The boys basketball season started Nov. 20. The Glendale Independent and Peoria Independent asked the local coaches for their outlook on the season.

CACTUS COBRAS

4A West Valley Region
2023-24 Record: 22-6 overall, 9-1 region (Reached 4A quarterfinals)
Coach: Dirk Walker (13th season as coach)
Top Returnee: G Xavier Ledet, Sr., 5-11 (2.4 ppg, 1 rpg).
How many years have you coached basketball? Twenty years total. Thirteen years at Cactus.
What is your team’s best attribute entering this season? We have a good amount of quickness and speed. We are a young group this year but they have been working hard and playing well defensively.
What will your team need to improve for the season to be a success? We are not as big as the past four years. Rebounding will be a key for us without as much size. Offensively just need to stay consistent with the inexperience we have this year.
Who are your team leaders? Xavier Ledet will be looking to have a big senior season and Aden Thiesse has been our most improved player in the off season.
Who are newcomers to the varsity squad who could make an impact? Besides Xavier, it is pretty much an entire new roster.
What needs to happen for your squad to reach the state tournament this season, or achieve the goals the team has set? We just need to stay consistent on both ends of the floor. With a new group that will be key in determining how this season goes.

DEER VALLEY SKYHAWKS

4A West Valley Region
2023-24 Record: 27-4 overall, 9-1 region (4A state champions)
Coach: Jed Dunn (16th season as coach)
Top Returnees: G Sergio Gonzalez, Jr., 5-9; W Tyran Simpson, Sr., 6-1; G Simon Gonzalez, Jr., 5-7.
How many years have you coached basketball? Prior to my 16 years as the head coach at Deer Valley I was the head coach at Brush HS in Cleveland for five years.
What is your team’s best attribute entering this season? We have a good amount of depth and a lot of guards.
What will your team need to improve for the season to be a success? We are constantly in a state of improving honestly.
Who are your team leaders? All of my players are expected to lead. We don’t have team captains. Expectation is the same for everyone in involved.
Who are newcomers to the varsity squad who could make an impact? Sophomore Micah Kaplan, sophomore Marcus Williams, junior Elias Riley and junior Elijah Adams.

IRONWOOD EAGLES

5A Northwest Region
2023-24 Record: 27-3 overall, 12-0 region (5A state champion)
Coach: Jordan Augustine (10th season as Ironwood coach)
Top Returnee: PG I’yar Shadowvine, Sr., 5-9 (10.9 ppg, 6.7 apg, 1.9 spg); PF Josh Dillard, Jr., 6-5 (4.3 ppg, 4.8 rpg).
How many years have you coached basketball? I coached at Arizona Christian University as an assistant for two years, I was the JV coach at Ironwood for one year, and I am entering my 10th season as the Varsity boys basketball coach at Ironwood.
What is your team’s best attribute entering this season? This group really cares about each other. Their love for each other results in them playing hard for each other and being willing to do whatever it takes for their teammate.
What will your team need to improve for the season to be a success? We need to have a desire to intentionally increase our impact daily so we can relentlessly pursue excellence.
Who are your team leaders? We expect everyone in the program to be a leader.
Who are newcomers to the varsity squad who could make an impact? Carsyn Dean was on the varsity roster last year, but split time with JV. His impact on the varsity level will be significantly different. Landon Jones, Wes McCants, Kory Head-Holbrook, Jeo James and Ricky Denman are all guys who played on the JV team last year and will make an impact this season.
What needs to happen for your squad to reach the state tournament this season, or achieve the goals the team has set? We need to value daily growth and have one purpose, one passion, and one role for the entire season.

LIBERTY LIONS

6A Desert Valley Region
2023-24 Record: 19-12 overall, 5-5 region (6A state champion)
Coach: Mark Wood (19th year as Liberty coach)
Top Returnees: SF Jackson Hunter, Sr., 6-2 (18.4 ppg, 3.6 rpg); SG Stephen Miller, Sr., 6-3 (9.4 ppg, 3.4 rpg).
How many years have you coached basketball? 27 Years. This is my 19^th at Liberty.
What is your team’s best attribute entering this season? Experience and Toughness.
What will your team need to improve for the season to be a success? We must continually be more consistent in our focus and effort and those need to be unconditional.
Who are your team leaders? Every player is considered a leader in our program.
Who are newcomers to the varsity squad who could make an impact? TJ Harris joins us from Paradise Honors and will make an impact as soon as he serves his half season transfer suspension from the AIA. Christian Brown is a freshman who has put in a lot of work and will definitely make an impact.

MOUNTAIN RIDGE MOUNTAIN LIONS

6A Desert Valley Region
2023-24 Record: 8-19 overall, 0-10 region
Coach: Craig Marcus (fifth year of second stint as Mountain Ridge coach, seventh year coaching Mountain Lions overall)
Top Returnee: PG Jaiden Thompson, Sr., 6-0 (13.7 ppg, 3.1 rpg, 2.9 apg); PF Dylan Donovan, Jr., 6-0 (3.6 ppg, 1.3 rpg).
How many years have you coached basketball? This is my 24th season coaching basketball.
What is your team’s best attribute entering this season? Chemistry, these guys enjoy playing for one another.
What will your team need to improve for the season to be a success? We need to continue to improve our defense. I feel if our defense continues to get better each day, it will help us be in every game this season.
Who are your team leaders? Everyone on our team leads in their own way. However the team chose these three to be our overall leaders. Jaiden Thompson, Jagger Cockrell and Sam Muller
Who are newcomers to the varsity squad who could make an impact? Kellen Wilkinson, Kaleb Bowen and Carsen Wagner.
What needs to happen for your squad to reach the state tournament this season, or achieve the goals the team has set? We have to play very good defense every game, we need to continue to keep our chemistry as a group. Play with an edge every game.

SUNRISE MOUNTAIN MUSTANGS

5A Northwest Region
2023-24 Record: 10-17 overall, 5-7 region (5A play in)
Coach: Gary Rath (10th season as Sunrise Mountain boys coach)
Top Returnee: PG Marcus Murray, Jr., 5-10 (8.6 ppg, 3.7 apg, 3.3 rpg); PF Caden Hammond, Sr., 6-4 (8.1 ppg, 5 rpg).
How many years have you coached basketball? 10^th year as boys head coach at Sunrise Mountain, was varsity assistant here for six years and girls varsity head coach before that here for 11 years.
What is your team’s best attribute entering this season? Work ethic, attitude and depth, along with being very unselfish.
What will your team need to improve for the season to be a success? Free throw %. 3 point %, cutting down on turnovers and defensive rebounding
Who are your team leaders? Caden Hammond (senior), Trey Hill (senior), Marcus Murray (junior)
Who are newcomers to the varsity squad who could make an impact? Colton Buckner (junior), Steven Brown (sophomore), Henry Nally (Junior), Testimony Ayemoba (senior), Nate Carney (junior). Carter Pendleton (sophomore transfer from Willow Canyon), Jaden River Morgan (freshman), Xavier Stassen (freshman), Isaac Maskovich (sophomore), Nicholas Hudson, Daniel Sellards.
What needs to happen for your squad to reach the state tournament this season, or achieve the goals the team has set? Shot selection, limiting our turnovers, defensive rebounding, improving our defensive intensity.