder and very athletic,” Reeder noted. “He’s a long guy that can guard the other team’s best player.”

Reeder is very “high” on this year’s club.

“I really believe there’s nothing they can’t achieve,” the coach admitted. “We have a lot of guys that can score. We have to figure out how to stop people and how to mesh with each other.

“This is a very talented, very coachable group,” Reeder added. “They can achieve whatever they’re willing to work for. This is a very, very good basketball group.”

The Shoes will play the first game of the St. Anthony Thanksgiving Tournament, scheduled for 6 p.m. Monday against Rantoul. They will also play Tuesday, Friday and Saturday.

Their schedule added Mt. Vernon, Prairie Central and Danville, plus the Shoes will compete in the Pinckneyville Shootout and the East Peoria Shootout this season.

“It’s a challenging schedule, but we like to be able to change our schedule,” Reeder said. “We want to challenge our kids so they’re ready for the post-season.”