The George McDougall Mustangs senior boys team is hard at work getting ready for the upcoming Rocky View basketball season.

Nathan Lee, who worked as a facilitator for the team last year, will step into the head coach position for the first time this upcoming season. Six members of last year's team graduated in the summer, meaning this year's Mustangs squad will have a new identity. Lee said returning players like Caleb Lee, Jaiden Pannu and Carter Sawby will be a solid foundation for the team.

"We're gonna be a smaller, faster, quicker team than we were last year, so we're looking for a lot more strength in fast transitions, kicking the ball out to the perimeter, getting those quick shots and then trying to clean up the boards."

Lee said the new roster actually works to the Mustangs' advantage, as many of the players are already comfortable with each other as well as with Lee and Assistant Coach Jaime Mulholland thanks to previous years working together.

"I believe that we're actually a lot more in sync now than we were starting last year. The reason is, is because the players that are together starting this season have actually played [together] throughout their whole basketball career."

Already the Mustangs have good on-court chemistry, leading to good team communication. Lee believes the team's other strengths are their long range shooting, which has improved over the offseason, and strong perimeter play that will add to fast break transitions. One area of focus will be helping less experienced big men get the necessary reps to contribute. Even so, Lee said the Mustangs' bigs are exactly that, and will be an obstacle to any team trying to penetrate the front court.

Last season, the Mustangs won both the Rocky View Division and the South Central Zone before placing third at Provincials. Lee thinks this year's team can do at least as good.

"I believe there is a chance for us to make Provincials, but it really is going to come down to the level of discipline and hard work that we start to see from the players. If the players show up, if they're disciplined, they're working hard, they're contributing, than I believe that we've got a shot."

The Mustangs start the season on the road against the Cochrane Cobras on December 6.

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