The Eagles Lean on Kastner as the Season Nears
By: Matthew Tritten
Updated: November 15, 2012
(ST. JOSEPH, Mo.) With its third coach in two years, the Bishop LeBlond boys basketball team is once again seeing changes.
"Different plays. Different mindset. Different coach," sophomore forward Connor Haynes said.
But Greg Kastner is no stranger to Eagle Basketball.
His record on the hardwood is 211-150, including a 5-5 mark during a 10-game stint last season.
Kastner says the 2012 squad is focused, and hungry to win.
"We're changing a lot of things, so there has been a lot of focus," Kastner said. "They're wanting to learn, and it's just been taking time going over things, over and over and over until it comes. So it's going to be a while before everything gels together, but we're slowly getting pieces to work."
After a 9-15 record last season, the Eagles are able to fall back on seniors like Grant Gillaspie, who averaged about 13 points per game last season, and Jacob Madden, two players that will be the main offensive threats in a new system that allows the offense to come to them.
"Free basketball," Gillaspie said. "Not as much in the box basketball like we were."
"More free flowing than last year," Haynes said. "Instead of just running sets and sets, it gives us more freedom."
As the Eagles continue to work toward the upcoming season, Kastner is not looking far down the road to the next challenge.
"Our goal is, and I think every coach would agree, take the game that's in front of you, work to the best of your ability to scout that team to get your team prepared, and you win that game," Kastner said. "After that game, you go to the next and you win that game. So right now, we're out there to win the jamboree, and that's our goal."
The City Jamboree is at the Civic Arena November 20th. The regular season begins November 26th with a game against Winnetonka in the Savannah Tournament.
