MONROE — For PCM boys basketball coach Fre

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MONROE — For PCM boys basketball coach Fred Lorensen, this team might be described as a jig-saw puzzle.

PCM’s top two scorers from last season are now a sophomore and junior — Scott Bruxvoort and Josh Fosenburg — and now Lorensen is left with the chore of filling three spots from graduated seniors Gavin Burns, Wes Van Wyngarden and Kyle Kane.

“It’s kind of a weird thing,” Lorensen said. “We have kids that have quite a bit of experience, but we’re still pretty young. We have a pretty good mix. It’s been a nice mix of experience and still having some youth around.”

The Mustangs finished 18-6 overall last season and 15-3 in the Heart of Iowa Conference, with Bruxvoort leading the team with 13.7 points per game. Fosenburg averaged 12.7 points per game, led the team in steals and both Bruxvoort and Fosenburg were the top two leading rebounders.

Both also were first-team all-conference selections.

Having those two players back makes the expectations rather positive for Lorensen.

“We always have high expectations,” Lorensen said. “Right now we just need to focus on improving. We always want to contend for a conference championship, and we want to be playing our best basketball when the tournament rolls around in late February.”

Roland-Story won the Large Division last season. Lorensen said they will be a favorite until someone can beat them, along with Bondurant-Farrar, Jefferson-Scranton and his Mustangs.

For PCM to win a conference title, Lorensen feels his team needs to improve offensively.

“We’ve been trying to improve offensively,” Lorensen said. “We lost a couple games last year — Roland-Story where I think we scored 35 points in that game and got beat 45-35 and Des Moines Christian in the district final we scored 43 points and got beat in a close game. We just need to do a better job of getting the ball in the basket.”

When it comes to postseason district and substate, Lorensen looks no further than the team that knocked the Mustangs out last season — Des Moines Christian. Panorama also has a solid team.

To improve offensively and contend for postseason success, the Mustangs are going to need help from other players who will be starting for the first time.

At the two guard positions, Lorensen looks to Hutch Burns and Rand Hazelton as his starters, with Matt Jennings, Sean O’Connor and Nate Vande Wall searching for playing time.

Past Fosenburg at the wing position, look for Tyler Norwood or Bo Clymer to gain some hardwood minutes. In the post besides Bruxvoort, there will be Jordan Van Roekel, Joe Gilson, Drew Lyon and Eric Wynn.

Senior Kyle Dop is out for the season with a hand injury.

“We’re trying to play fast,” Lorensen said. “We hope as the game goes on, we can wear people down. If you can score out of your defense, that will help us.”

Lorensen likes the group of kids that he has entering the season Dec. 1 at Colo-Nesco.

“Our biggest thing is we have a lot of really good athletes,” Lorensen said. “We can put five good athletes on the floor all the time. They’re quick, strong and hopefully we can take advantage of our speed that way. Other than that, we’ll see how well we shoot from the perimeter. We just feel like we have some kids that can shoot the ball well.”

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