the class moving forward. “That was a game where we went into an adverse environ- ment and played with great poise,” Terrones said. “It was a great confidence builder for our athletes to know we were at that level, and it set the table for what our team expects when we begin this season.” Yes, the Tigers will have to re- place several key players lost to graduation, most notably all- conference standout Truman Kruckenberg, who averaged a team-high 16.2 points per game a season ago. But when you look at what Gilbert returns ... woo boy. Brody Hague. Preston Stens- land. Billy Terrones. Connor Rash. Will Hawthorne. Ean El- dred. And a long and talented bench that will give the team myriad options game after game. But it’s not only the talent re- turning that has the Tigers ex- cited. The fact that all of these players are experienced will be a boon as well. “The nice thing about having an experienced team that has played together for such a long time is that our opportunity to be successful is directly cor- related with that experience,” Terrones said. “This team has been in tough situations before, and I think they can take from
last year that there were games where they finished against very good opponents. When they’re in that situation this year, they’ll be ready for the moment.” What will potentially make the Tigers so dangerous is there isn’t a singular player opposing teams can focus on. Rather than one superstar and then a roster of role players, the Tigers are keenly balanced across all five positions on the floor. Hague, a senior, is the leading returning scorer at 12.9 points per game. Primarily a wing
player throughout his career, Terrones says he’s expanded his arsenal and that could pres- ent headaches for opponents. “Brody has the ability to get downhill and elevate, and he’s somebody who can now finish at the rim,” Terrones said. “He’s going to be a mismatch offen- sively in many of our games, and his defense and rebound- ing have also improved.” Stensland and Billy Terrones, both juniors who will be three- year starters, provide versatility at both ends of the floor. They
can score in bunches when it’s needed, but they are also solid distributors. Stensland averaged 9.5 points, 3.1 assists, and 2.8 re- bounds per game a season ago. Terrones posted 5.8 points and 4.3 assists a night. “We’ll be looking to Billy and Preston to fill in some of those leadership roles,” BJ Terrones said. “Preston will be moving over to Truman’s position on the wing and it’s a position he’s comfortable with. I think he’s poised to have a real good year.”
WINTER 2024-25 | GAME ON 25
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