Geneva heads into the 2023-24 season with an experienced and athletic lineup that should be in a position to compete for a conference title.
The Eagles return four starters and six others with varsity experience from a squad that finished 9-15 last winter.
“After the first few days of practice, I feel like our guys are in a solid place heading into the season,” said Geneva head coach Eric Bowser. “This group has a tremendous amount of experience in our program here and a solid understanding of our systems and how we like to operate. This obviously helps refresh things in the early season but also allows us to add some things a little earlier than we might normally be able to.”
Depth will play a big role in Geneva’s success this season.
Bowser is confident he has the talent to compete with any team in the conference, and having a deep bench could be an advantage.
“We feel like we have a very athletic group of young men who all love to compete on the floor,” he said. “These traits, along with nice depth, should allow us to keep pressure on our opponents, hopefully creating some turnovers and leading to some easy baskets. They are quick learners, which has allowed us to add a little variety to our offensive sets and implement a few more things on the defensive end. I don’t think we’ll get too technical, however. This group seems to excel with a little more freedom than groups we’ve had in the past.”
Competing in the Chagrin Valley Conference Lake Division this season will keep the Eagles focused as every game will be a battle until the end.
“I feel like our conference is going to be very solid this year with the new layout,” Bowser said. “14 conference games will force us to be ready every time we step on the court. We’ll prepare one step at a time and use our depth to our advantage. Also, as always, turnovers and good shots play an important part in any team’s success. One of our goals will be to win the turnover battle each game. We’ll track them closely and hopefully see a few positives with some aggression on the defensive end.”
The Eagles haven’t settled on a starting five, which likely would change from game to game in order to create favorable matchups.
Geneva’s returning starters include Luke Smith, Luke Barbo, Hayden Diemer, and Andrew Oros.
Smith, a 6-foot-1 senior guard/forward, averaged 13.1 points and 5.3 rebounds per game on the way to earning second-team All-CVC honors last season.
“Luke will be our leader this year and he brings a full complement of skills and abilities to the table,” Bowser said. “Luke is as competitive as anyone I’ve ever coached and that helps us immensely in game situations but also makes his teammates better in practice.”
Barbo, a 6-foot-1 junior guard/forward, averaged 12.2 points and 4.3 rebounds in joining Smith on the All-CVC second team.
“Luke is also fierce competitor who works diligently on his outside game but has helped that by playing aggressively and getting to the basket,” Bowser said. “This forces defenses to respect his dribble and in turn opens up more of the outside looks.”
Diemer, a 6-foot-2 junior guard/forward, dropped 10.1 points with 4.3 rebounds per game in earning honorable mention all-conference honors as a sophomore.
“Hayden is an exceptional athlete with nice length and quickness,” Bowser said. “This allows him an advantage on the defensive end of the floor, which he pairs with a nice mix of offensive skills at the basket and from the perimeter.”
Oros, a 6-foot-3 junior forward, earned honorable mention all-conference honors last winter for draining 6.4 points with 5.2 rebounds per contest.
“Andrew has worked diligently on his game and his athleticism this offseason and it has shown to produce some dividends in practice so far early on,” Bowser said. “He is able to protect the rim for us, score in the post, and pull down rebounds while reaching out and knocking down a jump shot when necessary.”
Seniors Naulige Cahill and Adel Zaid, juniors Jamil Daghlas, Donnie Shymske, and Mark Stamper, and sophomores Bryce Peet, Caden Proy, and Parker Williams also will play key roles for the Eagles this winter.
Cahill is a 5-foot-11 guard while Zaid is a 6-foot-4 forward.
“Naulige and Adel are both new to the varsity roster and will round out the group,” Bowser said. “Both are working diligently to pick up our system and how we like to play and compete. Adel brings good size to the program and Naulige brings the quickness and athleticism necessary to compete at this level.”
Daghlas is a 5-foot-11 guard/forward and Peet is a 5-foot-11 forward. Both players earned varsity playing time thanks to their intense effort on defense.
“Jamil and Bryce move their feet as well as anyone we have, and both have shown they like to play with the type of physicality necessary to compete in today’s game,” Bowser said. “Both will battle to the end for a rebound and either can put the ball in the basket when necessary.”
Shymske and Proy or 6-foot guards.
“Donnie anticipates well on the floor which shows as he always seems to be in the right place at the right time. He’s quick and can handle the ball as well as defend in space nicely. A few times a game it seems, Donnie always seems to find some open space under the basket at the right time for a rebound and a putback,” Bowser said. “Caden will be a key contributor this season as he has shown he can score, handle, and distribute with confidence. He sees the floor extremely well and keeps turnovers to a minimum, which is very important for us. His solid 3-point shot and ability to get to the basket will help him continue to grow on the offensive end.”
Stamper is a 6-foot-1 forward and Williams is a 6-foot-3 guard/forward.
“Mark and Parker will both contribute this season and earn their minutes by playing hard on the defensive end and scoring when necessary,” Bowser said. “Both have shown the ability to shoot the ball well from the perimeter and good length will help each rebound and defend. They both have a good grasp of the schemes and can be inserted anywhere needed and be successful.”
Bowser is confident he has a mix of talent and experience that will keep his team in every game this season, and with proper focus and execution, the Eagles have a path to achieving all their goals this season.
“I believe this group will compete and be in contention every time they step on the floor this season,” Bowser said. “The skills and work ethic are there to make this a very positive season and make some noise come playoff time.”
