Gabe Freeman

Staff Writer

Looking for a fourth consecutive league title, this year’s Milken varsity basketball team is eager for the upcoming season.

JJ Friedman ’12 led the team last year, averaging 17 points a game, and is hoping for an even bigger season.  Friedman was recently featured in Slam Magazine as a “junior phenom,” projected as scoring 30 points a game and averaging 8 assists.  The other juniors on the team include Nathan Nourian, Max Berman, and Lorenzo Cohen, who are all sharp shooters.

The two sophomores on the team, Adam Treisman and Coby Cohen, are both capable of playing at the varsity level. Cohen, standing at 6’5”, is a threat under the basket and imposes himself as a threat rebounding the basketball.  Treisman is quick and athletic, allowing him to drive to the basket against most of his opponents.  While they both are leaving for Tiferet, they show promising signs for the future of Milken basketball.

The supporting cast for this year’s team is strong and ready to fulfill their roles on the team, while the seniors hope to lead this team through the long season and bring the team back to the CIF playoffs.

While the Wildcats are a young group of guys consisting of only four returning seniors, they don’t lack talent. Jonathan Neumann ’11, Brandon Asherian ’11, Lucas Fisher ’11, and Arye Lavin ’11 are expecting big things out of this year’s team.

“Our four seniors are not only great basketball players, but they are great men.  Truly phenomenal human beings,” Asherian said.

This sense of trust and admiration for each other will hopefully benefit the team towards the end of the season, when the games go down to the wire.

Coach Michael Whiting and Assistant Coach Alan Monte are looking forward to this season.

“I really enjoy the young men in the basketball program this year. They have worked very hard and they continue to improve.  I think both teams will have outstanding years,” Whiting said.

This year’s team will be especially quick and smart, hoping to put up big numbers on the court, but it’s off the court that makes the difference for these guys.

“We have great chemistry, we love playing together, and we like hanging out on the weekends.  We are all great friends off the court making us that much better on the court,” Neumann said.