Lincoln High cautiously optimistic heading into season
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BY RON POWELL / Lincoln Journal Star
Lincoln High has three starters (two of whom averaged in double figures last year) and seven letterwinners back from a 20-6 team that reached the semifinals of the Class A boys state tournament.
Still, the Links are approaching the upcoming season with cautious optimism. With three other Lincoln teams ranked in the pre-season Class A top 10 — No. 4 Southeast, No. 9 Southwest and No. 10 Lincoln East — success at the level the Links enjoyed a year ago is not a guarantee.
“The city will be better than it was been in several years,” said coach Russ Uhing, who has guided Lincoln High to six state tournament appearances since 2000, a string that includes a state title in 2003.
“There’s a number of city schools that have a legitimate chance to be ranked through the entire season,” Uhing added. “With some kids back who were hurt all of last season, Southeast should be very highly ranked. Southwest and East both have experience and depth, as well as a tremendous amount of size.”
The Links play Southwest (Dec. 12) and East (Dec. 18) at home before Christmas. They could face Southeast in the Heartland Conference Tournament Dec. 29-31.
Lincoln High’s biggest challenge is replacing graduated all-state point guard Josh Riser, whose ability to distribute the basketball was maybe more important than the 16.6 points per game he averaged. Pete Uhing and Dylan Flinn benefited the most, as they both averaged 10.3 points. Uhing, a 6-foot-4 senior and the coach‘s son, is both an inside-outside threat, while the 6-6 Flinn is a junior post player who improved steadily last season.
The point guard duties will be split between a pair of 5-10 seniors — returning starter RJ Richardson and Michael Partee, who averaged 7.1 points last season. Who runs the point and who fills the shooting guard spot is interchangeable.
“Whoever is closer to the ball after the rebound will run the offense,” Richardson said. “Our job will be to get everyone involved. We’ve got a lot of scorers. It’s just a matter of getting the ball to the guy with the hot hand.”
While Flinn is the only true post player, the Links will be taller than a year ago, with three 6-3 players in the regular rotation — senior Dan King and juniors Tobin Reinwald and Vince Smail. The addition of senior guards Keaton Soto Olson and Jeremy Philippi gives Lincoln High depth in the backcourt.
“We’re a little different team than we were a year ago,’’ said Flynn, who averaged almost six rebounds per game. “We still have the quickness like we had a year ago, but we’re taller and lankier and we can play more people.’’
A key to last year’s success was the cohesiveness the Links had both on and off the court. Pete Uhing senses a similar bond growing on this year’s squad after playing together in summer leagues and going to team camps in the offseason.
“We’ve played together for a while,” Pete Uhing said. “We’re all close and we’re all friends. We can get after each other in practice and not hurt anyone’s feelings because we all realize it’s going to make us better as a team.”
Reach Ron Powell at 473-7437 or rpowell@journalstar.com.
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Links Class of 86 Boys BBall wrote on December 5, 2008 9:01 am: