2024-25 Bureau Valley boys basketball preview: Storm in for an ‘incredible challenge in LTC’

MANLIUS - The Bureau Valley Storm have a big hole to plug with the graduation of their top scorer and spark plug, Corban Chhim, from last year’s 15-17 team.

But the Storm return a nucleus of veteran leaders with three, three-year starters in seniors Landon Hulsing, Bryce Helms, and Elijah Endress to lead the way.

Hulsing led the Storm in rebounding last year at 9.8 per game and is the top returning scorer at 12.6. Endress averaged 6.7 points and three rebounds a game with the point guard Helms at 4.0 points and three assists per game.

Storm coach Jason Marquis said those three can also “be stout defensive stalwarts for us.”

Marquis also looks for big contributions also from senior Landen Birdsley, junior Logan Philhower and sophomore Blake Foster. Birdsley missed a lot of time with an injury last year, but “showed flashes of being an outstanding varsity player,” Marquis said.

“They played significant minutes for us last year, and both are showing signs of maturing through the first nine practices,” Marquis said. “They work harder, are more consistent, and help teammates get to the right thing. When we break down, they talk with each other to find answers and get mistakes corrected.”

Foster played up as a freshman last year, leading the Storm in charges taken last year.

“Blake is an incredibly hard worker. He’s got that bulldog mentality. If there is a ball on the floor, Foster is going for it,” Marquis said.

Seniors Ryan Wasilewski and Colin Stabler, “who Marquis described as consummate teammates who will find their role and do it well,” round out the Storm’s returning members.

Juniors Brad Schoff, Zac Wiggim, and Brandon Carrington are new to the varsity level, but will all see some playing time.

“The big thing for all three of them is whether they’ll adjust to the physicality of the varsity level. Great players seek contact, and bad players avoid contact in basketball,” Marquis said. “These three will have to adjust to a faster and more physical play, but they are each skilled players. They’ll need the maturity to handle adversity early in the season, adapting to the pace and physicality of varsity play.”

Also new to the Storm roster is senior Liam Swearingen, who previously played at neighbor Princeton. The Storm coach also looks forward to his contributions.

“He’s got excellent court awareness, and I’ve been impressed with his willingness to ask questions to cement his understanding of how we play and what we value at BV,” Marquis said.

Marquis is still working on getting all the pieces moving together as they prepare for the season opener on Monday in the Wally Keller Invitational at Wethersfield.

“Last year, we had some veteran leaders who helped us live up to a standard each day in practice, and we are still searching for consistency in our willingness to compete in each drill,” he said.

The Storm will be facing new challenges this season as they venture into the Lincoln Trail Conference after a long run in the Three Rivers.

“It is a great new challenge for us with the Lincoln Trail and playing some schools that probably look a bit more like us in terms of size and rural community make-up, especially as TRAC continues to evolve,” Marquis said.

“We are in for an incredibly challenging conference slate in the LTC. Winning games on the road will be difficult. There will be some long bus rides, and we’ll have a target on our backs as the ‘new guys.’ I’m hopeful our kids will realize before we start conference games come January that we can’t waltz into the LTC and win games cause of our size or historical success. These LTC schools are tough places to win, requiring us to compete at the highest level every time we take the floor.”