Boys basketball: Bureau Valley in transition year replacing 5 senior starters

Having graduated five senior starters from last year’s 14-14 team, the Bureau Valley Storm boys basketball team will be starting all over this year.

Senior Cooper Balensiefen is the only returning player with playing time to speak of as the Storm open the new hoops campaign.

Bureau Valley fans will definitely need a roster when the Storm first take the floor for the Wally Keller Invitational Tournament at Wethersfield on Monday, Nov. 21.

“Other than [Balensiefen], it will be all new faces for Bureau Valley fans this year,” 10th-year varsity coach Jason Marquis said. “It’s a group with a lot to prove. I think a bunch of people will be thinking Bureau Valley will be young and down again. We have to make sure our effort is tremendous every night we’re on the floor.

“We’re going to have to improve where we are at the start in the Turkey Tournament through February if we expect to be competitive and win games, because we’re starting without varsity experience right now.”

Noticeably absent this year will be Carter Salisbury, who played at a high-energy level. A unanimous Three Rivers East All-Conference selection, the Storm point guard led BV offensively (22 ppg, 3.6 assists) and defensively (2.6 steals). He set the school’s single-game record with 45 points, finishing as the school’s No. 7 all-time scorer with 1,103 career points.

Marquis is hopeful Salisbury’s all-out style lingers this year’s team.

“You don’t replace Sals. You just hope there’s kids that work as hard and have the will to win as much as he did,” Marquis said. “Nobody’s going to go out there with the explosiveness and intensity that he had. But you hope what he displays was what I would call ‘sticky,’ by that, meaning the sophomores who sat behind the bench every night and watched his competitiveness and his desire to win, saw that and recognized how that made him special.”

With their lack of varsity experience, Marquis said, there’s bound to be a bit of a learning curve.

“That’s a good thing. That’s what I tell the kids. If you’re going to make mistakes, you might as well learn from then,” he said. “Every aspect of life, whether it’s a test question or picking the right job, forgetting to tell your wife something important, it’s good to learn how to handle mistakes at a young age. We’re going to make mistakes just like any other human and any other team.”

Marquis said Salisbury’s point guard responsibilities will be split up between Balensiefen and sophomore Bryce Helms, the quarterback for the varsity football team. Junior Jon Dybek and sophomore Landon Hulsing will provide the Storm with some size and inside muscle and lead the Storm in “creating an identity” for rebounding, Marquis said.

Senior Isaac Attig will be a captain, having missed a good portion of his junior year from injury, and step into a starting role. Marquis looks for junior Corbin Chhim and sophomore Elijah Endress to contribute as they transition their game from the sophomore level to the varsity.

Senior Brik Rediger will be one to help provide the vocal leadership Salisbury displayed during games and practices, Marquis said.

Rounding out the Storm squad are seniors Beau Spencer, Parker Stier, Carter Wagner and Sam Wright, and juniors Eli Attig, Blake Erickson and Blake Helms.

“I think we’ve got some kids that basketball is their primary passion, and they’ve worked at it. Our kids are super coachable, which is good,” Marquis said.

Marquis said it will be neat for sophomore coach Bret Helms to “get to see his kids [Bryce and Blake] play in the program he helped build.”

The Storm will open at Wethersfield at 5 p.m. Monday against Annawan, with games to follow against Elmwood, Wethersfield, Stark County and Putnam County in the round-robin tournament.