Bearcats look to turn things around after move to Class AA
The Bentworth boys basketball team started four freshman last year and took its lumps.
The Bearcats finished 1-21 in 2019 and have lost 43 of their last 44 games playing at the AAA level.
Fortunately, Bentworth dropped back down to Class AA and the move could provide longtime coach Bob Kennedy the right formula to getting things turned around in the right direction.
“We took our bumps and bruises last year, but when you play with Serra Catholic, Jeannette and Brentwood, you learn lessons real quick,” said Kennedy, the all-time winningest coach in program history. “We are back where we are supposed to be in Double-A, and with our experience that we return, I am excited.”
Three of the four freshmen who started a year ago are back — the fourth moved — with the trio consisting of point guard Landen Urcho, shooting guard Jerzy Timlin and power forward Tucker McMurray.
“Those guys picked up valuable experience and are still really young,” Kennedy said. “We will continue to grow.”
The other two starters are senior guard/forward Mason Gurewicz and 6-2 senior Nate Menzer.
Kennedy said the team could go eight or nine deep and he raved about 6-4 junior Dylan Holms and how putting him with Menzer gives the team options offensively.
“We could go with four guards and one big, or three guards with two bigs,” he said. “It is nice to have options.”
Kennedy said he has tweaked things a bit with the team still being so young.
“We have gone back to old school terminology,” he said. “Also, I have made a point that whether we win games or don’t, we will do it the right way, learn fundamentals and have fun.
“Everyone loves to win and I have been spoiled around here with some really good teams, and we want to get back there doing it the right way.”
The Bearcats play in Section 4-AA with California, Carmichaels, Frazier, Jefferson-Morgan and Monessen.
“Cal is the team to beat in the section, their program is on the upswing and have a really good coach,” Kennedy said, referring to Aaron Balla. “Dennis Garrett has done a good job with Jefferson-Morgan, Frazier and Carmichaels have been a good program, and Monessen is Monessen.
“For the most part, several of the teams, we are even across the board.”
Bentworth is scheduled to open the season on Dec. 14 when it hosts Burgettstown.