Teams must recharge their batteries if they are to make a run

12:54 AM CST on Thursday, February 17, 2005
By LUKE GILLAM / Special Contributor to The Dallas Morning News

PLANO – Some reward the Plano West boys received for making the playoffs for the first time in three years.

Plano coach Tom Inman says that his team is finally healthy. The Wolves must again play Duncanville, which beat Plano West, 93-63, on Dec. 11.

Plano West coach Dave Piehler called that loss the low point of the season, but the Wolves are a different team heading into in the Class 5A bi-district playoffs Tuesday.

"Now whether we're 30 points better or not, we'll have to find out," Piehler said. "You want to be one of those teams peaking at the end of the year, and we're doing it."

After the loss to Duncanville, Piehler abandoned the full-court press, mass substitution philosophy he had implemented this season. The Wolves won eight of their final 10 games to finish second in District 8-5A.

Piehler said his team took some positives from the early-season experiment, including an aggressive defensive mentality and more confident shooting. Piehler also said his starters may be fresher now because they logged fewer minutes in nondistrict play.

The two constants in the Wolves' turnaround have been defense and the play of senior Michael Prince. Plano West has limited opponents to 48 points per game in its last eight wins. After battling through early-season back problems, Prince averaged 19.6 points per game in those victories.

Plano enters the postseason from the opposite end of the spectrum. The Wildcats have lost four of their last seven.

Coach Tom Inman said the only important thing is that his team is still playing and it's finally healthy. He likes the fact that Plano isn't garnering much attention heading into the postseason.

The Wildcats face Arlington Bowie next week in the bi-district round.

"I don't think us losing four of our last seven is any more relevant than being 19-4 at one point," Inman said. "Every year some team comes in hot and goes one and done, and every year some team comes in cold and makes a run."

Plano East won District 8-5A and received a first-round bye.

In Class 4A, Frisco has won 26 games, but the Raccoons lost to first-year program Keller Central last week and that cost them a share of the district crown and a shot at a first-round bye.

Leading scorer Dylan Moseley is one of four players battling thumb or hand injuries. Frisco took the day off Wednesday and will try to get healthy rather than play a warm-up game before meeting Spruce on Tuesday.

"We've got to pull into the station, refuel and try to make a run to the tournament," Frisco coach Steve Specht said. "When you clinch [a playoff berth] early, it's hard sometimes to keep their attention."