Ike’s Men’s 23-24 Basketball Season Provides Hope for a Bright Future
With the Cadets season being over, it’s time to take a long overdue look back at the best season in Head Coach Nikhil Lizotte’s tenure.
Season Highlights
IKE men's basketball shocked the valley with a huge upset win over West Valley (the 8th-ranked team in the state at the time) during their much improved 2023-24 season. Another huge highlight of the season came in the season opener against Southridge (Away @ Southridge) when the Cadets defeated the Suns by 1 point, a team that had beaten them by 31 just a year prior.
Major Improvement
The team made great strides this past season, going from a 2022-23 overall record of 2-17 to a record of 9-11. They landed themselves in the 5th spot in the Big 9, going 5-8 in league play, granting them a berth in the first round of districts. This was the first time since 2017 that The Cadets had won a league game; league wins included sweeping Moses Lake and Wenatchee and upsetting West Valley at home. While their season would ultimately end in the 1st district game against Sunnyside, the improvement from the prior season was undeniable. The overall scoring production was the main contributor to the team's newfound success, with team scoring averages of 48.5 in the previous season jumping to 56.1.
Player Recognition
Two Cadets received All-league honors, with senior Amiir Mitchell and sophomore Lucas Stevens making 2nd Team All-League. Senior Diego Garza was also on All-league honorable mention.
Bright Future
The Big 9 as a whole has noticeably smaller rosters on paper than in past years. That being said, the Cadets and third-year head coach Nikhil Lizotte are looking to make some loud noise in the league this upcoming season. While they only have two returning starters, Lucas Stevens and Michael Serna, there is great hope for the young core preparing to continue the growth and team’s success.
Coach’s Awards:
MVP: Amiir Mitchell (Senior)
Offensive Player of the Year: Lucas Stevens (Sophomore)
Defensive Player of the Year: Diego Garza (Senior)
Mr. Hustle: Demitrius Corbray
