Highlanders should continue success
The Piedmont High School boys basketball team should be entertaining and good this year. The latter has become an annual reality. The Highlanders have made the North Coast Section playoffs the past 13 seasons (not counting 2020-21 when there were no playoffs due to the COVID-19 pandemic). In three of the past six seasons, Piedmont has made the California Interscholastic Federation playoffs.
This year’s team has a ton of experience with six seniors and nine players back from last year’s roster.
Senior guard Dillon Casey (6-foot-1, pictured above) is the top player back. He has been starting since his sophomore and is on the verge of crossing 1,000 points in his career (he was at 901 to start the season).
“Dillon is our leader,” coach Ben Spencer said. “He brings the ball up. He plays almost 32 minutes a game because hes that skilled.”
P.J. Brayer is a 6-3 senior forward and will often be the only big man on the floor.
“He’s big and strong and quick,” Spencer said. “He can shoot the three. We’re running the offense through him sort of like we did with Brit (Burden, now at USC) a few years ago.”
Junior guard Lucian Fang Ring (5-10) will bring tenacious defense to the floor.
“He’s an outstanding shooter and awesome on-ball defender,” Spencer said. “We always put him on the best guard on the other team.”
Beach Lorin is a 6-3 junior guard. He’s a left-hander who will diversify the offense.
“Huge stealing lefty scores like (former Highlander) Luke Harris,” Spencer said. “Unbelievable body control, can use left or right hand. Beach can score all three levels. He’s an unbelievable finisher.”
Senior Akash Bornstein (5-8 guard) will normally be the fifth starter.
Spencer said the team should be strong on the offensive end.
“In previous years, we haven’t had five guys who can really shoot,” he said. “(We have) a lot of experience and depth.”
Senior Cash Panico (6-0, guard) just joined the team after finishing his football season on November 28. He played his first basketball game of the season the next night. He’ll be a top player off of the bench.
“I think last year he led our team in charges taken,” Spencer said. “First play after getting in last night, he stepped in and takes a charge.”
Sophomore Yoseph Baskin is 6-3 and will also come off the bench.
“He’s really long, really athletic,” Spencer said. “He’s one of the most athletic guys we’ve had in the last four or five years. Trying to get him up to speed at the varsity level but very, very skilled.”
Junior Ollie Dougan will likely round out the rotation. He’s 6-2 and big and strong, according to Spencer.
“We don’t have any 6-6, 6-5 guys,” Spencer said. But he added, “(we’re) longer and bigger than we’ve been the past four or five years.”
Spencer continued, “Our hope is always (the North Coast Section) championships.” They’d also like to win a state playoff game – the Highlanders are 0-3.
The key, Spencer said, will be defense.
“Our (2023-24) team was really good on defense,” he said. “Last year, we couldn’t get stops. Last year, we scored 65 points a game but we were 15-16 at the end of the season.
“We’re skilled on offense, were going to score in the high 70s, low 80s every night. But we have to get stops.”
Piedmont opened the season with an 84-50 win at Gateway-San Francisco on November 29. Casey led the way with 22 points. Brayer had 17 with Fang Ring adding 16. Lorin had nine. Armando Sarte Jr. led the Gators with 12. Hassan Parker Abram added 11.
The Highlanders next game is scheduled for December 2 at home against Envision Academy-Oakland. The annual Piedmont Varsity Tournament will begin on December 4 and run through December 6.