Augusta Christian head basketball coach Andrew Bryan. JIM BLAYLOCK/STAFF

Looking back, though, all the Lions have are bitter memories.

They were upset in the second round of the GISA state playoffs by George Walton - a team they had already beaten twice - and watched it go on to win a state championship.

"I hated how the season ended," second-year coach Andrew Bryan said. "That kind of leaves a bad taste to myself and to all the guys. We are ready to work through that this year and use it."

"We just feel like we have unfinished business," senior point guard Brandon Kimm said.

Augusta Christian's Scott Bodden goes to the basket during practice. JIM BLAYLOCK/STAFF

Bryan said the early departure from the state playoffs has only motivated his team.

"We've got five seniors on the team this year," Bryan said, "and all of them really want to leave with a state championship."

The Lions are running harder at practice and readjusting the mindset of the team so everyone knows and accepts their role.

Versatility is Augusta Christian's strength. The Lions have a deep bench, and Bryan feels comfortable going 10 or 11 deep without losing anything.

"The bench will play a tremendous role," Bryan said. "We've got a number of guys on our bench that I feel very confident about that anywhere else they would be starters, if not stars."

"We've got a lot more leadership this year," senior center Scott Bodden said. "We've got to step up."

Bryan will look to his three captains - Belcher, Bodden and Kimm - to motivate the rest of the team. However, it's his point guard, Kimm, that he feels must take the role of coach on the floor.

"Brandon is a great floor leader," Bryan said. "His leadership on the court and at practice is excellent. I tell him that he needs to embody me out there on the court. Whether he is on the floor or not, he has that type of mentality and that type of leadership that when I express something, he relays it to everyone else."

"We want to pride ourselves in our defense," Bryan said. "We want to be known as a good defensive team. We always want to be smart with the ball. So I talk to them about playing good defense, and being well conditioned to be able to play that type of defense, and being smart with the basketball once we've got it."

Through one game - a season-opening win over North Cobb Christian - it's worked. If it takes a whole regular season to adjust to defensive basketball, the Lions say it's worth the wait.

"It's not so much the record," said senior Jordan Belcher, who averaged 18.6 points a game last season and received All-State honors last season. "We could go 0-30, and win state. That's all we really care about. We're not really looking at a record, just every day getting better and playing as a team."

PREVIEW SERIES

The Augusta Chronicle is previewing the high school basketball season. The series culminates Thanksgiving Day, when capsules of area schools will be published.

SUNDAY: South Carolina's coaches tabbed North Augusta's boys as No. 1 in the state.

MONDAY: The Ridge Spring-Monetta girls put a tough playoff loss behind them.

TUESDAY: Augusta Christian's boys have unfinished business.

WEDNESDAY: After winning their first state crown, Brentwood's girls are out to repeat.

THURSDAY: Butler's boys regroup after losing all five starters, while Glenn Hills' girls begin defense of a state title.

--From the Tuesday, November 26, 2002 printed edition of the Augusta Chronicle