As the Intramural Basketball Association comes back into season, many teams look to dethrone the reigning champs: the teachers.

“I expect to be a champion again,” Assistant Principal Mr. Seborn Yancy said.

Although Yancy had success last year, he might switch things up and follow his own path by creating a new team. Yancy is still undecided, but this would be a huge factor in the IBA preseason rankings. “I’d recruit a few staff members,” Yancy said.

IBA is a unique activity that brings the BSM community together. Students play to have fun with their friends without the extra commitment that is required by the BSM sports programs.

In a different way, teachers use IBA as an opportunity to bond with students outside the classroom. “[The best parts of IBA are] playing basketball and having a different outlet to get to know some of the guys here at school,” Yancy said.

This year, there are some new additions expected to IBA, such as senior Patrick Binish and possibly junior John Whitmore. For Binish, IBA would provide an outlet to continue playing a sport he loves. “If there wasn’t another way for me to play basketball, I definitely would have stayed on the team,” Binish said.

Binish also has high expectations, hinting at the possibility of an IBA championship title in the future. “All I’m saying is watch out for my team. We are sleeper picks, but I think we will be good and competitive; no one will see us coming,” Binish said.

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With these new players adding to the competitive atmosphere of IBA, the league also looks forward to welcoming back players who have elevated their game during the offseason. In preparation for the season, Yancy has started a morning routine of working out at LA Fitness prior to the school day. Binish has taken almost every opportunity to better himself before the season, competing in cross country, as well as track and field, to stay in shape. “I have also been going to varsity [basketball] open gyms to prepare for IBA by playing against higher competition to better my game,” Binish said.

This year’s IBA championship is out there for the taking, but most think the teachers have the upper hand. “The team to beat is obviously the teachers. Two championships in a row; that’s hard to beat,” Binish said.

Although these titles come with added expectations, the teachers feel that they are up for the challenge. “There is a little pressure to repeat, and it’s never easy to repeat. There is a target on our back now,” Yancy said.