Hartnell Men’s Basketball: Season Preview

Basketball season is here. It should be quite a contest as our Panthers are trying to start the season on the right foot. As eager fans wait to watch, the student-athletes are more than ready to get playing. According to Head Coach Andrew Vasher they’ve practiced enough and it is now time to get out there and play against another team. The men's team has only four sophomores: (#15) Dallin Mortensen, (#21) Carsen Williams, (#22) Spencer Conrad and (#23) Jesse Hurtado who is the only returning from last year, along with a total of 12 incoming freshmen to make it a packed roster. One specific freshman, happens to be (#20) Matt Vasher, who is Coach Vasher’s third son to play at Hartnell. For Vasher, coaching his children is simple. “Leave it in the gym, coach him like everyone but let him go home, don't coach him at home,” Coach Vasher explains. One of the key aspects of Vasher’s coaching plan for the season is to have the players buy into their role and be on the same page to work as a unit. The ultimate goal is to improve from last year, as the Panthers finished (9-15) for the season and (3-9) for conference; 7 games were lost, most of which were decided in the final minutes and could have gone the other way, but the ball just did not fall the team's way. For the season’s ultimate goal Vasher said, “I think we are in the mix of things, we are going to be right there competing for a conference championship.” We wish the team the best as they embark in their season. Go Panthers!