Piedmont High School’s boys basketball team has been a little bit defensive in the past year. When the outside shooting was off – always a possibility – the Highlanders had to rely on a tough defensive effort to produce victories.
That might not be the case this year. Coach Ben Spencer is excited about what his offense can do. And if that offense is as good as Spencer thinks it is, Piedmont could exceed last year’s accomplishments which included a runner-up finish in the North Coast Section Division 3 tournament and a berth in the California Interscholastic Federation Division 1 bracket.
“We’re going to be really good,” Spencer said. “Young but good. Inexperienced but really talented. I’m really excited for our season. It’ll be fun to watch an inexperienced team grow.”
Four of five starters are underclassmen. The only senior starter is Ravi Silverberg, a third-year varsity guard listed at 6-foot-1, 175 pounds. “It feels like he just figured it out over the summer,” Spencer said. “I don’t know if it’s because
he’s a senior now. Ravi is learning to go to the basket more.”
That last point might be important. Driving to the basket is a great option when the outside shooting isn’t there. Junior Dylan Casey (6-1, 170) is back after averaging 15 points per game as a sophomore. “I think it’s the best backcourt I’ve had since Jojo (Murphy) and Luke Harris,” Spencer said.
“Dylan was a 40 percent 3-point shooter a year ago. Dylan has put on a little more weight. He can be the best guard we’ve ever had come through Piedmont. He needs to get that fire. He needs to learn not to take plays off.”
Sophomore guards Lucian Fang-Ring and Beach Lorin will step into the starting lineup. Fang- Ring is 5-10, 160. “He’s got ferocity, a pit bull,” Spencer said. “Go out and guard the best player on the other team. Was our leading scorer in our scrimmage against Archie Williams. Can get to the basket, left or right hand.”
Lorin is 6-1, 155. “He’s a pure scorer on the other end,” Spencer said. “A Lefty. Incredible shooter and one of the best pure scorers I’ve ever had. He’s still growing into his body. Leading scorer against Miramonte (in the other scrimmage).”
Rounding out the starting lineup inside is 6-2, 200 junior P.J. Brayer. A year ago, he did the football-basketball double. This year, he dropped football to focus on basketball. “He brings that toughness that we’ve lacked,” Spencer said. “Loves to bang, loves to make contact which we haven’t always had. When he’s rebounding we can get out on our fast break. He’s extremely strong.”
Spencer said he plays to run a seven- or eight-man rotation. Junior guard Cash Panico is joining the team now that football season is over. Backup big man Emmet Auslin is a 6-2, 190 senior. Sophomore Will Hinman and junior Akash Bornstein are the most likely to fill the final piece of the rotation.
Piedmont will once again see Campolindo and University-San Francisco in the preseason. Spencer said he expects Berkeley and Bishop O’Dowd to be strong in West Alameda County Conference play with San Leandro rebounding from a tough year.
“The offense won’t be an issue,” Spencer said, adding that the team scored 60 points in a scrimmage against Archie Williams after hitting 60 just 11 times a year ago. “Any issues I think are going to be on the defensive side of the ball. Offensively I think we’re going to be a juggernaut. You are going to see us playing as fast as in our NCS championship year (2019-2020). We can get the ball out and push the ball. We couldn’t do that last year. We just didn’t have the talent. They move the ball better than we did at any point last year. We don’t have to slow down and pound it it. We can drive the ball and get everybody good shots.”