Was Westhill basketball coach Kevin King presaging an inevitability following last year’s state regional finals? Or was King exhibiting graciousness in victory when he told Norwich coach Tom Collier in the handshake line, “see you next year.”
Whatever the case, two of the top three ranked Class B basketball teams in the state will meet again, this time at the Binghamton University Events Center, Saturday at 1:45 p.m. Westhill survived Norwich’s full-throttle, second-half comeback effort last year to hold on for a 59-58 victory.
While the Warriors’ 2012-2013 season ended the next week in the state semifinals, they haven’t lost a game since that defeat, and bring a perfect 22-0 mark – and the state’s top ranking – into this weekend’s contest. Norwich, number three in the state, has run off 20 victories with nary a loss
Doing the easy math, that is 42 straight combined victories for two of the remaining four unbeaten public high school teams in the state. “The other three unbeaten teams are all ranked number one in the state in their classification,” said Norwich third-year coach Tom Collier.
Few teams in Central New York execute their offense as well as Westhill, and the Warriors’ 74-plus points per game average is the highest of any opponent Norwich has faced this season other than Union-Endicott.
Westhill retains the bulk of last year’s lineup led by all-state junior guard Jordan Roland. Lanky forward Tyler Reynolds, and starting point guard Jeff Lobello. Those three scored 49 of the Warriors’ 59 points in last year’s game, and the trio again leads the team in scoring.
Lobello is more of the distributor in the offense, while Roland and Reynolds combine for nearly 40 points a game. Roland has proven a difficult cover by every team he has faced this season. Collier thought Utica Notre Dame did a good job defending the junior guard in last week’s 63-60 Section III final, and Roland still finished with 31 points. He averages better than 24 points a game this season, and is adept at every offensive aspect from outside shooting and driving to the basket, to moving without the ball.
Norwich has faced its share of prolific scorers this season, but Roland is on a different level, Collier said. “In my opinion, (Roland) is better than them all,” he said. “I think a lot of it has to do with the team he is on, the structure of the offense, and the way the team plays. He’s a great player, and when you put him with the others who understand their roles and what they do on offense, he’s incredible.”
On a team that already possesses plenty of smart basketball players, Collier said that Roland’s basketball IQ is off the charts. “He does subtle things with little movements to set up the defender, and he’s so quick,” he said. “Trying to stop him is like squeezing Jell-O and it keeping from going through your fingers. He’s the best individual player we’ve faced this year, and I can’t say enough good things about him.”
Collier concedes that Roland will get his points, but he is not planning on changing his team’s modus operandi. Norwich will rotate several players in and out, force tempo, rebound at both ends, and play strong individual and team defense. It’s a formula that has worked out pretty well so far, and only one time since the season-opener has a Norwich victory been decided by less than 12 points.
“We know who we are, and we can’t change that,” Collier said.
Norwich is likely the strongest defensive team Westhill has faced in its 22 games. The Purple Tornado surrender just 44.7 points per game, and has allowed less than 50 points in 15 of those games. Along with Norwich’s improved offense, Westhill should have its own concerns in preparing for the rematch.
“We feel like we have some things we can use on them on offense, and we’ve added a few wrinkles for this game,” Collier said. “We also feel we’re a little better offensive team than we were a year ago.”
Just like last year, the winner of this game punches a ticket to Glens Falls. Norwich’s last appearance in the state semifinals was 20 years ago as the Tornado completed a second straight Class B state title. Collier has often said that great achievements come from great opportunities, and this game puts Norwich one step closer to its goal: A state title. “We remember playing them, we played them pretty even last year, so we know we can play with them,” Collier said. “This game is the ultimate challenge, and all we can do is give our best effort.”