Kee boys basketball team returns seven letterwinners for new head coach

A mix of seven varsity veterans from last season will combine with a brand new face at the head coaching helm for the 2015-2016 Kee boys basketball program, but a face that brings its own share of experience. Patrick Sullivan will take over the reins for the Hawks on the hardcourt this season, and boasts a resume fairly rich in basketball coaching and playing experience.
“This is my 18th year coaching basketball, with 12 years at the high school level, and eight years as a varsity head coach,” Sullivan said. “I played basketball for two-time Wisconsin State Championship (1988, 1992) basketball coach John Shelton at Onalaska High School from 1992-1994 and was a co-captain my senior year.”
Greeting Coach Sullivan in his Kee basketball debut this season will be a total of 27 players from the freshman through senior classes, including those seven varsity returnees from last season’s squad that compiled a 3-20 overall record and a 1-14 record in Upper Iowa Conference play. Last season’s squad battled through an injury-riddled season that didn’t see a single varsity player compete in every one of the Hawks’ 23 games last season. But that same crew also came together at the right time to post Kee boys basketball’s first postseason tournament victory in four seasons.
Regardless of who is returning, or what result they may be returning from, Coach Sullivan says the keys to this season will lie within what takes place from here on out. “Buying in to a new system; coming together as a team; working hard every minute of every practice; and playing hard, competing at our best, and having fun during games,” he listed as this season’s keys to success. “My goal is to be competitive. We’re not going to win every game, but I want to compete. I want these kids to play hard regardless of the circumstances and to fight until the end.”
Headlining that charge of returning veterans will be junior guard Danny Brennan, who earned All-Conference  Honorable Mention last season and shared team honors with 47 assists while also posting team runner-up totals of 218 points, 22 three-point baskets and 27 steals. Fellow junior guard Clay Olson dished out a team runner-up total of 20 assists last season, and that junior pair forms one of the strongest aspects Coach Sullivan sees within this year’s squad.
“Point guard play is a strength,” the first-year Hawk coach shared. “Danny Brennan is a talented point guard and good all-around player. Clay Olson is a good outside shooter.”
Although not returning a great deal of leadership in statistical numbers, the remaining members of that returning veteran core bring their own bit of hardcourt specialties to this season’s squad. Seniors Nate Wood and Logan Flack will provide the upperclassman leadership, with junior Evan Whalen bringing a defensive knack to the court. A pair of sophomores, Kyle Hitchins and Eric Rud, were described as a “good all-around player” and “athletic post player” by Coach Sullivan, and return to the varsity fold after making contributions as freshmen last season in just their first year of varsity eligibility.
In addition to those letterwinning returnees, Coach Sullivan has seen strong early contributions from another trio of juniors. “Tyler Reinhart, Spencer Colsch and John Mooney are post players expected to contribute this year,” he said.
Graduation following last season took with it an abundance of statistical leadership, most of it in the form of multi-year starter Dylon Peterson and his team-high totals of 384 points, 151 rebounds, 26 three-point field goals, 37 steals and 47 assists. Fellow graduated seniors Andrew Weber and Marquise Phillips rounded out Kee’s top three rebounders from last season, leaving this year’s squad some rather large shoes to fill.
“We’ll need kids to step up into starting roles, and work together to put points on the board,” Coach Sullivan said. “Aside from a few players, our overall outside shooting is a concern right now.”
Coach Sullivan says those more specific team needs appear to have a strong underlying foundation already in place. “I’ve seen good leadership and attitudes throughout the program,” he said. “The players have adjusted well to having a new coach.”
With the Upper Iowa Conference being a new venture for Coach Sullivan in his coaching tenure, the Hawks will get their season underway Tuesday, December 1 at home against Central Elkader, following that up with another pair of back-to-back home contests against Waukon Thursday, December 3 and against MFL/MarMac Friday, December 4. Kee will then hit the road for the first time this season Tuesday, December 8 at Postville.