As the basketball season draws closer, a new team has entered the scene. Buffalo, stepping in to replace Southwest following their drop to a less competitive group, brings a fresh level of competition to the section.
According to basketball assistant coach Christopher Nordstrom, Southwest’s lower enrollment led it to move down a class, and Buffalo took its place. He said Buffalo’s experience in the strong Lake Conference will make the section more competitive.
“I know Southwest enrollment’s down, so they dropped out of some other sports into a lower class, and Buffalo just happened to be the school that filled that spot,” Nordstrom said. “They’re a Lake Conference team, so they’re going to be battle-tested playing a lot of really good teams. It’s definitely a tough addition competition-wise to the section.”
Sophomore Leo Miller said Buffalo has a strong basketball team, but not among the toughest opponents, and said teams present more of a challenge.
“Buffalo is a good team, but I don’t think they will be as difficult as some of our other teams,” Miller said.
Freshman Eli Stangl said he sees Buffalo’s addition to Park’s section as a positive change that increases competition. According to him, he views the change as a chance for Park to demonstrate their abilities.
“It’s cool (that Buffalo is joining our section),” Stangl said. “Buffalo has a strong program, and bringing them into our section raises the overall level of play. It’s an opportunity for us to prove ourselves.”
According to Nordstrom Buffalo joining the section doesn’t alter the Park team’s aspirations. He said their focus remains on improving from last year and helping new players grow into their roles.
“I don’t think Buffalo coming in changes any of our goals,” Nordstrom said. “Our goal is to build off some good things from last year. We got a lot of new guys that are going to be stepping into roles.”
Miller said he finds it strange that Southwest will no longer be in their conference since the school is close to Park.
“I hear they are replacing Southwest. It (will) be weird not having them in our conference when they are right here (by Park),” Miller said.
According to Stangl, it is crucial to maintain consistency in every game. He said players should maintain concentration during both practices and gameplay to avoid costly mistakes.
“No matter what team we play, it’s about consistency. Against tougher teams, one bad play can change the game. I’ve been working on staying locked in all the time, whether that’s in practice or during games,” Stangl said.
