If you want to understand the difference a year makes for Wachusett, just check in on their first day of tryouts.
Last year, when the Mountaineers started things with their routine Kansas full-court scoring drill, "it was just so incredibly bad, I almost fainted," coach Jim Oxford recalls. This time, following a stunning season that resulted in the program's first-ever state championship, the returning squad was back around his preseason standards in the exercise. Throughout their first tryout, the Mountaineers exuded a swagger that matches their preseason reputation as an MIAA juggernaut.
"I saw in them tonight a strong sense of confidence that I did not see last season at tryouts, and I think that was because they're winners now," he said. "So while they still may hang on to some of that lightheartedness that they approach life and practice with, there's a real serious side to them that's built on the confidence that they've earned."
Practically everyone expects Wachusett to repeat as Division 1 champs. They're in the conversation for best public school team in New England this winter. Here's why.
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