After losing most of its firepower from the 2023-24 team, the Troy Buchanan Trojan boy’s basketball team is relying on some new faces to keep the team competitive in this season.

Several seniors graduated from the 16-12 team that finished 5-5 in the Gateway Athletic Conference South Division, including Ehtan Lollar (7 points, 2 rebounds), Aiden Vaccaro (8 points, 3 assists) and Carson Twellman (4 points, 3 rebounds).

But the biggest lost is all-state shooting guard Andrew Moore, who transferred out of the district after leading the team with 23 points, 9 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals and a block per game.

What Coach Tim Gilmore does have returning is sophomore big man Brett Richardson who averaged 3 points and 2 rebounds as a freshman from his post position. Other returning players with a smattering of varsity experience include three juniors, Carter Lockey (1.8 ppg). Reid Lorenz (1.2 ppg) and Logan Niederer (0.4 ppg.)

“We have a variety of new faces joining the varsity basketball team this year,” Gilmore said. “Our top priority is to play hard for all 32 minutes, communicate effectively, and work together as a team. By holding each other accountable to these goals, we believe everything else will fall into place.”

Gilmore is counting on strong perimeter play and Richardson down low to keep the Trojan offense moving.

“We feel like we have guards who can shoot well and post players who finish strongly around the rim,” he said. “We need to prioritize attacking the paint with drives or post moves first.”

While Gilmore feels good about their ability to shoot the ball, he does worry about the time before the shot.

“Handling ball pressure will be one of our main focuses this year,” he said. “We will see a variety of defensive pressure. If we can handle the ball, limit the turnovers, and get a great shot every possession, we will be successful.”

Early in 2024, the Trojans struggled out of the gate, losing their first three games by an average of 28 points before a 63-46 win over McCluer Dec. 6.