NorthWood senior Vincent Miranda and the Panthers should pick up where it left off last season among the top teams in the area, and the state. (File photo by Mike Deak)

NAPPANEE – NorthWood’s exceptional rise to status a season ago has the boys basketball expectations and hopes high once again in The Pit. That expectation begins tonight in the season opener at home against Triton.

NorthWood stood as one of the top programs in Class 3-A last season, wrapping up 24-3 overall after losing in the regional final at Marion 66-62. A one-point loss to Fishers, the four-point regional loss to Marion and a 16-point loss to Warsaw in what became the de facto Northern Lakes Conference championship game were all that the Panthers had on the losing side, which did include a sectional championship on its home court, its third in as many years. The 24-3 record was also the best the program has ever seen, trumping the 23-3 mark from the season before.

The graduated senior class was as decorated as any in the storied NorthWood boys basketball program, winning 84 games to just 16 losses, the best win percentage (84 percent) of any class in school history. The class, which included Dakiyron Fox, Braxton Linville, Nathan Schmitt and Chad Sellers, went to two regional finals, but couldn’t bring the school its second regional title (2007).

Two of the team’s leading scorers were in the senior class in Fox and Linville, combined to get 25.2 points per game. Fox was the team’s leading rebounder by a mile (9.6 rpg) and Linville led the team in assists (6.9 apg) and was second in rebounds (4.0 rpg).

This year’s senior class will have the opportunity to try to become the first class ever at NorthWood to win 20 games in all four years, having gone 24-3, 23-3 and 21-3, the only teams ever to eclipse 20 wins in any stretch. The 2007 semi-state team and the 1995 regional team were the only other teams to win 19 games.

It’s three seniors on the preseason roster all return after major roles last season. Guard Vincent Miranda was the team’s leading scorer from last year at 16.2 ppg and led the team in steals (49), three-pointers made (49) and will assume the point, where he had 72 assists a year ago. Miranda didn’t just hang around the perimeter, as the versatile guard averaged 3.1 rebounds per game and often assumed leadership roles in huge games.

Luke Zurcher, a 6-3 forward, could see a breakout season after scoring 7.8 ppg and hitting 33 treys last year. Zurcher can play both outside and inside, and was a matchup problem for smaller teams on the perimeter.

Trey Bilinski made a name for himself all fall on the gridiron as the Panther’s quarterback, and should continue to make highlights on the hardwood. The 6-4 forward didn’t have gaudy numbers last winter at 6.7 ppg and 3.7 rpg, but could easily ride the wave from football and be a major factor much like Fox did inside last season. Bilinski, who is as athletic as anyone in the school, figures to join 6-3 football battery mate junior DeAndre Smart and 6-5 junior Luke Holland as towers of power for the Panthers.

Junior forward Caleb Lung also returns after getting into 26 games last year. Lung, who was primarily a role player, still made 59 percent (43-73) of his field goal attempts and pulled down 70 rebounds. Juniors Brad Delio, Caleb Glick and Jared Hoffman also return after significant varsity action last season.

Head coach Aaron Wolfe returns for his 10th season on the bench for the Panthers. Wolfe has gone 145-68 in his first nine seasons, only trailing Dan Gunn’s 239 wins as second all-time at NorthWood. Wolfe is still chasing his first NLC title, having finished second to Warsaw last season.

NorthWood, currently ranked No. 4 in the Class 3-A poll, had to reschedule it first two games of the season to accommodate the football team’s run to the state finals. The game at Lakeland will take place Jan. 21 and the game at South Bend St. Joe will take place Feb. 18.