Student blogger Michael Fox previews the AHS hoops season

Student blogger Michael Fox has a fairly personal connection to the Arrowhead boys basketball team -- brother Andy is a senior point guard for the squad that has been ranked in the top five of some preseason state polls. He gives a glance at the season in preview:

The last shot taken by the Arrowhead Warhawks last season was a desperation 25-footer by junior captain Andy Fox, and it fell short, catching the front end of the rim and hitting the floor in a silent gym. The opposing Menomonee Falls fans toppled and tripped their way on the court to meet their hero, freshman sensation Jean-Pierre Tokoto, while all the Arrowhead fans were stuck watching their Big 3 junior players (Fox, Russ Finco, and Ben Mills) slowly walk off the floor holding back the tears.

A season later, the Warhawks look stronger, better, and more experienced than ever before. The Hawks are returning five starters from arguably the best team in school history, being the first team to win the conference outright by posting a 17-5 record overall, and a 12-2 record in conference play. Senior Michael Skarie and junior Charlie Fischer return to the starting lineup with the aforementioned three, and the Warhawks return a total of 11 letterwinners.

The keys to being successful this season for the Warhawks will be the play of their big senior trio. 

Andy Fox is coming off an outstanding last 2 games in which he averaged 17.5 points and 5.5 assists, along with 3.5 steals and 4.5 rebounds. He finished the season putting up 12.2 points per game, 5.5 assists, 2.1 steals, and 3.7 rebounds. But it’s not about the numbers with Fox. Don’t get me wrong, they are prolific stats, but it’s about the way he plays the game. If you have ever watched an NBA game and seen Steve Nash play, you know what I am talking about. Nash runs the offense effectively, he knows the game more than any person on the floor, and he knows what’s happening on the floor at all times. Like Nash, Fox knows his player’s tendencies, he knows where Finco likes the ball to be passed to him when he shoots, and he knows how Ben Mills wants his entry passes. 

When Fox plays his game and controls the pace how he wants it, he has the ability to get teammates the ball in places where they can hit the open jumper, make a layup off a cut, or throw down a two-handed monster dunk. Fox is also a coach on the court. He leads the team in fashions that others simply can’t, and that is the mark of a true point guard.

Russ Finco, a first-team all-conference choice last year, is an avid scorer who knows how to get to the rim and free-throw line. Finco led the team in free throws attempted at 113 last season -- that’s almost 40 more than the second-most. He had a free throw percentage of 73.5 percent, second highest on the team. He led the team with 16.2 points per game having put up 35 once last year against Milwaukee Custer and had at least 20 points in eight games last season. When Finco finds his hot spot, he is unstoppable. But when he struggles, the team can as well. Finco is coming off a tough ending to the season where he was 2-for-27 in the last two games of last season. He only scored 7 points in those games. If Finco can constantly hit jumpers and get to the rim under control, the Warhawks will have much on offense.

Seven-foot center Ben Mills will be the second player in Arrowhead history to make it to Division 1 college basketball on a scholarship, recently signing with Boise State, where he will most likely redshirt as a freshman. He posted 13.8 points and a team-high 9.1 rebounds per game last year. He also made his presence felt inside by averaging a team-high 1.9 blocks per game. He says he’s been working out almost every day at velocity sports performance and that he’s trying to get a lot stronger so he can play the college game effectively. But for the Hawks, his secret weapon could be his range. Mills only took 11 3-pointers last year, but he took a lot of midrange jumpers right around the top of the key. It helps that he can play the perimeter well, because that opens up a lot of room in the middle for the speedy guards in Fox and Finco to get to the hoop without a big man looming around them. And if the opposing big man does stay camped in the lane, Fox and Finco can kick it out to “Big Ben,” who can hit a jumper as good as half the guards on a loaded Hawks team.

With all that being said, the Hawks still boast a great advantage in their bench. Shut down defenders Blake Mattson (forward) and Charles Rushman (guard), as well as forward swingman Ryan May all return as juniors. Also, it is hard to overlook the defensive presence from returning senior forward Michael Skarie. Skarie started last season for the Hawks for the majority of the season and is the hardest working player on the floor. Another player who will have a lot of potential to have a major impact this season is returning wing guard Charlie Fischer. Fischer was fourth in scoring on the team, putting up 7 points per game last season. Fischer will have a lot of opportunities to be a major scorer in certain situations this year due to his amount of experience. This will be Fischer’s third year on varsity and his second year starting.

The Warhawks' toughest matchups will be the same as last year; their conference rivalry with Catholic Memorial will still be alive and kicking. The Crusaders are returning starting senior guards Derek Schell and T.J Bray, and they are ranked 9^th in Division 2. Bray just happens to be the returning conference player of the year. These two teams will meet twice this year; their second game will be a great season finale coming in the second-to-last game of the conference season.

Another team the Warhawks will face is 8th-ranked Menomonee Falls. The Indians ended a dream season last year for the Warhawks by stopping them in the regional final by a mere three points. Falls will have preseason all-state candidate returning in Tokoto, who single-handedly beat the Hawks last year by putting up 19 points, 12 rebounds, 3 steals and 3 blocks. These two teams play in late December at the Al McGuire Center in the Wisconsin Basketball Yearbook shootout and could possibly meet once again in the playoffs.

The Warhawks have possibly the toughest schedule in the state this year. They open up their season in the City/Suburban Challenge against Milwaukee Bay View and third-ranked Milwaukee Washington. The Hawks will then face Falls and Wisconsin Lutheran, ranked sixth in Division 2, in the Wisconsin Basketball Yearbook Shootout. Arrowhead then finishes the regular season with games against  CMH and strong Division 1 team Marquette. 

In my opinion, if the Hawks can get all-state caliber play from their senior trio all season long and the 13-deep roster contributes, it will be a successful year, one that will end in another Classic 8 title and could send the Warhawks on a euphoric wave to the state tournament in Madison.