2023 McQueen Lancers Boys Basketball Season Preview
By: J. Ray Dockter
2022 record: 11-13 overall, 6-10 league
Head coach: Rob Fabri, 1st season as head coach at McQueen
Key Losses: Angelo Galindo, Dylan Anderson, Landen Tessier, Ethan Beach and Deo Richson.
Overview: After two seasons of leading the Lancers local legend and NBA veteran Armon Johnson stepped down from the top job at McQueen this past spring after a successful run of leading 'The Academy on The Hill.'
Out goes Johnson and in comes Rob Fabri, a McQueen alum that had success in multiple sports when he was a student-athlete. When I spoke with Athletic Director Lucas Weber after Fabri's hiring he said "we are fired up for Rob to lead this program and we're excited for the direction he can point our program in, he knows what it means to be a McQueen Lancer."
Fabri is tasked with replacing nine players from last season team while only returning four players from last year. Lucky for him one of those players is Sophomore Kade Snyder (whom I consider to be the best player in the region). Snyder will be flanked by his older brother Kanigh who is a Senior this year. The Snyder Brothers are well equipped to lead this team.
Don't be surprised if this squad challenges for a home playoff berth this coming season as they should benefit from a rather fruitful start to their league season as the league's schedule makers were kind to the Lancers this season.
Without further ado, here is Coach Fabri's answers to our questions we asked him last month.
What can we expect from your team this season?
Offense - Create a unity among [our] players and keep them focused on our fast-paced offense.
Defense - Try to be aggressive and smart at the same time.
Style of Play - Our style of play is to create an identity and continuity while hustling up and down the court throughout the entire game.
What is the key to your team's success this season?
The key to our team's success is to establish team chemistry early on and try to keep the momentum up throughout the [entire] season.
What is the best part of coaching high school athletics?
Working with student-athletes to get them prepared for the next level, whether that is basketball, academics, or the workforce.
Who do you feel are the team's to beat in the Northern 4A?
We feel that every team is going to be very competitive this year and every team we play will be a challenge.
Projected Starting Five (Stats are reflective of last season): Sophomore Kade Snyder (18.3 PPG, 7.3 RPG and 1.1 APG), Junior Alex Hancock (1.7 PPG and 2 RPG) and the following five Seniors Kanigh Snyder (10.5 PPG, 5.6 RPG and 1.6 SPG), Nathan O'Neill (Hustle player on last year's squad), Torrie Simmons, Lucas Fabri, and Logan Brown will play a lot of minutes for the Lancers this season.
League Schedule
12/14 at Reed
12/16 vs. Galena
12/21 at Bishop Manogue
1/6 vs. Damonte Ranch
1/9 at Spanish Springs
1/12 at Reno
1/16 vs. Douglas
1/19 at Carson
1/23 vs. Reed
1/25 at Galena
1/27 vs. Bishop Manogue
2/2 at Damonte Ranch
2/6 vs. Spanish Springs
2/9 vs. Reno
Comments