Russellville Indians basketball comes into the 2022-23 season with a few changes from last year, the most important of which is new head coach Ron Lebel.
After taking over the position, Lebel he wanted to rebuild Russellville into a new version of itself. Under his influence, the Indians plan to rely on a half-court and full-court pressure defense and a fast break offense to get themselves into high gear. The Indians will also have a well-experienced team with six seniors on their roster, all of whom won a state championship in baseball last May.
"The group we have is an athletic group who likes to get up and down the floor. Being able to team rebound will be a huge key to our success this season," Label said. "We see every team has a tough opponent and want to approach each game with that mindset, we hope that will translate into wins throughout the course of the season."
Label took over an Indians team that endured several periods of hardship last season. With the biggest disappointment coming in the Class 3 District semifinals where the team lost to Cole Camp in overtime 58-57. Russellville finished the 2021-22 season with a record of 13-14.
Label wants to accomplish the feat of bringing a new era to Indians basketball. It will be a long road to glory for Russellville, however, the Indians said they are ready for what's ahead and are eager to get the ball rolling.
"Some of the goals we want to accomplish is to create a winning culture all throughout the program. We want to play hard, work as a team, and have the boys enjoy basketball," Label said. "What I want to say to the Russellville community is come out and support the team, all the support from the community goes a long way into creating a winning culture. Come out and see a game and then hopefully we put on a good show, and you will want to come back again."
The Indians tip-off their season on Friday, Nov. 18 when they host Sacred Heart.