Practice is where you win games.
That’s the message Jackson Memorial High boys’ basketball coach Kevin McQuade has been preaching to his young team all preseason.
The Jaguars return two starters from last year’s team that went 13-13. That record produced the program’s best mark since Jackson Memorial won 21 games in 2013.
Twin brothers Matt and Ryan Mahala are back to lead the way for the Jaguars this winter.
Jackson Memorial’s offense will flow through Matt Mahala, who finished second on the team in scoring as a junior last season.
The 6-1 senior has the tools to be a great scorer, and can do everything out on the court said McQuade.
“His game is inside and outside ,” McQuade said on Matt (Mahala). “He can play inside. He can play outside. He can put the ball on the ground. He has a strong knack of making tough contested shots. His game is just going to expand as the season goes on.”
Returning alongside the Mahala brothers with varsity experience this season is senior Nick Colon.
Jackson Memorial will rely on the senior, who has a knack for making big shots in key moments.
Colon did that right on cue in the team’s scrimmage against Monroe High School that was held on Dec. 12 at Jackson Memorial High School, knocking down a three-pointer from the left wing to force overtime with four seconds left to play.
The rest of the Jackson Memorial roster will be filled with new faces stepping into bigger roles.
Freshman Keith Adame is a player that has impressed the Jackson Memorial coaching staff a lot during the preseason.
The newcomer is very good with the ball in his hands and will see a lot of time on the court throughout the season for Jackson Memorial.
Junior forward Caden Brooks is a very talented scorer and will be an impactful player for the Jaguars this winter.
Fellow classmate Sean Slusak is another talented frontcourt player for the Jaguars that can put the ball in the basket.
“We have a lot of young guys that need to get as much reps and time on the court as possible,” McQuade said. “They’re all running a brand new offense. They’re struggling everyday to get it right, but they’re on the precipice of turning the corner and we’re really excited about that.”
The preseason had been an evaluation process for McQuade and the entire Jackson Memorial coaching staff.
The coaches are excited about the squad’s young talent and the team as a whole due to the amount of solid basketball players they feel they have this season.
After improving from a three-victory team to a 13-victory team last year, McQuade believes his squad has the chance to be one of the top teams in the Shore Conference A-South Division this season.
“We see ourselves getting way above the .500 mark this year,” McQuade said. “We want to challenge the top teams in our division. I think we have the personnel to do so. If we can get things right offensively and keep getting better defensively, we can throw rocks at the throne a bit.”
To reach those heights, Jackson Memorial needs to rely on the message that McQuade has been instilling them all preseason about how practice can win you games and that it’s important to take each session seriously.
McQuade sees his team embracing that message with how it performed in its scrimmage against Monroe. Even though Jackson Memorial fell in overtime to Monroe, 54-51, the six-year coach believes his team is moving in the right direction.
“To be in it at the end against a good team and to force overtime, is a good sign for us,” McQuade said. “Were getting there. I think we’re headed in the right direction and that’s a real big thing.”
Jackson Memorial will play Brick Township High School in its season opener in Brick on Dec. 20.
Follow Steven Bassin on Twitter @SBassin_Sports