LAFAYETTE RAMBLERS FULL COURT PRESS
With LaFayette head coach Hank Peppers
What has been the main one or two factors in the success of this program, especially over the past five years?
From a basketball perspective, one of the biggest factors has been the commitment to the defensive end of the court. Each of the last five years, we have been one of the top teams in the state in points per game allowed. Each year, the “buy-in” on the defensive end has been phenomenal and (has) gotten even better each year because the players see how it translates to team success.
Another huge factor is the culture of true hard work that we have been able to instill and continue to grow each year. We practice very hard and (very) focused with great attention to detail from the first day to the last, and our players are really committed to that and push each other as well.
Then during the offseason, we place a huge emphasis on player development and do skill work year around, and we have seen tremendous growth in all of our players. We have been blessed to coach many great players who have really bought in to paying the price. (They) set the examples for the younger players who have followed them, and it just keeps paying it forward. I am blessed with excellent assistant coaches who are very committed to the program and putting in the work to be successful.
How has the team dealt with all the expectations it has set for itself over the last few years?
We don’t pay much attention to outside expectations. We know the level of effort and play that we expect from ourselves and we have tunnel vision on ourselves to just get better everyday. We really just focus on our own expectations and standards more than anything else. Sometimes expectations from the outside can be a distraction and they vary greatly from year to year.
I remember coming into the 2019 season, a year after we graduated nine seniors, including Alex Kelehear and Dee Southern, the general expectation was that we were going to “drop off,” but we had such high expectations for ourselves that we worked harder than ever. We won 25 games that season, a region championship and went to the Elite Eight in a season that we were expected to take a step back.
We really learned a great lesson that year, which is to be obsessed with getting better everyday and doing all the little things right, and then everything else takes care of itself.
What is the strength of this year’s team, or what do you think it will be by the time the season gets into region play?
I think our defensive ability is one of our biggest strengths. We have a group of guys that play extremely hard and are committed to getting stops and attacking the boards. Another of our strengths is our experience. There is no substitute for game experience, and especially experience in the playoffs where everything is magnified. Our guys have played a ton of minutes together in a lot of huge games.
The chemistry of our team is another strength. Our guys really love playing together, and have great chemistry on and off the court.
What is the key or keys to this season?
The biggest key is to focus on getting better every single day, not looking ahead or looking behind, but just staying in the moment and working harder than ever. I believe that when your obsessed with your own improvement, and keep getting better from beginning to end, that everything else takes care of itself.