Since he has a college football scholarship in his pocket, Seneca Valley's C.J. Brown should be relaxed as he looks to average another double-double in 2008-09.

There's quite a Who's Who list in Butler County area boys basketball this season — of who's no longer here.

Steve Cress, Rob Briggs, Cody Fleeger, Mike Pratkanis, Zack Ejzak, Brian Kelly and Josh Loos are just a few of the standout players from last season who graduated.

Here is a look at what's in store on the high school boys basketball scene in 2008-09:

ButlerCoach: Joe Lewandowski, seventh year

Last year:13-8Call him an eternal optimist.Butler has graduated seven of its top eight players from last season, including Cody Fleeger (Grove City College) and Mike Pratkanis (Westminster), with the eighth, senior Christos Klutinoty, lost for the season to a knee injury."I know it sounds crazy, but I'm excited about this season and what we may be able to accomplish," Lewandowski said. "I love the effort these kids are giving me."The Golden Tornado lost 98 percent of their scoring from a year ago, when the team reached the WPIALplayoffs for the first time since 2000.This season, three of the team's captains are underclassmen: juniors Logan Renwick and Jeff Tompkins, and sophomore Bob Swartwout. That trio saw varsity minutes a year ago.No one else on the roster did."We had great senior leadership last year,"Lewandowski said. "When you get that, your underclassmen have been shown the right way to do things. That's already being reflected with this group."Christos certainly would have been a captain and he'll be missed. He would have been our top shooter. But we've gotten used to losing guys to injuries around here."Renwick and Swartwout are likely starters, "though nothing's etched in stone,"Lewandowski said.Freshman guard Nate Snodgrass, figures to see ample playing time and could crack the starting lineup. Seniors on the team include Ben Bachman, Eric King, Ben Renwick and David Schmidt."We expect to be back in the playoffs,"Lewandowski said. "That's our mentality. Our lack of experience and injuries can always be a factor there, but I know I'm going to get maximum effort from whoever I put on the court. That's all a coach can ask for."

Seneca ValleyCoach: Victor Giannotta, fifth year

Last Year: 17-8Can the Raiders take the next step?That's the question surrounding the team as it prepares for the 2008-09 season.After years near the bottom of the section standings, SV has qualified for the WPIAL playoffs two straight seasons.The Raiders graduated four seniors from last year's 17-8 squad that lost to Upper St. Clair in a Class AAAA first-round playoff: John Fitzpatrick, Sean Gress, Tony Treser and Ryan Turner.But among the returnees is senior guard C.J. Brown, who averaged a double-double last year with 13.1 points and 10 rebounds per game."He's already signed to play football (at the University of Maryland), so he is going to be relaxed out there. He's just going to have fun," Giannotta said.Brown will be asked to bring the ball up the floor in the early going, along with senior Dan Rohm and junior Nate Herrmann, until sophomore point guard Christian Durbin returns in late December from an undisclosed injury.Rounding out the starting five will be sophomore forward Evan Mitro and senior center Matt Vogt.The Raiders will bring more size to the court than most of their opponents this year. At 6-feet 5, Vogt is the team's tallest player. Brown and Mitro both are 6-4."Between those three players, we should get a lot of offensive rebounds," said Giannotta. "We're a bit bigger, so we'll probably play more zone on defense, but we're certainly not against changing it up depending on who we play."Junior Joe Belechak and senior Dustin Anewalt, both guards, will be Giannotta's first options off the bench.The playoffs used to be a goal that SV rarely achieved, but the program is now a force to be reckoned with in Section 3-AAAA."That's an advantage," said Giannotta. "The kids expect to make the playoffs. Our job is to keep them on track."Last season's total of 17 wins was a program record.

<B>KnochCoach:</B>Chris Andreassi, third year<B>Last year:</B>8-14The Knights have graduated two big scorers in Rob Briggs (Westminster) and Kyle Reiser, who combined for 30 points per game, along with point guard Shawn Samek.Two other double-digit scorers return: senior guard Michael Gallagher (10.7 ppg., 58 treys) and junior forward Jake McTighe (10.1 ppg.)."We're pretty wide open besides that,"Andreassi said. "We've got a lot of competition going on in practice, not only for starting roles, but for playing time."Junior guard Andrew Wirtz hit 13 3-pointers a year ago and figures to see his share of the action. So does Micah Leo, a 6-foot-8 junior forward."Size certainly helps,"Andreassi admitted.Tim McNerney, who is coming off consecutive 1,000-yard rushing years in football, is out for basketball for the first time."He's a senior and he's an athlete, but Timmy's got a lot of catching up to do,"Andreassi said.Andreassi said his on-floor rotation could run 10-deep this season."We've got a big junior class and all of those guys can play," he said.<B>MarsCoach:</B> Rob Carmody, 11th year<B>Last Year:</B> 12-12There's no time like the present for Vinny Smith.After three years of playing alongside Mars' all-time leading scorer Steve Cress, Smith will be the go-to player for the Planets.The 6-foot-5 senior forward-center averaged 11.4 points, eight rebounds and three assists per contest as a junior."He has a real opportunity to get to 1,000 points," Carmody said of Smith, who will enter the season at about 800 in his career. "He really established himself as a post player last year and he's in the best shape I've ever seen."Smith scored at least 17 points in four of Mars' first seven games last season, and his season-high of 20 points came against Northgate in the Mars Holiday Tournament.But it was Smith's determination to play through a leg injury that impressed Carmody the most."He was really chugging along last year before the injury," said Carmody. "After that, he was never able to get that explosiveness back. But he never asked for a night off."Smith's effort helped Mars to a 12-12 overall record and a WPIAL Class AAA playoff appearance.Senior Dante Detillio, juniors Brody Evanson and Luke Gruber and sophomore Brad Weischedel will contribute at forward this year.Senior Chris Herold returns to play point guard for the Planets, but shooting guard is still a question mark."We've got a nice mix of players," said Carmody. "After Vinny, we don't have great size, but the guys are handling their defensive responsibilities very well. We have a bit of an edge to us right now as to how we're going about our business and I like that."

<B>Coach:</B> Gene Rodgers, second year<B>Last year:</B> 6-14Last season, Rodgers didn't have much time to get to know his players before the start of the season.The team had lost all five starters, who accounted for more than 95 percent of its scoring, and everything was new to everyone."Now you know some of the kids' strengths and weaknesses," said Rodgers. "This year, you have a better feel about what they can and can't do, what will work and what won't."We're a year older, stronger and hopefully we'll improve on last year's 6-14 record," Rodgers added.Leading the way will be 6-foot-3 senior forward Sean Carnahan (10.5 ppg, 6.5 rpg), senior guard Harrison Wood (7.8 ppg) and junior guard Alex Isenberg (6.8 ppg, 5.5 apg, 1.6 spg).Junior guard Tyler Collins will help give Freeport the experience it lacked a year ago."Our top guys are back and our first three guys off the bench (Derek Durand, Jake Campbell, Tyler Singer) are sophomores," said Rodgers. "Hopefully, our future is bright, but it'll take a lot of hard work."Rodgers said one of the problems last year was the players were able to get the shots they wanted, but couldn't get them to fall."Hopefully, we're stronger and more mature and can get it to go in," said Rodgers. "We know we have to defend. The section was murderous. It was not an easy year to start out late."Last season, Section 1-AA included powerhouses Jeannette and Greensburg Central Catholic. They're no longer in the section and were replaced by Riverview and Springdale.<B>Summit AcademyCoach:</B> Clifford Guy, third year<B>Last year:</B> 11-12 overallWhile the Knights must get used to a new roster every year, something else has become the norm: qualifying for the WPIALplayoffs.While Guy and assistant coach Art McCray, have guided the Knights to the postseason in their first two seasons, they're aware it won't be easy to get back."We take pride in a system where we put new people in," said Guy. "The kids have been willing to listen and learn, and that's the key."A strong nonsection schedule also has helped the Knights, who were 8-4 in the section, develop as the season has progressed."We played Valley, Wilkinsburg, Penn Hills, to get that feeling of what it's like to lose," said Guy. "To be a winner, you have to be able to lose. You want to see how the team reacts to losing."After the first week of practice, many of the positions were still up for grabs.Guy is leaning toward players such as center Marcus Easley and forwards Jalik Peay and Kevin Goodman, who were key members of the football team, to make big contributions."Peay and Easley should be our big rebounders," said Guy. "I know Goodman is a good athlete, a good kid who listens. They should be a factor on the boards."What Guy seeks now is steady guard play, hoping someone will emerge before the season begins."We're inexperienced there," said Guy. "We have a lot of height this year, but the confidence at guard is not there yet."

<B>Karns CityCoach:</B> Steve Andreassi, seventh year<B>Last year:</B> 16-9Andreassi saw all five of his starters from last season graduate.Then, the football team's late-season run ended last Friday and kept most of his team away from practice.So with the season set to begin Dec. 12 at Venango Catholic, that gives Andreassi about one week to get his relatively inexperienced team on the same page.And he's looking forward to it."Every year when it changes, especially when you lose so many players, there's an excitement," said Andreassi. "We've got new guys in here who need to step up and meet the challenge."Only three players, senior forward Markus LaVan and junior guards Brandon Collier and Evan Olszak, had varsity experience last year."We have no starting lineup so far," said Andreassi. "It's an open competition. Beside Markus, we have four other seniors, people we expect to step up."Those seniors are guards Tyler Barger and Cody Williams and forwards Josh Callender and Jarrett LaVan."We don't have a lot of size, but what we do have is a lot of athleticism," said Andreassi, "especially those guys off the football team."<B>MoniteauCoach:</B> Randy Armagost, ninth year.<B>Last Year:</B> 9-16It was a tumultuous summer for Armagost.The school board opened the coach's position in April, setting off a maelstrom of debate.In late June, Armagost was rehired and is determined to put the summer drama and last year's losing record behind him."The kids worked hard in the offseason," Armagost said. "The first open gym we had after I was re-hired, we had a nice turnout."Armagost said there is no lingering effect from the summer of discontent in Cherry Township. It's time to get down to business.That business will be getting off to a much better start than the 3-10 beginning that torpedoed the Warriors last year.Moniteau lost Josh Loos and his 18.6 points and 11.8 rebounds per game, but returns senior Tyler Armagost, who averaged 16 points and 11 rebounds.Tyler Armagost, who was used a great deal at point guard the last few seasons, will move to a post position because of the arrival of his brother, Kyle Armagost, a freshman.<B>A-C ValleyCoach:</B> Jim Marron, ninth year<B>Last Year: </B>8-16Every season offers new challenges, but this is a first for Marron.Never in his eight previous seasons with the Falcons has he been without at least one senior."I've only got two players with a driver's license," Marron said. "Finding a leader is going to be a challenge. You usually have seniors step up, but we're still looking for that."The Falcons' top returning scorer is sophomore forward Allan Eaton (8.9 points per game), while another sophomore forward, Blayne McGuirk, averaged 5.3 points."They're probably our two best shots," Marron said. "They can be inside and outside threats."Also figuring to be factors in the frontcourt are junior forward Joe Kaufman and junior center Reed Terwilliger.Juniors Josh Austin, Matt Bartley and sophomore Cole Smith will play in the backcourt, with Smith a strong candidate to play the point.<B>UnionCoach:</B>Karen Davis, sixth year<B>Last year:</B>16-9The Golden Knights won their division in the KSAC last year, but those divisions have been shuffled around.The Knights compete in the South Division this year with Karns City, Moniteau, Keystone, A-CValley and Redbank Valley.The North features Clarion, Clarion-Limestone, East Forest, West Forest, Cranberry and Venango Catholic."Our division is probably the stronger of the two,"Davis said. "But that's OK. It's going to help us in the playoffs."Union graduated five seniors, including starters A.J. Etheridge, Spencer Varner and Clay Burns, but returns junior guard-forward Scott Booth, who averaged 19 points per game a season ago. Neil Scott, a senior, averaged nine points and is the other returning starter.Junior guards Logan Mortimer and Zac Smith will move into starting roles. The fifth starter will be selected from senior forwards Colby Davis or Travis Anthony and freshman guard-forward Austin Davis.The Golden Knights' biggest concern is a youthful bench. Ten of the team's top 16 players are freshmen and sophomores.<B>Slippery RockCoach:</B> Phil Bushre, first year.<B>Last Year:</B> 15-10The Rockets lost their top three starters from a team that took General McLane to the brink of elimination in the District 10 playoffs.That's 41.9 points per game lost from a team that averaged 59.1.For most first-year coaches, that would be cause for some serious handwringing.But not for Bushre, a Grove City College graduate and a teacher in the Freeport School District."Obviously, we lost three outstanding players," Bushre said of Zack Ejzak, Brian Kelly and MattShearer. "But, ultimately, the core of most teams is the point guard, and we have him back."That would be senior Ethan Geisler, who brings his steady hand and 6.4 points per game back to runBushre's new-look scheme that will rely on lots of movement and quick cuts to the basket.Senior Derrick Orloski, who shined during the stretch run last season, is also back and figures to add to the 7.6 points he averaged last year."He's the type of kid you want on your team, especially in my situation," Bushre said. "You don't have to motivate guys to go hard when you have guys like Derrick going hard all the time."Sophomore Brian Giesler returns as both an outside shooting threat and an inside presence at 6-foot-3.<B>Grove CityCoach:</B> Don Fee, 18th year<B>Last Year:</B> 16-11Fee says it plainly and to the point."We're going to really have to be scrappy this year," the Eagles coach said.That's because he has only two players who stand taller than 6-feet-2 — and one hasn't played in several years.But Fee always finds a way to get his team to play scrappy and he has some talent back from a squad that negotiated a difficult region to make the playoffs.Senior point guard Kyle Perrine returns as does junior guard Patrick Johnson. Both will be counted on heavily to provide scoring punch for the Eagles.The wild card is going to be junior Jeff Hershberger, who at 6-feet-5 is the one true post player on the roster."Jeff is doing a good job right now," Fee said. "He's going to be very important for us."

After three years in the shadow of Mars all-time scoring leader Steve Cress, it's Vinny Smith's time to shine for the Planets.

With Butler's top eight players from the 2007-08 season lost to graduation or injury, junior Logan Renwick must step in for the young Golden Tornado.

Moniteau's Tyler Armagost logged a lot of time as a point guard the last few seasons, but this year he moves to the post to make room for his freshman brother, Kyle.