‘MAMBA’ MENTALITY. In his first year as Sullivan’s head coach, Kobe Wands is instilling a new mentality of buying into the process of hard work for the Eagles. Photo by Wyatt Hardy
KOBE WANDS wants Sullivan to treat each game like a state championship. Photo by Wyatt Hardy
YOUNG GUNS. Sophomores Braxton Breen (left) and Spencer Thomure (right) will fire up the court. Photo by Wyatt Hardy
THE LAST DANCE. Cooper Donner returns his senior year after sitting out as a junior. He is excited to play the game he loves for one last time in Sullivan. Photo by Wyatt Hardy
MAN TO MAN. Sullivan is fostering a winning culture in which each player contributes to victory. Head coach Kobe Wands wants his team to have fun with each game and lift one another up positively. Photo by Wyatt Hardy
NOTHING BUT NET. Peyton Malady (11) is a returning junior who will continue to swish threes for the Eagles. He was Sullivan’s second-highest scorer last year with 193 points. Photo by Wyatt Hardy
BLOCK CITY. Head coach Kobe Wands is training the Eagles to “lock in on the defensive side of the court.” Pictured is senior Seth Valley (3) attempting to block junior Cameron York (33). Photo by Wyatt Hardy
Kobe Wands Brings ‘Mamba’ Mentality To Boys Basketball
Kobe Wands is taking the reins of the Eagles in his first season as their head coach. He is drilling in a new mentality for Sullivan, similar to the ‘Mamba’ one that embodied the Los Angeles Lakers legend he was named after. “The mentality has to be that defense wins basketball games, and we’ve got to lock in on the defensive side of the court,” the new coach said. “Ultimately, we just have to buy into the process of taking it day by day.”
The Eagles aim to rebound from last year’s 4-22 record, their lowest win total since 2000. Wands knows there will be “bumps and bruises” along this season’s journey, but he believes his boys can overcome them. He stated, “You got to be able to adjust, make different reads, and then move forward. You can’t let it grow. You can’t dwell in the past.”
Wands takes the helm at Sullivan after three years of coaching the Newburg Wolves. He led his pack to winning records in their previous two seasons (17-8, 20-8). The Eagles are hungry like the Wolves for victory, but Wands continues to remind them that change will not happen overnight. “You’re not gonna turn a four-win team into a 25-win team in a season. It’s a process,” the coach explained. “So, it’s not letting you know a couple of losses affect what we’re trying to accomplish, and it’s a grind. It’s not going to be an overnight deal, and players have to understand that.”
Wands will look to his “heavy senior class” to help make that change. It includes Chris Glaser, a first-team all-conference honoree who led the Eagles with 306 points last year. Once he returns in mid-January, Wands will utilize him as a “leader on the court.”
The new coach is also excited to work with Seth Valley, a playmaker who left everything on the floor last year. He kept Sullivan fighting every game with a team-high 112 rebounds, 54 assists and 29 steals.
Wands is pumped to see what potential Robert York II has for the court. The senior joined the Eagles for the second half of last season and will see more varsity time. Wands shared that R. York II has “been a really, really big part of our team this year, and I’m looking forward to see how he can contribute.”
Wands is also excited to see what seniors Cooper Donner and Brayden White bring to the floor after sitting out as juniors.
Donner says it is a “blessing” to play for Sullivan for one last time. The forward stated, “I’m so excited to come back and be able to play the game that I love. Like I could not be more excited or thrilled. I love basketball, and I have so much anticipation for our first game.” He also praised Wands for being supportive and building each player up for success, saying, “If I can enjoy practice, I can only imagine what the games are gonna feel like.”
Peyton Malady, Cameron York and Caleb Kwok are the three juniors returning to the court for Sullivan.
The Eagles have five sophomores who will be the varsity young guns: Landen Doza, Braxton Breen, Spencer Thomure, Raiden Redd and Chase Black.
Wands said his number-one priority is for the Eagles to buy into the system, have discipline and be “understanding that practices are gonna be tougher than games.” He is working with the Eagles to nip the issues that plagued them last year. “The turnovers absolutely killed our team,” Wands stated. “So one of the big things that we’re hoping to turn around now is to limit the amount of turnovers that we have and to take pride in each possession.”
The new coach praised his squad for pouring their heart into every practice while having a good time doing so. “To instill things like energy and effort, and every day that we’re battling, it’s competition, and it’s fun; it’s exciting,” Wands shared. “Anytime we can compete at something, let’s take it as an advantage and learn from it, move from it and have some fun with it.”
Sullivan’s varsity team trusts Wands because of his winning mentality and process. They are eager to show their hard work in the home opener. “I’m really excited to get to see them going, and our kids have busted their butts all offseason and all preseason,” the coach exclaimed. “I’m glad that the season is finally here, and I really look forward to seeing what we have in store.”
The Eagles will tip off their season at their home FCNB Bank-It Championship on Monday, Dec. 2. Seeding info was unavailable at press time.
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