By Justin Sokeland
WBIW.com
BEDFORD – Learning on the fly is more of an art form than a science. Bedford North Lawrence spent most of its transition season under a new coach in that mode, painting with broad brush strokes. After a late start to offseason work, after a sensational first half of the regular season, the finished product was worthy of appreciation.
The Stars completed the first campaign under Kurt Godlevske with a 13-9 record and a tough first-round loss to New Albany in the Class 4A sectional. With moments of glory and impressive wins, with agonizing setbacks that taught life lessons, the final record reflected a true thrill ride. Around each turn, something unexpected awaited. It was a real adrenaline rush.
BNL’s best was an eight-game winning streak that earned the Stars some state poll votes. The opposite was the stumbling finish against high-quality competition, dropping four of the last five games and falling short in a postseason rematch with the Bulldogs. The nine losses came against teams that combined for a remarkable 167-62 record (including three sectional champions), only two of the 13 wins came against teams that concluded with winning records. The other 11 were 54 games under .500.
That means BNL conquered the teams it should have, lost some it could have won, only got overmatched a couple of times. After the chaotic offseason, after changing the style and adapting to the personnel, Godlevske labeled it an overall success.
“Coming in unknown, as far as what we had and if we would be able to compete, I would give us a high B-plus to A-minus rating,” Godlevske said. “We competed with most teams, so it was a very good regular season for us.
“The way we played during that winning streak was very similar to teams in the past that have been very successful. Defend, share the ball, move the ball, and we shot the ball extremely well.”
Shooting was definitely BNL’s strength. The Stars shot over 50 percent, quite an achievement for a team that launched 45 percent of its shots from the 3-point line. That offensive ability could mask some flaws (getting outrebounded on a consistent basis) and made them entertaining and dangerous. Patric Matson (20.1 points) and Noah Godlevske (14.5) were feared scorers.
Now the Stars must start the reloading for next season. First they will need to replace four seniors (including the entire starting backcourt). Godlevske, Trace Rynders (4.0), Maddox Ray (1.8) and latecomer Kline Woodward (1.0) were credited with a lot of the success.
“The every-day interactions with them made coming to practice enjoyable and a lot of fun,” Godlevske said. “They were so consistent with their effort, trying to accomplishment what I envisioned for them. Every one of them brought something different to the table and utilized their strength about as well as they could. Our success hinged on whether they would buy into that, and they did a tremendous job. I can’t say enough positive things about what they did.”
The future outlook is more stable than last year, but not without questions. Who steps into the void in the backcourt? Rynders and Ray were twin defenders, Godlevske stretched the defense and made 72 treys.
The centerpiece will be Matson, who exploded on the scene with tremendous offensive skills. He shot 50 percent from deep, 55 percent overall. If he adds muscle to his frame and game, his potential is limitless.
“His progression from last season, until the end of this season, may have been some of the largest growth I’ve seen from a player,” Godlevske said. “He really matured and developed into an outstanding perimeter player, and he’s developing some post skills. That’s the scary thing. I don’t think he’s done developing. That’s saying a lot, considering the young man averaged 20 a game.
“He’s an inside-out guy, but his inside is slashing. If he develops some type of game where he can post and take advantage of players, that will be through strength.”
BNL will also return Logan Miracle (6.0 points and 3.7 boards while converting 72 percent of his shots) in the interior. Wing reserve Quincy Pickett (4.8 with 24 treys) and inside hustler Isaiah Sasser (2.6) played significant minutes, and Dax Short (2.3) split time with the varsity and JV and still had key contributions.
“We have a lot of pieces,” Godlevske said. “What we’re missing for next year is someone who has got to commit themselves to getting better, or we have to find someone who has a niche, like a Maddox Ray who can all-out defend. We have to find some depth. My concern is having to change our style because we won’t be as deep as we have been.”
BNL is still seeking its first sectional title since 2001, and that goal will be difficult. Most of the current sectional opponents (depending on possible postseason changes from the IHSAA) will return major parts of their lineups.
“You have to get your team to understand how to play against the type of schedule we play,” Godlevske said. “The coaches we faced did a tremendous job of scouting us and taking away our strengths. Learning how to read and take what the defense gives you is an area that I enjoyed. I want to focus on that and help the kids understand what we need to do.”
