Last year, the Foster boys basketball team had to rebuild after losing most of its starters to graduation. This year it faces another tall task, this year replacing one of its best players, TreVaunte Williams, who transferred just before the season.
Luckily, the Bulldogs have plenty of talent to fill the void and make an impact in the Seamount League.
“There’s room for improvement,” said Foster coach Mike Broom. “But we have a chance to be a really good team.”
Replacing Williams’ 20.5 points per game won’t be easy, but the Bulldogs do have four players averaging double-digit points this year. It starts with senior wing Ablie Leigh, averaging 12.6 points per game. Dejounte Murray (11.8), Gabe Gutierrez (11.0) and Adem Suta (10.7) are also playing big roles on offense. All four are 6-foot or taller and fast.
“We have a lot of speed,” Broom said. “We don’t have a ton of size, but we’re long and fast.”
Broom expects the athletes will enable the team to play a very uptempo game, keeping the pressure on while on defense, using that to lead to offensive points.
Leigh, a newcomer, is also leading the team with 3.2 steals and 2.6 assists per game. Six-foot-2 senior Jordan White is leading the team with 5.7 rebounds per game, plus Gutierrez (5.4) and senior Ammar Husanovic (5.4) are teaming up to make up for the team’s lack of interior size.
Another bright spot is Murray. In addition to the 11.8 points per game, the freshman also second on the team with 2.3 assists and 2.0 steals per game.
“He’s got a lot of potential,” Broom said. “He’s got good skill and a real good feel for the game. He can shoot, he can pass, he can do it all.”
Broom is hoping junior guard Cedric Cooper will also play before too long. Cooper suffered an injury during football season and hasn’t been able to hit the floor yet. Cooper averaged 5.9 points, 2.5 assists, 2.7 rebounds and 1.4 steals per game last season.
Broom said his defense will be the key this season. He hopes his players can use their length to deny opposing teams’ posts the ball, which will cover up the Bulldogs’ lack of size inside.
Foster started the season with going 1-1 in non-league action, beating Klahowya and falling to Ingraham. Then the team began league play with convincing wins against Tyee and Highline, before taking an 82-56 loss to Kennedy Catholic Dec. 13. Foster played Evergreen Dec. 16, then returns to league play Jan. 4 at Hazen.
