Coming off a full week of practice, the Homestead varsity boys basketball team takes on conference rival Nicolet on Fri., Jan. 8 at Homestead.

Having this week off of games until Friday really gave the team some time to get some rest and work on the things it feels like it needs to keep improving on.

“It was good to get a couple days off for everyone to get fresh legs and to work on our weaknesses so far this year,” Jack Popp, senior, said.

Popp, who will be returning to the lineup on Friday, has be sidelined with a broken radius in his left arm from football. He is very eager to get back on the court especially after missing half his senior season.

“It’s great to finally get back. It’s been tough watching from the sidelines so I’m excited to get back out there and try and make some plays on the court,” he said.

The team is going into this game with a losing record hoping to get back on track with a conference win.

“In practice this week we are working on the offensive and defensive fundamentals of the game. We are focusing on our defensive concepts and the execution of our half court offense,” Coach Steve O’Brien, assistant coach, said.

“For this game, we need to be well-conditioned and trust our teammates. This game will be won or lost by us,” Justen Newby, senior, said.

The team feels like it has some things to improve on to be able to come out on top on Friday.

“We have a lot of talent on the floor at all times. We just need to share the ball and play smart to incorporate and prove our talent,” Newby said.

“In order to be successful against Nicolet we have to play with great energy, control their penetration to the basket and knock down open shots created out of our offense,” Coach O’Brien said.

A conference win on Friday would be the motivation that the team needs to get them back on track for the rest of the season.

“A win on Friday would be huge and give us a little momentum starting the new year,” Popp said.

“A conference win would be a huge confidence-booster and would definitely help us in the long run come playoff time,” Newby said.

Coach O’Brien agreed with his players. “All wins in conference are very important, but this win would help with our confidence moving forward,” he ended.