Giants set to open season
Coach Don Carlisle encourages his team during a Marion County tourney game last season. This is Carlisle’s third year in charge of the Giants.
November 24, 2020
The boys basketball team will begin their 2020-21 regular season tonight at Fishers. Ben Davis will be looking to bounce back from a 9-14 season in 2019-20 in which the Giants lost their final three games of the season, including a 58-48 loss at Southport in the first round of sectionals.
The Giants will have a young team, as seven seniors graduated off the squad for the second year in a row.
“We have to be patient,” said head coach Don Carlisle.
It should be interesting to see who can step up for Ben Davis this season.
The season will start against a Fishers Tigers team that also lost in the first round of sectionals last year against Zionsville. The Tigers are led by center Jeffrey Simmons who averaged 16.7 points per game last year and scored 29 against the Giants. New head coach Garrett Winegar will take over for Fishers after coaching one season for Warren Central.
The Giants could be helped out in the next few weeks with the return of a few football players. Donnell Mason, Dillon Moore, and J’uan Swanson all gained varsity experience last season for the basketball team. Those three players along with a few other Giants will need to have a condensed tryout process along with five days of practice before they can touch the hardwood in a live game.
“There’s definitely some guys that played last year that could possibly be some contributors on the varsity level,” said Coach Carlisle.
Following tonight’s game, Ben Davis will then head to Zionsville to face the Eagles on Saturday afternoon. Coach Carlisle said that playing two good opponents on the road to start the season will help “let [the basketball team] know where we are.” The schedule does not lighten up as the Giants’ home opener is against rival Pike next Friday night.
Overall, Coach Carlisle is ecstatic to coach younger players that he has built relationships with.
“Hopefully it can start to take form and the guys can kind of take on the characteristics of myself,” he said.
It should be another thrilling, fast-paced season for the Giants as it all begins tonight at Fishers.
