The Skyline basketball team is getting ready to kick off their 2011-12 season, with a team made up almost entirely of newcomers.

The Trojans have accomplished a lot in the last few seasons, winning an award for their GPA in 2009-10 and working hard on teamwork last year. This season, the Trojans are getting a fresh start with almost entirely new players to the Skyline team.

Their season hasn’t officially started, but the Trojans have been practicing for several weeks already. Officially, their practices started on Oct. 17, but coach Justin Piergrossi says they’ve been working as a team for months already.

Earlier in the fall, they spent time focusing on conditioning to get the new players ready for the physical aspect of competition. As the season inches closer, the team is working on specific roles in competition, like offense and defense, through scrimmages and game-related drills. The goal is to get the new players ready for the demands of a real college basketball game, something all but two of the Skyline players have never experienced.

The Trojans have a tough season ahead of them, as they compete in the best league in the state for five years running. The Trojans’ conference doesn’t start until January, but they’ll be playing games on a regular basis throughout November and December as part of preseason. Once they enter the league in January there will be tough competition, so this preseason game experience is invaluable.

Coach Piergrossi believes these preseason games are also a good opportunity for new players to get some games under their belt. He points out that college basketball isn’t like high school, where there are countless games ahead of the players. The number of games left in the players’ college career is limited, and it’s important for every member of the team to play as much as possible.

Preseason games benefit the coaches as well as the players. Particularly with teams as young as this year’s basketball team, it is helpful for the coaches to see how new players react in real game situations. This allows the coach to see what areas the players have to work on as a team, something that can’t be determined as well in practice scrimmages.

There are two players on the team who are experienced in college basketball, and are looked to set an example for incoming freshmen.

Sophomores Kyle Wong (new to the Skyline team, but a player at his old college) and Anthony Smith (back this season after an injury last year) are in a leadership position this season because they have played in college before. Smith especially, being a player familiar with the Skyline basketball program, is expected to be a good leader for the younger players. Coach Piergrossi has no doubts that Smith will fulfill his role as a good example for newcomers.

“He’s a great leader, he works hard everyday,” says Piergrossi. “We never have to question, ‘Is he going to be ready to come in and practice?’ He sets a great example for the younger guys; if they’ll just watch and do what he does, they’ll be just fine.”

Piergrossi is optimistic about his team’s preparation for the season ahead. Mainly, he reports, they’re working on being consistent with their playing.

“One of the biggest things is getting them to be focused, go hard, and compete every single day,” says Piergrossi. “We’re still working on that, we’re not as consistent as we need to be.”

With some game experience, Coach Piergrossi believes the Trojans will improve and do well throughout the season. There’s only so much a player can learn in practice, sometimes throwing himself into the fire is the only way to get better.