Throughout the fall, the Hinsdale Central boys basketball program has been hard at work preparing for the upcoming winter season. The boys practice before and after school, participating in conditioning and strength training, as well as open gyms.
The conditioning and strength training takes place every Monday and Wednesday after school from 3:30 to 5 p.m. These training sessions are led by Ashraf Amaya, a former NBA player. The exercises vary between each session, but can include running around the track, as well as various upper and lower body training.
“One day we walked in and [Amaya] just wrote 100 on the board and said we’re doing 100 reps of everything,” said Robert “Bobby” Deftos, senior.
Players describe the training as tough, but can already see the improvement in their game.
“You know kids throw up, [there’s] sweat everywhere, those things are just brutal,” Deftos said. “[But] I can already tell, everyone in the program, freshman, sophomore, all the way up, are getting stronger, getting faster.”
Additionally, open gyms take place every Tuesday and Thursday before school. During the mornings, the players play against each other, typically partaking in five-on-five drills.
“We do two days a week in the morning, 6 a.m. to around 7 a.m. basically open gyms,” Deftos said. “We just play.”
Last year, the boys varsity team beat Lyons Township to advance to the Sectional Final, but lost to Downers Grove North, ending their 23 game winning streak. Varsity coach Nick Latorre said he hopes to have another successful season this year, but doesn’t have a rigid plan on replicating the same success.
“You can’t really replicate seasons,” Latorre said. “We go in with the same mindset every year of just trying to improve and reach our full potential.”
Along with the preseason training, the basketball program has offered numerous events to prepare for the season throughout the summer, including leagues, tournaments, and shootouts. All of these activities are aimed to prepare players for the winter season, while having fun at the same time.
“The kids did a really good job of not only showing up, but having a good attitude and playing really hard and trying to do their best,” Latorre said.
Coaches, players, and students have all said they are excited to see how this season plays out for the Hinsdale Central Red Devils.
“I’m looking forward to seeing how many times we win and seeing the themes for this upcoming season,” said Makayla Lehman, sophomore.
Typically, various themes include USA, White Out, and more. Students from both Hinsdale and the opposing schools come to support their teams.
“People are not expecting a great season from us because we lost a lot of seniors,” Deftos said. “But we’re ready to go out and make some noise.”
The first home game for the varsity team is scheduled for Dec. 1 at 7 p.m. in the main gym. To see the full season schedule, click here.
