Boys basketball: DV gears up to defend title

Though coach Doug Harris feels like it's the case every year, Desert Vista boys basketball will be a marked opponent this year.

It's something that any defending champion should expect coming into the season.

"People are going to be gunning for us," said guard Marcus Lever, the unquestioned leader of this year's DV squad. "Of course, state champions."

The losses for the Thunder are many. Gone are leader scorer and rebounder Michael Proctor (13.8 points, 9.3 rebounds, 2.6 assists per game), his front-court mate Barret Robbins (6.9 points, 4.6 rebounds per game), and guard Josh Lowery (12.8 points, 4.0 rebounds, 3.2 assists per game). All three were starters.

Both Proctor and Robbins graduated, while it was ruled that Lowery, a senior, couldn't play for the Thunder this season as he had already played four years of high school basketball, including three years in Seattle before he transferred last season.

"We would have loved to have Josh back, he was great for us last year, so that's going to hurt a little bit, him and Proctor," Harris said. "But at the same time, those guys didn't start all the time. They were put into that role last year and they had to step up and they did. We're hoping for the same from our seniors this year."

The senior group is led by Lever, who is the team's leading returning scorer (11.4 per game), rebounder (2.8 per game) and assist-getter (2.6 per game).

"He's seen it all, he's done it all," Harris said of Lever. "He's been in big games. To have a player come back like that and kind of lead the team, and for our younger players to be around that, that's huge."

Lever will be helped by fellow seniors Dan Tilleman (4.7 points per game last season), Parker Schramm (3.2) and Austin Gardner (2.7).

There's also Grant Ellender, a senior who transferred back to Desert Vista this year after leaving the school following his freshman year.

"Grant, he's going to make a big difference," Lever said. "We're going to be alright."

Together, Harris said, the seniors should help the team handle the scrutiny that comes with defending a state championship. Besides, he added, it's been there before.

"I think since I've been here, we've always had that ‘X' on our back, whether we wanted it or not," Harris said. "They're going to be coming after us. We really don't have any pressure. Every year we have a goal of winning it all and every year we have a goal of winning a lot of games and I feel that ‘X' is always on our back."