Ithaca JV boys hoops undefeated season signals bright future

It has been a challenging past couple of years for Ithaca High School boys basketball. Since the 2022-23 season where they captured the STAC title, the Little Red have a combined 6-34 record and have missed the playoffs both years. But there is plenty of room for optimism that the varsity team can turn things around in the future.

Over the past two years, the junior varsity team has a combined 36-4 record, and this past season was a remarkable one. The Little Red achieved a perfect 20-0 campaign, culminating in a STAC championship. Their opponent in the final was a familiar one. The Little Red fell to Waverly in last year’s final 58-55, but they exacted their revenge with a 55-43 victory this time around. Rahmel Mack has been their head coach during this period of dominance, and he revealed what went differently against the Wolverines to cap off an unforgettable campaign.

“Since I’ve been coaching, our team’s focus has always been defense,” Mack said. “Defense, defense, defense. No matter how poorly we were shooting because of being rattled and being overly excited, we just defended. By the time we came out [for the] second half and everyone found their stride, we kept the separation and extended it. It was great.”

The Little Red’s intense focus on defense has been on show all season long. They allowed an average of just 41.6 points per game, and there were seven times where they held their opponents to under 40 points, which is difficult to do at any level. A big part of their stout defense was their rebounding, something that improved drastically as the season went on.

“[When] we came into the early season, they didn’t understand how I emphasized rebounding,” Mack said. “It’s a significant part of defense. Defense ain’t over until we get a stop, until we secure the possession. We also became a rebounding team. It was great, and then it led to us getting more possessions for us to get hot. And then when you develop everybody that same way, no matter who you sub them, they came in with that same intensity. It was never a drop-off of defense for us this year.”

Another strong suit of the Little Red was their depth. That will perhaps be the most encouraging part of the future for the varsity team, as everyone from top to bottom will be prepared for the next level.

“The [reserves] know how to defend,” Mack said. “They know how to score. They know how to run the actions. They know what they’re doing now. It was a different thing. Every time I could put a starter in now against this guy and put two of these reserves in, it was no drop-off for Ithaca basketball anymore with that. Everyone was getting better. I think that’s what made us real scary and helped us remain undefeated, because you need that consistency.”

Ten of the 12 players on the Little Red are freshmen, and three of those ninth graders are likely to move up to varsity next year. Israel Mack is their floor general, and his composed nature will go a long way when he makes the step up.

“He calms the game down for us,” Mack said. “He’s one of our more poised players. He’s our facilitator. He’s our quarterback. He’s a well-rounded player, and his patience helps us out a lot. He won’t rush or make that rash decision. Israel’s trying to find the right decision, the right play, make the right play for the team, and that’s what makes them super, super, super helpful.”

Jasmir Robbins is one of their flashier players, and Mack praised his growing confidence during his time on JV.

“His mid-range has gotten significantly better,” Mack said. “He wasn’t expecting to be doing that… And he’s like, ‘I can do it now.’ Going into varsity when they tell them, ‘Oh, something’s standing there to take that charge on that left block,’ he’s going to skip around them, or he’s going to stop and pull a mid-range, or they adjust to send a double to him. He’s already looking to share the ball, so your double is not effective anymore.”

Isaiah Bodie was a dual threat. Not only was the forward their leading rebounder, he’s also a threat from outside the arc, shooting more three-pointers than the guards on the team.

“He just needed to develop his defense,” Mack said. “He’s so used to having to not stress about it because he can score. But six feet, five inches ain’t really nothing at the varsity level. At JV, it’s awesome. But being a six-five stretch forward is great. His court vision is still pretty spotty, but he can handle the ball.”

The lone sophomores on the team—Oscar Sachs and Ozzy Nguyen—are also expected to make the move up to varsity next year. Sachs was their small forward and has enhanced his reads and rebounding, while Nguyen continues to improve his confidence.

While the move up from junior varsity to varsity can be a daunting one, the JV team have undoubtedly displayed that they’re ready to help turn the tides and restore the varsity team to its former glory.