GREEN LAKE – Sometime change can be for the better.  The Green Lake boys basketball team would certainly say so.

When coach Chuck Mirr left the team before the end of the season, long-time junior varsity coach Dennis Brooks took over and returned as the head coach for this season.

The results could not be more in favor of the move as Brooks and the Lakers are 15-1 overall and with last night’s 69-39 win over Valley Christian, improved to 10-1 in the Trailways-North. That success has Green Lake ranked No. 4 in this week’s Associated Press Division 4 poll.

“We have plenty of talent on this team and are more than just one player,” said Brooks, whose son Brad is the leader of this team and hi averaging 17.7 points and 10.7 rebounds per game. “Brad is a heck of a ball player. This year he’s got some great pieces next to him that have made us better.”

Brad Brooks, a 6-foot-6 senior wing has been the leader of the Lakers since his freshman year and that role has not changed this season. He is the team’s leading scorer, rebounder, passer, and defender. But he’s also a great teammate.

“Brad is the ultimate team player and is very unselfish,” said Dennis Brooks. “I’d almost like him to get more selfish at times.

“There were times when he would get double teamed last year and the guys didn’t know what to do with the ball. The kids are realizing if they do things when he’s got a double or triple team on him, he’s smart enough to find them and pass out of it.”

That supporting cast may be the biggest key to the season as 6-6 sophomore wing Matt Van Scyoc is averaging 12.1 points and 5.8 rebounds per game while 6-4 senior Matt Newbauer adds 8.9 points and 5.3 rebounds per game.

“Neubaur has a nice shot from the free throw line and a jump shot from intermediate distance,” coach Brooks said. “Van Scyoc is very athletic and makes a difference for us on the glass.”

Junior point guard Curt Morgan is averaging 4.8 points per game and has stepped into the role and freshman Nate Polcyn has stepped onto the scene and delivered himself.

“Nate is the type of kid that doesn’t really care about points,” coach Brooks said. “He goes out there and gets rebounds and plays defense.

“It was a sloppy first half in Tuesday’s game against Valley Christian an to start the second half Curt hit some big threes that put us up by 20 and it was smooth sailing after that.”

After that big Valley Christian win the Lakers can finally turn their attention to Tuesday night’s showdown with Randolph.

“My job the last eight days was the keep the guys focused on the next game and not looking to this Randolph,” said coach Brooks. “For the first time in a long time I feel we can go into their place and give them a great game.”

Visitors going into Randolph usually have to get past not being intimidated during warm-ups and Brooks is confident his team is ready for that aspect of the game. But will still have to deal with Kyle Kelm and his supporting cast.

“He’s matured so much, but those are guys are very good for them, too,” Brooks said. “They just don’t make mistakes and do what they’re supposed to do.”

While the Lakers have been winning Brooks is confident he could see a great game out of his players.

“We have not played a game yet this season when five guys on the court have been hitting on all cylinders,” Brooks said.  “This could be the game where we can put it all together.”

You can vote for Green Lake’s game with Randolph as our game of the week next week or one of the other five games on the poll. Vote now!