The boys basketball team will be making their third appearance in the state tournament in three years. They will play Lincoln Southeast on Wednesday night at 7:15 p.m at Pinnacle Bank Arena. Head Coach Jim Simons reflects on how the team worked hard all season to get to the point they are at.
“We are excited for the opportunity to compete at the state tournament,” Simons said. “Making the tournament is not easy and an opportunity that we do not take for granted.”
Simons is very proud of his team and all that they have accomplished throughout the entire season.
“We’re awfully proud of them,” Simons said. “I think it might be the first time in Westside history that we’ve been to the state basketball tournament three years in a row. That’s a credit to those guys that have been integral parts to all three of those. Obviously, you talk at the beginning of the year, that’s the goal, you want to get down there, and give yourself the opportunity to compete. We’re excited to go down there, we know we’re going to play somebody good.”
The team has played well in their last few regular season games as well as in district. Taking down top teams like Creighton Prep and Omaha Central. Westside will be heading into the tournament with a record of 19-4 only with losses against Bellevue West, Millard North and Lincoln Southeast.
“We have played well over the last month and have tried to focus on continuing to maximize our team,” Simons said. “We have several players with experience at the state tournament and are hopeful that will be beneficial to us.”
Junior Carson Healy is very ecstatic that the team has been playing lately and is hoping for a great game against the Knights. The team hopes to perform an upset against Lincoln South East in the opening round.
“We are playing very well lately and I really think we should be a team that people look to make an upset this year,” Healy said.
Last time the Knights saw the Warriors was two months ago in December where Westside lost 58-51. Simons recognizes the Knights’ experience and is ready to face them in the opening round of the tournament.
“Lincoln Southeast is an outstanding team and really all eight teams in this year’s tournament have the opportunity to win,” Simons said. “Southeast is experienced, tough and physical with very good guard play.”
After that loss to the Knights early on in the season Healy believes that the team has the potential to beat the knights after their early loss.
“We are very excited as we feel the first game against them got away and is one we weren’t ourselves in,” Healy said.
Playing against the Knights again, Westside has a few things that Simons has emphasized they need to work on when facing top opponents in the state.
“We will have to do a better job of guarding the dribble and rebounding defensively and be more efficient offensively than we were the first time against them,” Simons said. “We have made some tactical adjustments over the last month that we feel have made us a better team and I’m sure Southeast also feels they are a different team than when we played in December.”
Alongside what Simons is emphasizing in practice, Healy has been doing a lot of research and what the other teams are doing. From watching film to seeing the on campus sports Physiatrist Coach Moravec the team hopes to be in the right mindset and work together to try to take state.
“Over the past week me and the team have been doing a ton of scout teams and predicting what the other team is doing,” Healy said. We have also talked to a team therapist making sure we are all together and locked in as one.”
For paid streaming of the game and the entire tournament go to the NFHS Network, or use the link below. Tipoff will be at 7:15 p.m at Pinnacle bank arena in Lincoln.
https://www.nfhsnetwork.com/events/nsaa/gama6a06e85c8
