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It's hard to put a positive spin on that, and second-year Falcon head coach Tom Smith didn't try when speaking about the season that lies ahead.
But the way the Falcons went 4-18 a season ago at least has Smith optimistic that it won't happen again.
"Even though our record was 4-18 last year, I thought we competed," Smith said after a recent practice. "That's really what I'm looking for. I'd say they're a scrappy team. They're gonna give all they have every night on the floor, I know that. They did for me last year, and I expect nothing different."
Except, of course, a few more wins to result from that scrappiness. And despite that dismal 2010-11 record there is some reason to believe that the Falcons could enjoy a bit more success this time around.
For one thing, Smith expects solid play at the point guard spot from heady 5-foot-8 senior Jon Donley, whose absence for most of last season due to injury played a significant role in Crest's struggles. Before going down for the season, Donley averaged 8.8 points per game in eight appearances.
And the Falcons have some athletes and competitors around in the form of 5-11 senior guard/forward Garrett Levengood, the standout quarterback of the Falcon football team, and 5-10 senior guard Juan Palmores, a starter as a sophomore who's back in the fold after missing last season for
There's also future University of Maine baseball pitcher Logan Fullmer, a 6-foot senior, and 5-10 classmate Tyler Massar. Both Fullmer, who tallied 7.1 points per contest last season, and Massar are undersized but very willing post players who aren't afraid to mix it up with taller opponents.
"Logan and Tyler Massar, for their size, are very productive," Smith said. "If either one of them had three or four more inches... They're tough. (Logan) is one kid that's definitely not gonna be outmuscled."
Smith is also counting heavily on a pair of juniors, 5-8 shooter Killian Klopp and 5-10 wing Clay Penchard, to provide some scoring punch and the trio of 5-8 senior Taylor Steinbauer, 6-1 junior Justin Alvarez and 5-8 sophomore Seth Daubert to add both depth and athleticism to the roster.
And since athleticism is a strong suit throughout the roster, Smith expects to play an uptempo style that will highlight that strength.
"We're a team full of athletes," he said. "It's gonna be my job to put them in places to be successful. Hopefully our style of play will cater to their strengths, some of their athleticism. We're gonna do a lot more pressing this year and run an uptempo offense."
Of course,
Nevertheless, Smith believes that his squad can hold its own for the most part when league play begins.
"We do have a lot of returners coming back with some game experience, so I'm looking for that to help us," Smith said. "I'm just looking for us to compete in Section One and do the things we need to do to take steps forward.
"I do think that even though we do play in a competitive Section One, relatively speaking, the section's gonna be wide open. I know McCaskey's loaded for bear and (Manheim) Township's loaded for bear, but the rest of the teams in there I think are very beatable, and we'll be able to compete with them. My goal is to compete in Section One every year."
No doubt it would be easier for the Falcons to show something in Section One if they could get off to a decent start and gain some early momentum, something they were never able to do a season ago.
Then again, after the way last season went, Smith knows that any kind of early-season positives would help Cedar Crest immeasurably.
"Early on, in my opinion, no matter what your record was before, it's important to get going and get kids in the right mental frame," he said. "We haven't been very successful in basketball around here for a long time, so by the fifth, sixth or seventh game of the year (if you're not winning), it's like, 'Here we go again.'
"I do think my kids are more mentally tough than that, but early success is what a coach hopes for, and then you can ride that into the rest of the season."
But after what the Falcons endured last season, any kind of success, no matter what point of the season it appears, will be most welcome.
"Coming off a 4-18 season, in my opinion there's only one place to go and that's up," Smith said.
