Hand Boys’ Hoops on the Rise Following Nine-Win Improvement
The Hand boys’ basketball team went through a few ups and downs during the 2017-’18 season, but in the end, the Tigers wound up ascending several rungs on the ladder to success.
In their second season with Head Coach Jim Economopoulos, the Tigers vastly improved on their 1-19 record from last year by going 9-11 during the regular season to qualify for both the SCC and Division III State tournaments this winter. Along the way, Hand notched landmark 46-45 victory over Hillhouse on Jan. 24, marking the team’s first win over the Academics since 2005.
In the SCC Tournament, 11th-seeded Hand took a 50-30 loss to No. 6 Amity in the first round. Then for states, the 19th-ranked Tigers grinded out a 46-43 overtime victory against No. 14 seed Darien in the opening round of the Division III bracket, before taking a 69-41 second-round defeat to No. 3 Prince Tech. Overall the year, Hand finished with a mark of 10-13.
Coach Economopoulos said that his team will still have some fine-tuning to do entering next season, but he feels the Tigers are definitely on the right path following their nine-triumph turnaround.
“We aren’t totally there yet, because we were inconsistent this year, but this year was a stepping stone. Their intensity and the way they played defense was a big difference in the growth they made. The general attitude in practice is getting to where I want it to be and the atmosphere we want to create here,” said Economopoulos. “The first year here was a tough year, but to put in the work this year and experience great success was a huge step for us. It made it a much more enjoyable year, and to see their hard work pay off was great.”
Hand was spurred by an influential senior class that was fronted by its co-captains: All-SCC Second Team guard Tyler Boris, who scored seven points per game; and forward Matt Maxwell. The Tigers’ senior class also featured the impressive trio of forward and All-SCC Second Team honoree Flynn Driscoll, who averaged 9.2 points, nine rebounds, and two blocks per game; center Graeme McGivern, who scored a team-best 9.5 points per game to go with five rebounds a night; and guard KJ Richmond, who averaged just more than one steal per game.
“I can’t say enough about our group of five seniors this year,” said Economopoulos. “They weren’t loud guys, but they showed up ready to go every day. I never had a problem with one of them, and they are great athletes that have contributed to multiple sports at Hand. They set good examples for the younger group.”
Hand started off the year a little slow by dropping five of its first seven contests. However, the Tigers then began to right the ship by rattling off four straight victories, including by their first victory versus Hillhouse in 13 years. Another major highlight from the season came in states, where a Tigers’ team that was short on experience in the postseason spotlight shined big-time by claiming three-point overtime win against Darien.
“We had that stretch where we won four straight and started to jell as a team. We ended the streak in a double-overtime loss to [Division II state finalist Amity], but it was a good stretch for us,” Coach Economopoulos said. “Darien is a tough environment, and their kids were playing well. We had guys with no playoff experience, so to win a tough overtime game where we faced adversity was special.”
The Tigers hung tough while competing in a division that featured both SCC Tournament finalists in champion Hamden and runner-up Hillhouse, and they will still be in the Housatonic Division with those two opponents next year. Even with five key seniors graduating, Coach Economopoulous said that the Tigers’ returning underclassmen have built up plenty of positive momentum that can help Hand continue its climb up the ranks in 2019. Among the people coming back are junior guard Jeremy Long, who averaged more than 1.0 steals per game this year; along with junior center Luke Brucher, and sophomore forward Ethan Haberman.
“Our division will be tough again next year. Hillhouse and Hamden will be good again, but our guys experienced some good success this year,” said Economopoulos. “Next year, we have some nice returning pieces with Jeremy Long, Ethan Haberman, and Luke Brucher, who had varsity experience as starters and coming off the bench. We also have a group of freshmen and sophomores that are hungry and competitive. With the experience we gained, there’s a good chance we’ll keep improving.”
From the Sidelines
JV coach Julian Saunders and freshman coach George Braun served as assistant coaches for the Tigers this winter.
Hand’s regular-season victories came against O’Brien Tech (68-30), Branford (54-39 and 68-27), North Haven (62-43), Lyman Hall (44-38 and 63-47), Hillhouse (46-45), Cheshire (51-38), and New Milford (59-44).
The Tigers competed in the Housatonic Division of the SCC with Hamden, Hillhouse, North Haven, and Lyman Hall, finishing with a 4-4 divisional record.