Before addressing the youthfulness of his basketball team this upcoming season, River Bluff coach Ben Lee can be forgiven for reflecting on his 2024-25 squad.

The Gators posted a sterling 20-8 record, including 9-2 in the region, and advanced to the third round of the 5A playoffs. 

That team featured eight seniors, including the program’s all-time leading scorer, Yasir Cromer, who totaled 1,149 points over four seasons. Cromer was a two-time all-state selection.

“I joked when (Cromer) left, I would have to learn how to coach again,” Lee said.

That re-learning process began this past summer during team camps and competition events. Lee had not seen an inexperienced team of this sort since he took the River Bluff head-coaching reins when the school was founded in 2013.

“The difference is that I’ve had a relationship with these guys since middle school,” Lee said. “They’ve seen the level of expectations here.”

Aside from the first four losing seasons when Lee was building a program essentially from scratch, River Bluff has gone 135-76. Those eight seasons include six state playoff appearances and the Class 5A state title in 2021.

This season, the Gators return only three players. No returnee averaged more than two minutes per game. Senior Ashley Powell would have been the most experienced returning player, but he elected to concentrate solely on baseball.

“It does scare the heck out of you,” Lee said of the team’s inexperience.

River Bluff will not be void of talent, though.

Stratton Ford, a 6-foot-4 junior forward, played on the River Bluff JV team, where he developed basketball maturity. 

“He’s grown up a lot,” Lee said of Ford.

Kane Barczak has established himself as the team leader. The 5-8 senior point guard is a pass-first player who can handle the ball. 

“Kane is as competitive a human being as you can find,” Lee said.         

Manning the post will be 6-foot-3, 260-pound senior Alex Kirylo, when he joins the team after playing offensive line for the football team. Kirylo is an excellent passer and possesses good hands and good feet, according to Lee. 

“He’ll be a guy we run a lot of things through,” Lee said.

Charlie Henson is a left-handed, 5-foot-11 junior guard with big energy and the capacity to score in different ways. 

J.T. Brodowski was the point guard on the River Bluff JV squad a season ago and should contribute, as well as forward Shane Brockington, a standout on defense.

Lee’s teams over his 12 seasons have developed a reputation for playing stingy zone defense. He said the Gators will mix things up on the defensive end this season, likely to play man-to-man after a made basket and zone after a missed shot. 

They will also incorporate a 1-2-2 press occasionally after a made basket.

“We’ve had to have a lot of guys grow up faster than expected,” Lee said. “There’s still an element of I’ve got to learn about them. Still a lot to develop.”