The Edwardsville Tigers boys basketball squad spent the summer grinding through almost twenty contests, testing themselves at venues ranging from Civic Memorial and Centralia to Vianney and McKendree.
Coach Dustin Battas repeatedly pointed to the 20 contact days as a catalyst for rapid development, emphasizing that each practice and game was a building block for the upcoming season.
Summer Showcase and New Faces
The team went 2‑2 at the Edwardsville NCAA Live Showcase, a small but telling sample of where the roster stands. Senior guard Sire Borden and junior guard Michael Donald emerged with sharper confidence and improved skill sets, while senior transfer Carson Barone brought fresh ball‑handling depth after leaving Father McGivney.
Rowan Weller, the returning stalwart who averaged 11.2 points, 5.3 rebounds, 4.2 assists and 2.1 steals last year, logged 185 assists — second among St. Louis‑area players — and continues to anchor the team’s versatility on both ends of the floor.
Sophomore Matthew Wilson, who posted 7.6 points as a freshman, showed a rare blend of post presence and perimeter handling, giving the Tigers another option in the paint.
Preparing for November
With only two veterans from last season’s sectional‑final run, every starting spot remains up for grabs. The Tigers will keep pounding the weight room, using the summer’s lessons to hit the ground running when the first whistle blows in November.
Coach Battas reminded the squad that the work done now will define the narrative when the regular season begins, and the players seem ready to turn summer grind into on‑court payoff.