The Boys Varsity Basketball team has begun practicing in preparation for the upcoming season under new coach Michael Avery.

Players start practices with stretching and running drills to get their blood flowing. After that, the athletes go through drills and strategies to improve their skills on the court.

Practices end with scrimmages, demonstrating the strategies they have learned.

“Coach Avery is very involved in the practices and pays attention to everything,” says power forward Dean Wagner. Wagner, a senior, has been a varsity Blue Jay since his sophomore year, playing as small forward and power forward.

Wagner says he has set personal goals for himself because it is his last year to play as a Blue Jay. “I would like to be a leader on the team and have good chemistry with my teammates,” says the athlete.

“I really see Coach Avery doing big things with this team, and hopefully we make some noise this year,” says Wagner.

Jalen Banks is another senior who has been playing on varsity since his sophomore year. His freshman year he played on the freshman team at Southfield-Lathrup High School. Banks says the practices have been beneficial to the players. “I spend a lot of time working on my game, so the practices benefit me physically, as well as mentally,” Banks says.

Banks says he hopes to play college basketball. “Even if I don’t get a scholarship in basketball – which I play to – I still hope for a successful season.”