City of Basketball Love

Michael Bullock (@thebullp_n)
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(Ed. Note: This article is part of CoBL's "Prepping for Preps," our series of articles previewing area high school teams for the 2015-16 season. For the complete list of schools previewed so far, click here)

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HERSHEY — Might be prior to the school day tipping off, or right after the final class dismisses, or even in the evening, but Paul Blackburn’s basketball-playing Hershey Trojans likely are gathering for some sort of collective exercise.

Skill improvement, shooting drills, lifting weights, pickup games. Name it and these Trojans are staying as busy as possible — with any or all of the above.

Yet while most sessions are intended to make Hershey’s players better at different facets of the game, Blackburn’s exhaustive preseason motivation also is aimed at speeding the chemistry-constructing process.

 “I don’t know how many games we’re going to win, but we’re gonna be a great team this year,” Blackburn said. “I don’t know how many we’re going to win, but when you look at them when they leave the gym [people are going to say] Hershey’s a good team, they really play together, they’re fun to watch, they really play hard and together. That’s all we want.”

While many people might point to Hershey’s season-ending setback to eventual champ York in the District 3-AAAA playoffs as something to jump on momentum-wise — the Trojans led by seven at York in the fourth quarter before falling — Blackburn prefers to focus on the here and now.

Especially since 6-10, 235-pound Villanova commit Dylan Painter appears poised to close out his Hershey career in splendid fashion following a terrific summer spent playing alongside and against some of the top players in the country while toiling on the Nike-backed Elite Youth Basketball circuit for Team Final.

“We’re all really excited,” said Painter, who last season averaged 17.8 points, 11.1 rebounds, 3.6 blocked shots and 1.7 assists for a Hershey club (14-10) that split a pair of games in the District 3-AAAA playoffs. “We’re all here four times a week, just playing with each other and talking about the season. We’re ready.”

Painter’s time in a Team Final uniform may have proved beneficial in a lot of different areas, but it really upped his confidence level. Playing against many of the top big men in the country, he certainly held his own, averaging 8.5 ppg, 5.5 rpg and 2.2 bpg in 12 EYBL games.

“Phenomenal experience,” Blackburn admitted. “It was an exciting thing for him because he didn’t have to do everything. He had to prove he belonged, [which was a] different role for him. Now, when he proved he belonged, he wanted the ball and you don’t always get it in that scenario, so he chose his spots.

“So he had to pick and choose: What else can I do? He is a little bit better defensively. He does rebound a little bit better. He does know how strong he has to become to do things he wants to do. Things he wasn’t good at, all of a sudden he’s a little better at them. … That experience showed that I can play at the highest level and I can do things to make my game even better.”

Yet even Painter cannot operate alone.

Although physical 6-2 senior Matt Brier (3.3 ppg) and 6-2 sophomore Jake Wilson (6.8 ppg, 30 treys) also return, help must come from youngsters such as 6-2 sophomore Chase Wallace, a transfer from Harrisburg, 6-2 sophomore Sean Coller, 5-9 freshman Luke Hedrick and 6-0 junior Luke Blackburn, the coach’s son.

Painter’s 6-3 sophomore brother, Drew, and 6-1 senior Jimmy Sheehan will get plugged in once the football season ends. Ross Good, a 6-7 junior, may be called upon to spell Dylan Painter or play alongside him up front.

Then there’s 6-1 senior Connor Gurt, the X-factor who missed last season with a ruptured Achilles tendon after relocating from nearby Palmyra. A two-year starter on really youthful Palmyra clubs, Gurt averaged 10 ppg as a sophomore.

So, with a lot of youngsters bouncing around Hershey’s gym, one can understand why Blackburn is determined to take whatever steps needed to comprehensively prepare his Trojans for their season opener against Shamokin.

A remarkably competitive atmosphere and the ability to run some players in and out should make the Trojans better defensively as they become part of a Mid-Penn Keystone title chase that also figures to have Bishop McDevitt, Palmyra, Cedar Cliff and Mechanicsburg heavily involved.

“Our defense is doing really good,” Painter said. “Doing really good right now.”

And, in an effort to build confidence amongst his youngsters — as well as take needed heat off his aircraft carrier — Blackburn dusted off the “10,000 Shot Club” he employed during an earlier coaching stop at Lebanon.

“My goal is to get everybody genuinely into it from the 16th of November on through hopefully March,” Blackburn said. “I think we’re on our way.

“We just have to keep that momentum.”