Justin Torres is an ASU Cronkite School of Journalism student covering Tempe Prep for AZPreps365.com

 

During the offseason Tyrone Jordan of Tempe Prep basketball had one thing in mind - improvement. It’s this kind of mindset not only for Jordan, but for the entire program which has led the Knights out from the depths of irrelevancy.

 

“One of the biggest improvements that I’ve seen since getting to Tempe Prep is our boys basketball team going from a squad that struggled to get one or two wins a season to a team that went 6-9 this past season,” said athletic director Doug Seagrave.

 

It didn’t happen by accident. It all started in what will go down as the most peculiar offseason for Tempe Prep. The team would only lose four players from last year's team which Jordan said “helped our team chemistry a lot.”

 

However, COVID-19 hit. With a big blow to the team's ability to train and together as a program during the offseason, players had to find different ways to sharpen their games. For Jordan, it was done by playing pickup games with his teammates and watching film on different NBA players such as Kyrie Irving, Stephen Curry, and even Isaiah Thomas.

 

Asked why he chooses those specific players to watch and emulate his game after, Jordan responded, “Those guys are all guards with tremendous ball handling skills, and players like Isaiah remind me that even myself standing at 5’4” can play basketball if I compete harder than everybody else on the court.”

 

Although Jordan's work ethic helped him get ready for the season, he wasn’t the only player putting in work during the offseason. James Phillips and Gabriel Huerta-McWhiter both put in their best effort to improve in what was considered a restricted offseason.

 

Huerta-McWhiter took it upon himself to get stronger and more physical. He did this by playing pickup basketball with older and stronger individuals as a way to practice. “The reason I focused on playing with older guys was because they are more competitive and physical,” said Huerta-McWhiter.

 

In Huerta-McWhiter’s words, preparing like this “allowed me to be stronger and able to play more physically once the season rolled around.”

 

Phillips, like both of his teammates, also took part in pickup games to stay fresh and well-conditioned during the offseason. His own goal was to develop a better shot and improve his overall basketball IQ. James said, “It is important for me to be able to make the right play in the heat of a game and that’s what drove me to improve my basketball mind.”

 

While all of them worked on separate parts of their respective games during the offseason, they all shared one common idea. They wanted to be better no matter what.

 

Ultimately, after weeks of uncertainty due to COVID-19, the boys varsity season was officially underway and with that came success the program hadn’t seen in years.

 

Huerta-McWhiter was named team captain and took it upon himself to lead the team in both scoring (16.7) and field goal percentage (42%). However, it wasn’t just the improvement of Huerta-McWhiter that was leading to the team's success. It was everyone, Phillips chipped in averaging 13.2 points and Jordan’s 12.7 helped as well.

 

One of the biggest reasons of the team’s success, according to Huerta-McWhiter, Jordan, and Phillips, was chemistry.

 

The three teammates all pointed to their group chat. It was there where the team all got on the same page. They all knew what their goals were and from there, set out to accomplish them.

 

“The group chat was where we built a lot of our trust in one another, we used it as a way to gain a leg up on opponents,” said Jordan.

 

The players also mentioned how they all love playing at Tempe Prep because it is “such a small school.” “It allows us to know each other so well and we just let loose when we all get together,” said Jordan.

 

It became clear that the players weren’t just teammates, even friends. They were a brotherhood on and off the court.

 

The team had some early success during the season, boasting a 2-1 record after three games.

 

Phillips, recognized this team was going to be special long before the season began. “I saw the potential from summer ball, even before our season was up in the air, it was then that I knew we could be successful.”

 

For Huerta-McWhiter, that recognition came during early season practices. “The practices are where I saw the biggest changes, and I knew we had something special. We started off the year with more intensity and that mentality stuck with us throughout the year.”

 

And in the eyes of Jordan, it came during the team's second game of the season in a 72-45 victory against Heritage Christian. “I had seen that the team we were playing was supposed to be good but instead we blew them out. It was there and then that I saw all the players buy into the way we wanted to play.”

 

One thing held true - the belief that this team had what it took to win and be successful.

 

Even with all of their success the Knights still had to battle the struggles of COVID-19 during their season.

 

Wearing masks during the games was a nuisance at first. “We played a very fast paced game of basketball and the addition of masks made it harder to breath and we got winded a bit quicker than normal,” said Jordan.

 

But COVID-19 didn’t stop them from putting in the work they needed each day.

 

With all the challenges that came their way in the 2020-2021 season, the Knights never backed down and finished with a 6-9 record. This beat their previous season’s win mark by four and set a new standard for the players as they head into their senior seasons.

 

However, for Tempe Prep, success isn’t enough. They want excellence and championships. After the season concluded. The team's assistant coach from the previous season, David Lane, was hired as head coach.

 

“We believe David will help us take the next step toward competing at the highest level,” said Seagrave.

 

“Lane played at Indianapolis powerhouse Warren Central High School.”

 

Lane began his coaching career at Warren Central before becoming a varsity assistant coach at Park Tudor in Indianapolis, then joined the ranks of Tempe Prep as an assistant for Jonathan Lambros, the team's former head coach.

 

“Coach Lane helped me reel back my basic mechanics and that personally helped me a lot, and he was extremely into the program which really resonated well with me and the team,” said Jordan.

 

Huerta-McWhiter added: “As an assistant coach last year he was very good at communicating with the players, he helped us keep our composure when we were out on the court playing and that was part of the reason, we were successful.”

 

Phillips raved as well saying, “The one-on-one coaching relationship he provided was the biggest help. He should be able to implement new things to our team which will translate to wins.”

 

Asked what he thought of the team last season Lane said, “We were so driven and hardworking in practices that I knew it would result in wins and team success.” He added, “From the moment I got here last offseason I wanted to make sure we had a positive environment where we could prepare these kids for the season and as the weeks went on, I saw our improvement and preparation increase so rapidly.”

 

Asked what he will bring to this team, Lane kept it simple. “The leadership, structure, and change in culture is what I’m going to bring to this team from day one.”

 

Huerta-McWhiter has his eyes on improvement for next year “The ceiling is so high we are going to get a lot more wins next year. We are an extremely talented team, but we know there are always things we can get better at.”

 

Said Jordan: “Success for us next year to me means we need to make the playoffs, bottom line, but I think we can go deep in the playoffs and even have the ability to win the championship.”