Dryden boys basketball finds midseason stride

The Section IV basketball regular season recently surpassed the halfway point, and it’s been a tale of two quarters for the Dryden boys basketball team. After a rough first few games, the Lions are getting their campaign back on track.

As of January 11, Dryden won its last five games after starting out 1-5. One of the biggest changes that head coach Zach LeViere has noticed is how they’ve gotten off to stronger starts, which has in turn helped them close out games with the lead in hand.

“It’s just so advantageous to be ahead when you’re going into the final three, four minutes of a game,” LeViere said. “We are building some experience and being able to take care of the ball a little bit better down the stretch and hit some free throws down the stretch. All that stuff adds up to winning basketball games.”

Usually when teams turn around their seasons, there’s one game or moment that serves as the turning point. But for LeViere, it’s been more about how the Lions have slowly grown into the season.

“I think that the key difference is we’ve had longer stretches of good basketball,” LeViere said. “I can’t say that there’s necessarily a turning point where we’ve just turned a corner and are playing great, because we’re still just kind of up and down. I’d say we’re trending in the right direction, but the play is still up and down and [there’s] a lot for us to work on.”

One of the most notable things about Dryden is their height. The Lions are one of the tallest teams in the area with four players towering above six feet. Combined with their outstanding athleticism, the Lions are a threat on both sides of the floor.

“One of the big advantages is being able to get defensive rebounds and really control the boards,” LeViere said. “When we got taller guys who are getting those rebounds, we’re then able to throw good outlet passes and get out in transition and just off of the defensive rebound get out and run and manufacture easy baskets off of that.”

The tallest player on the Lions is Alexander Scott. Clocking in at six feet and five inches, the junior came off the bench last season for his older brother Xavier, who is two inches taller. When Xavier graduated, it opened up a starting spot for Alexander, and he’s made the most of it. Through the first ten games of the season, Scott is averaging 14 points, 13 rebounds, and an astounding four blocks per game.

“Alexander has really grown a lot in the past year,” LeViere said. “He played AAU basketball this past spring. He played all summer long and put in some work in the fall. He’s really hit the ground running this year, and it’s a testament to how much he’s in the gym and how hard he’s working in the offseason to be ready to play when the season starts.”

Scott played on the same AAU squad as his Dryden teammates Peter Nydam, who missed the first nine games of the season due to a wrist injury, and Daniel Murphy, who is the lone returning IAC All-Star. The trio actually makes up the only returning players to the team, and LeViere has seen Murphy’s growth in particular as a leader.

“With Peter being out, Danny has had to take over a little more of the ball handling role and try to settle the team down and take care of the ball and try to manufacture some good looks in the half-court offense,” LeViere said. “He’s done a great job of that. He’s playing well. He’s playing with confidence, and he shoots the ball so well… Looking forward, he’s eventually going to have that breakout game where he hit three or four shots from the outside. Especially with Peter back, maybe a little bit of that burden [for] Danny to control the game is lessened and he’s able to open up and get some buckets.”

One player who has also stood out is Luke Eshelman. Not only has the junior grown more confident on offense, he has put in strong shifts on the defensive end.

“This year, he has really increased his defensive effort,” LeViere said. “He’s flying around the corner. He’s getting there for help side defense [supporting the defender who’s guarding the ball]. He’s getting out on a ball handler and moving his feet. He’s getting out in the passing lane and getting deflections. He’s become one that I’ve turned to be able to rely on. I just know most of the time he’s going to give me defensive effort and be in the right spots defensively.”

It will be an uphill battle for Dryden to win a stacked IAC North Large division, as both Lansing and Trumansburg have combined for just one loss. But the Lions will continue to take it one game at a time and gradually improve so that when the postseason rolls around, they’ll be a real threat in Class B.