PREVIEW: SSHS 2011-12 Boys Hoops

Last season, the South Side High School boys basketball team steamrolled through their conference en route to an 11-1 regular season record and a No. 2 seed in the Conference A-II playoffs. A first-round home game against No. 15 Great Neck North appeared to be a minor roadblock to a rematch with Lawrence in the semifinals — the lone team to hand the Cyclones defeat in the regular season.

But that's why they play the game. Great Neck North buried 13 of its 16 three pointers and stunned South Side, 71-59. This year, the team returns nine seniors — four of its five starters — and Head Coach Gerry D'Angelo said last year's loss has lit a fire under his squad, who most predicted would contend for a Nassau County title last season.

"They're more mature and more focused," he said. "I've seen more individual improvement. They took it upon themselves to get better. Some kids put on more muscle and hit the weight rooms; others played a lot of basketball in the off season to get themselves polished for the season."

The team will be led by seniors Ryan Spadaford and DJ Nickelson, who collectively led last year's team in points, rebounds, assists and steals per game. Spadaford finished last season averaging 19 points and 10 rebounds per game, while Nickelson averaged more than five assists a game. They are the floor generals on each end of the court.

Kevin Waxon, one of the team's best defenders and shooters, graduated last June and D'Angelo said he's seen vast improvement in two players looking to fill Waxon's role. D'Angelo said Kevin Coyle and Justin Rhodes are battling for a starter's role and both have put in the extra effort to prepare for the season.

"He's three to four inches taller than last year," D'Angelo said of Coyle. "He made the extra effort to get physically ready for the season. He's a good shooter, but we hope that he can give us more than that."

D'Angelo noted that Rhodes, who came off the bench last year, played an integral part in the team's offense and his absence from games impacted the team. Rhodes was suspended for the playoff loss against Great Neck North. "He's not as good a shooter as Waxon, but he gets to the hoop well," D'Angelo said. "He took the loss hard last year. I told him, 'You missed three games last year due to suspension. We lost two of them. That shows how important you are to this team."

After a realignment of conferences, South Side will play teams they haven't faced in more than nine years, like Garden City and New Hyde Park. Still, D'Angelo said his teams has the same expectations. "We have a lot of goals, and the first one is to win the conference," he said. "I think it's a unique year. We will have to focus on playing teams we've never seen."

Even with a new schedule, D'Angelo said this team has the talent to make a deep playoff run. "We want to contend for a county championship and I think this team can," he said.

The Cyclones will host a tournament at the high school on Saturday and will play their game at 7 p.m.