Every basketball coach has aspects of the game they feel are important to be successful.

For Ottawa boys basketball coach Mark Cooper, three facets at the top of that list include: rebound well, defend well and take care of the ball.

“Rebounding is something we are placing a big emphasis on so far in practices,” said Cooper, the all-time winningest boys basketball coach in program history (342-222) as he begins his 22nd season. “We are not going to be a very big team, but it’s an area that we can be competitive in if it’s important to us. We are a work in progress on the defensive end, but we’ll get there and I think we have enough ball handing to care of the ball at a high level.”

Last season the Pirates, which dealt with injuries throughout the season, finished 9-19 overall and 1-9 in Interstate 8 Conference play. Ottawa lost key players in Aric Threadgill, Evan Snook and Kyler Araujo to graduation.

Ottawa returns a pair of starters in seniors Owen Sanders and Hezekiah Joachim, in addition to fellow seniors Colt Bryson, Lucas Farabaugh and Dom Parks.

“Owen and Hezekiah played heavy minutes as juniors,” Cooper said. “Owen was probably the focal point for us offensively for most of the season last year and is off to a great start in practices so far. Hezekiah has completely reshaped his body and worked very hard on his game the last nine months. We expect both of those guys to not only give us production but also lead the way for the younger guys as they get used to varsity basketball.

“Colt, Lucas and Dom saw a few minutes last season and they have all made progress over the offseason. They will all be counted on to take on more of a primary role this year.”

The 6-foot-7 Sanders is an exciting player who can hurt opponents in the paint or from the perimeter. He led the Pirates with 13.9 points, 8.3 rebounds, 1.5 steals and 1.8 blocks a game while also passing off for 1.6 assists. He was a Times All-Area first-team selection and named to the I-8 All-Conference team.

Joachim, a point guard, posted 6.8 points, 2.7 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 1.4 steals a game last season.

Ottawa‘s roster is rounded out by juniors Kaden Konwinski, Aleixo Fernandez, Jack Carroll, Dane Schmitz, Jerrimahia Jones, George Shumway and Sean Brink, as well as sophomores Blake Schiltz and Rory Moore.

“Right now there are still a lot of questions as far as the juniors and sophomores goes when it comes to roles,” Cooper said. “I feel like there are some guys they will step up and be asked to fill pretty significant roles for us, but we are still trying to figure all that out. I’m still mixing and matching in practice to see what may work the best for us in certain situations.

“We had a summer where we really didn’t have everyone there the same night, so we are still trying to figure out combinations. We have a few more unknowns at this time of the year than there usually are. That said, we’ll be ready when that first game night comes. I just have a lot of things to work out between now and then.”

Ottawa begins pool play in its own Dean Riley “Shootin’ The Rock” Tournament at 6:30 p.m. Monday in historic Kingman Gym, taking on Princeton before challenging Sterling at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday and, finally, Pontiac at 7 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 28. The placement games will be played Saturday, Nov. 29.

“Our Thanksgiving tournament, playing some really good teams right off the jump, is the first step in not only beginning to find that identity, but also what combinations work well,” Mark Cooper said. “We find out who is capable of doing what and what some of our strengths and weaknesses are.”