If Jack Schreiner yells much more, heâÂÂs going to lose his voice again.

ItâÂÂs not SchreinerâÂÂs coaching style to be a screamer. HeâÂÂll cajole his players and do a little prodding, but he rarely loses his voice from hollering.

He did after last weekâÂÂs scrimmage, and he could be on the same track if the Free State High boysâ basketball team canâÂÂt run its zone offense. At WednesdayâÂÂs practice, the Firebirds committed a turnover on seven straight possessions — unable to even shoot against the junior varsity defense.

Another turnover. Schreiner shakes his head.

âÂÂCoach, what is that, eight now?â the FSHS head coach asks assistant Chuck Law.

ItâÂÂs easy to understand SchreinerâÂÂs incredulity. The Firebirds are blessed with loads of talent, from a huge backcourt of Dain Dillingham (6-1) and Cole Douglas (6-2) to an oversized frontcourt of forwards Cameron Karlin (6-6), Bijai Jones (6-5) and All-Sunflower League center Keith Wooden (6-9).

When FSHS opens at 7 tonight on the road at Topeka Washburn Rural, expectations will loom large. A 10-11 season wonâÂÂt cut it this year.

Not with this group.

And especially since Wooden signed a letter of intent with Arizona State University.

This team knows it has expectations to fill like never before.

âÂÂThey were big last year,â Schreiner said. âÂÂWell, maybe not (as big), because we didnâÂÂt know how good Dain was going to be.âÂÂ

The book on the Firebirds is typical of talented high school teams. Lots of offense that loves the razzle-dazzle, defense and bench are suspect. When they started practice, Schreiner told his bunch he didnâÂÂt even need to watch them play offense Ãi¿½” if they couldnâÂÂt play defense, they would get smoked.

Now, he feels less on edge.

âÂÂWeâÂÂre getting better, we really are,â Schreiner said. âÂÂAfter FridayâÂÂs practice, I wasnâÂÂt real sure weâÂÂd beat anybody.âÂÂ

After that hoarse-voice practice, it was Dillingham, who amazed last year as a precocious sophomore, who came to Schreiner and asked what he needed to do to make FSHS better. Wooden followed afterward, and things have improved since.

Dillingham, a natural off-guard, will run the point, utilizing his ball-handling and smarts to dictate Free StateâÂÂs offense. Douglas, large, but surprisingly nimble, is an adept shooter, while Jones is perhaps the teamâÂÂs best athlete.

Then thereâÂÂs Wooden.

Naysayers have long called him soft inside — more comfortable floating outside the lane, looking for a jump shot. After a summer of AAU and camps, Wooden does appear more comfortable inside, though heâÂÂll still pull the trigger anywhere inside the three-point line.

But his biggest asset is vision. He could lead FSHS is assists by seasonâÂÂs end.

âÂÂIt would not surprise me at all,â Schreiner said. âÂÂIf he draws as much attention as we think heâÂÂs going to, and as unselfish as he is, it wouldnâÂÂt surprise me at all.âÂÂ

Schreiner is also more comfortable with his bench. Senior Collin Schmidt, juniors Adam Bellinder and Will Malcolm and sophomore Brady Morningstar — a skinny sophomore, the teamâÂÂs best shooter who could start by yearâÂÂs end — give the Firebirds some depth to push the ball or press on defense.

Lawrence High

What do you do when you lose four starters from an 18-5 team that qualified for the schoolâÂÂs first state tournament in seven years?

You focus on defense.

The Lions, who shared the Sunflower League title last season with Olathe South, have size, good athletes and an intimidating presence in the middle in 7-0 senior Brad Collier.

So LHS coach Chris Davis, 33-12 entering his third season, wants his team to acclimate — starting with Saturday nightâÂÂs home game against Topeka High — and become a dangerous team by late February.

âÂÂThatâÂÂs the number-one thing,â he said. âÂÂThe first half of the season is to get experience.âÂÂ

Senior Brandon McAnderson (6-1) is the returning starter, but senior Bryan Cargill (6-1), also saw extensive playing time last year. ThatâÂÂs about it. Senior Derrick Newman (6-4) is an agile 270 pounds, and with seniors Chris Fulton (6-2) and Brian Seymour (6-3) coming off the bench, the Lions can out-muscle just about anybody.

âÂÂWeâÂÂve got a hard edge to us,â Davis said. âÂÂTake Newman and Collier and Fulton and Seymour inside, and those are tough, hard-nosed kids that play great defense. Few teams are going to want to mess with that.âÂÂ

That leaves junior Taylor Parker (5-7) to run the show. HeâÂÂs still shaking off the effects of a broken hand suffered during football season, but youâÂÂd never tell by his ball-handling skills. Deft on the fast break or running a half-court offense, ParkerâÂÂs going to be the glue for the Lions. DonâÂÂt be surprised if he plays every minute.

âÂÂSince he was in seventh grade, he religiously worked on his ball-handling skills,â Davis said. âÂÂHeâÂÂs really talented controlling the ball and knowing where itâÂÂs supposed to go.âÂÂ

If the Lions can just put the ball in the hole, they could end up surprising teams by the end of the season.

Seabury Academy

For six years now, Seahawks coach Marcus Heckman has been working with this yearâÂÂs seniors, Kris Finger, Sean Hill and Aaron Landis.

ThatâÂÂs right, six years.

Heckman came to Seabury as the junior high boys coach, then became the varsity coach when those three went to high school. Now, in the Seahawks first season as a Kansas State High School Activities Assn. school, that could be the biggest advantage Seabury has this year.

âÂÂWeâÂÂve been doing the same thing for six years,â Heckman said. âÂÂItâÂÂs a quirk that just allowed me to go through the system with the kids.âÂÂ

Finger (5-10) and Landis (6-3) are also the only upperclassmen starters. Sophomore Steven King (6-1) and freshmen Adam Davis (6-0) and Grayson Dillon (6-1) make up a group that begins its season at 6:30 p.m. today at Williamsburg.

The Seahawks were 9-8 last year, but this seasonâÂÂs schedule provides a tougher task for the small Class 1A school, including games at McLouth, Lebo and a home game against Waverly.

âÂÂThe games weâÂÂre excited about are the public-schools games,â Heckman said. âÂÂItâÂÂs hard for me to say if we were successful in the Christian league, because itâÂÂs apples and oranges. ItâÂÂs not the same league, and I donâÂÂt mean that as a negative.âÂÂ

The Seahawks should be OK with their size alone. Eight of their 11 players stand 6-feet or taller — and theyâÂÂre not stiffs.

âÂÂItâÂÂs not bad height for a small school,â Heckman said. âÂÂAnd one of the things thatâÂÂs really unique is that they can move.âÂÂ