WINDSOR
This season, Windsor Dukes Head Basketball Coach Brandon Bossick said the focus would be on defense.

“We went 5-17 last year, but we had a lot of close games in there where we were leading at the half,” Bossick said. “In the second half, we’d lose the turnover battle or play sloppy on defense and let teams get back in it.

“This year, we’re stressing defense first and team play.”

Despite the record, the Div. 2A team still made the regional playoffs. This year, he wants to both improve on the regular season record and also make a playoff run.

“We are always trying to push for the playoffs,” Bossick said. “The way I look at it, if we can do these things — get back on defense in transition, limit the turnovers, share the ball, make some defensive stops and make defenses playing us have to work for 30 to 40 seconds at a time, then we’ll get some looks. I think if we can do that, then we’ll be successful.”

This year, playing in the Christopher Newport University Camp over the summer in a group with nine teams, Windsor finished fourth. Bossick said their only losses were to a tough 4A York and 5A Norview.

“We’ve never done that well at a camp since I have been here,” Bossick said. “They were working hard, and they beat Poquoson, they beat Surry, they beat King William. The kids are working hard, buying in, and they are starting to play team basketball and think defense first.”

Ronnie Harry is his assistant coach, and Charles Parrish is the JV coach.

“They are taking the coaching well,” Bossick said. “And they know us all from other sports — they are used to hearing our voices. The coaches are all disciplined and I know if I need to step away, they can step in and I’ll have full confidence that they will run it the same way I run it.”

NUMBERS TO KNOW

13 – The Windsor Dukes have a 13-person roster, and Bossick said, “They are all phenomenal workers. They are all great kids, and they get better every day. At any point in time, we can go 13 deep. They are fun to coach.”

8 – The Dukes led at halftime in eight district games and they lost five of those. “We just were not careful with the ball, or we didn’t get back on defense and allowed some easy points in transition. But we’re learning from those mistakes and working hard.”

14 – For the first time in 14 years, the Windsor Dukes basketball team made the regional playoffs. “The record in the regular season was not where we wanted it,” Bossick said of the 5-win season, “but everyone was excited about making the playoffs.”

CAST OF CHARACTERS

Last year, Malcolm “Woody” Greene averaged a double-double. The 6-foot-6 center had 16 points and 12 rebounds per game. He also had 2.8 blocks per game. The senior is getting some looks from Div. III schools, Bossick said. “When teams play us, they have No. 1 circled,” he said. “Their main job is to shut down Malcolm Green. Woody has to see that, and just run his race. They are going to push him, foul him, but he needs to play his game and when they give him an opportunity, he needs to strike.”

The 5-foot-10 senior point guard, Quinten Winnegan, has improved a lot since his freshman year. Last year, he averaged 4.9 assists, 6.8 points and 2.1 steals per game. “As a freshman, he was small and timid. Now he is ferocious,” Bossick said. “He has taken the coaching well, and he’s really improved. I look for him to be our senior leader on both offense and defense.”

Last year, the shooting guard Chris Funai, who is 5-foot-11, averaged 5 points a game shooting 34 percent from 3-point land. This year, from the scrimmages, he’s made 9 of them in 15 attempts, and during the Christopher Newport University camps, he was averaging 13 points and 6 assists. “Last year he was a good shooter, but this year he has really improved on everything,” Bossick said. “Chris makes some passes that you don’t even think of doing. You didn’t think he could get it through that tight of a hole, but then all of a sudden he’s gotten it to Woody, and he posts it up. It’s really hard to find a guy who likes shooting, and is also good at it, but he’ll also pass it.”

SCHEDULE

Windsor boys varsity basketball games start at 7 p.m. Home games are bolded.

Dec. 5 Sussex Central
Dec. 8 ARGS
Dec. 10 Southampton
Dec. 12 Franklin
Dec. 15 Surry
Dec. 17 Greensville
Dec. 19 Park View
Jan. 7 King William
Jan. 9 Sussex Central
Jan. 12 Brunswick
Jan. 14 ARGS
Jan. 16 Southampton
Jan. 21 Franklin
Jan. 23 Surry
Jan. 28 Greensville
Jan. 30 Park View (senior night)
Feb. 4 Brunswick
Feb. 6 Arcadia