Knoch head coach Alan Bauman celebrates his team's victory over Beaver during the WPIAL playoff game at Knoch High School on Feb. 16. Bauman has been named the Butler Eagle’s Boys Basketball Coach of the Year. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle

JEFFERSON TWP — Youthful experience is one thing. Throw a strong degree of talent into the mix and you have a team that's not only fun to watch, but one that is capable of multiple signature wins.

Knoch's boys basketball team was not as green as its starting lineup of four sophomores and one junior would suggest.

Jackson Bauman, Teegan Finucan and Zane Pacek, all current sophomores, and junior Kaden Spencer, all started in 2022-23 and head coach Alan Bauman was not shy about voicing the squad's lofty goals before the season began.

"We wanted to compete against a very strong Hampton team that's in our section and we did that," he said. "We wanted to finish (no lower than) second in the section standings and host a WPIAL playoff game and we accomplished both of those goals. The only thing we set out to do and didn't achieve was getting to the state playoffs, but we had some really good wins and there's a lot to build on moving forward."

A year after going 8-15, the Knights compiled a 15-11 record this season and won a district playoff game. The turnaround earned for Bauman the Butler Eagle's Boys Basketball Coach of the Year honor. Also considered were North Catholic's Jim Rocco, Karns City's Zach Kepple and Moniteau's Mike Jewart.

Derek Lang, a 6-feet-7 sophomore forward, moved into Knoch's starting lineup this year while Zarian Finucan, Vincent DeFelice, Zach Szebalskie, Jackson McCool, Roman DeFelice and Brody Bauman all provided key minutes off the bench. The Knights were capable of big runs that often paved the way to victory.

"The guys didn't get rattled a whole lot, were mostly even-keel, but that's a learning process that comes with a young team," Coach Bauman said. "Kaden was our leader on the floor and Jacob Fox, a senior, was our leader in the locker room. He made sure things were done with a purpose and he meant a lot to the team. One of our mottos was "Better Together". We were at our best when we played as a unit."

Knoch opened the season with four consecutive wins, but it was later on when the team truly put its stamp on the 2023-24 campaign.

Beginning at the Deer Lakes Holiday Tournament in late December, Knoch reeled off six straight wins to improve to 10-2 on the season, then hit a rough stretch.

"We were struggling late in the season (losing four of six) and for us to go down to Highlands, a place where we hadn't won in I don't know how long, and beat them to clinch second place in the section, that was big," Coach Bauman said. "That win and the playoff victory over Beaver (52-48), those really stand out for me.

"The guys played with the right attitude and the effort was there all season. I'm so proud of the team for not backing down."

The Knights defeated nine playoff teams this season compared to just a pair of such victories the year before.

Assistant coaches on this year's team included Austin Hannes, Joe McCanna, Pete Schramm and Jim Lind.

Bauman played basketball at Freeport before graduating in 1999. Two younger brothers, David and Adam, followed by donning Freeport blue and gold.

"My uncle, John Sell, played high school basketball and my mom took me to all of his games when I was just a little kid and I fell in love with it," Bauman said. "My parents did a good job of letting me and my brothers be who we were and basketball was such a big part of that."

Prior to taking the reins at Knoch, Alan Bauman was an assistant at Sewickley Academy for 10 years under longtime head coach Win Palmer, who died in August.

"My dad died when I was in high school and Win became such a big influence in my life," Bauman said. "We won two WPIAL titles and one state title together. For me to get this honor the same (school year) that he passed, it's very humbling."