At the first game of the varsity boys’ basketball season, senior Evan W. smashed Nueva’s record for most points scored in a single game, totaling 40. The game was a nail-biter, and although they eventually lost by just two points—77–75—to North Valley Baptist, it was a promising season opener.

The team is proud of their playing, and hungry to improve. 

“We put in a big effort,” Aidin S. ’27 said. “I’m hopeful, as the season progresses, that our team will build more chemistry and gain more experience.”

To work towards a strong season, the team is focusing on building their intuition and “basketball IQ” during practices, where they analyze all of their performances. They’re hoping to improve on last year’s record—something that a fresh roster is making a possibility. 

Aidin remarked that the underclassmen, who make up nearly half of the team, have a lot of “passion and heart.” Even without the experience that a large cohort of upperclassmen would bring, he’s hopeful the underclassmen’s energy and enthusiasm will carry the team to new heights. 

Nigel L. ’28 agreed, noting that the roster is exceptionally driven this year. “We’re all very, very passionate about the sport,” he said.

As a result, he said, they’re hard on each other during practices. 

“We hold ourselves accountable, and we hold ourselves to super high expectations,” Nigel said. 

However, this in-practice intensity doesn’t translate into toxicity off the court. 

“We’re a very close-knit team, despite coming from a variety of grade levels,” Aidin said. “We enjoy spending time [together] outside of practice just to get to know each other.”

Both Nigel and Aidin would like to see a stronger record for Nueva this year, with making the CCS playoffs being a major goal. Whatever this season’s results, though, they know they’ll continue to bring their unique mix of enthusiasm and experience to the court, pushing themselves to be a better and closer team.