The Aberdeen Christian boys’ basketball team will feature several new faces, both on the sideline and on the court, this season.

Although the Knights must replace all five starters from last season’s team, which finished in third place at the Class B state tournament, first-year head coach Aaron Moeller says the expectations are still high this season.

“The expectation for us is to go to state every single year,” Moeller said. “If that’s something that will be accomplished this year, I guess we’ll have to wait and see, but at the end of the day, that’s our goal.”

Moeller said in order for the Knights to qualify for a fifth consecutive state tournament (the tourney was canceled in 2020 due to COVID-19), there may be some growing pains along the way.

“Some things are going to have to go our way for that to happen, but I think we’ve got some kids that can get us there,” Moeller said. “I think we’re going be a better team in February than we are in December just due to the youth.”

That youth will need to step up early and often this season. Christian graduated all five multi-year starters that played an important role in the rise of Aberdeen Christian boys’ basketball, but the cupboard is far from bare. The Knights will have just one senior in 6-foot-4 center Joey Johnson, who saw plenty of playing time off the bench, and will be a key for the Knights on both sides of the court.

“Joey is big in the middle. He plays really big. He’s tough,” Moeller said. “He’s only 6-4, but he plays like he’s 6-7.”

Two other players that saw considerable time off the bench last season are juniors Konnar Furman and Ellis Russell. Moeller anticipates larger roles for both this season.

“(Konnar) is a legitimate 6-5, 6-6 kind of kid. He can kind of do it all. He can shoot the three, he can post up, he attacks the rim well,” Moeller said. “Ellis Russell is kind of going to be the floor general. He’s going to have the ball in his hands a lot, so I think for us to have success as a team, we’re going to need him to be successful leading our team, as far as what he does to get into our sets and into our offense.”

The Knights will also feature several newcomers that will see action right away this season.

Moeller said sophomores Becker Bosma, Jett Johnson, and Grady Jett, as well as freshmen Luke Kaiser and Brooks Jett are expected to see playing time this season, with Bosma and Kaiser filling in the final two starting spots.

“Becker Bosma had a really good summer. Another 6-5 kid who can create problems for you in the paint with posting up, and he’s actually our best three-point shooter,” Moeller said. “Luke Kaiser will probably take that fifth starting spot. (He’s) probably our best overall athlete on the team; extremely athletic, really quick up and down the court, our best leaper. So, he’s kind of an exciting kid.”

The Knights’ schedule looks similar to most years, with many area opponents that are on the schedule annually. However, it also includes a trip to the Pheasant Shoot-Out in Redfield on Jan. 13, as well as a trip to the Sanford Pentagon in Sioux Falls for the Heritage Classic on Feb. 3. While Moeller noted playing in classics are exciting opportunities, he says “the games that matter most are the ones closest to home.”

“We need to win the games in our region,” Moeller said. “We need to beat Warner, and we need to beat Leola-Frederick and Northwestern. Those are the games that we need to win because at the end of the day, you want to be ranked in your region in such a way that you’re helping yourself during the postseason.”

Coincidently, the Knights’ first two opponents are Warner and Leola-Frederick, with Warner coming to the Civic Arena on Tuesday for a doubleheader, before the Knights travel to Frederick on Thursday for yet another doubleheader.

In addition to the changes on the court, the sideline has also seen changes for the Knights.

Assistant coaches Tyler Pridey and Rodney Johnson join the coaching staff, while assistant Tom Kaiser returns from last season. Moeller says the transition has been good for the program.

“I really like our coaching staff,” Moeller said. “I think there’s people who bring a lot of different things to the table. Things are different, certainly, but the boys have really stepped up and responded well to the new coaching staff.”

Although it is his first season as the head coach, Moeller is no stranger to the Knights basketball program. He has been involved with Aberdeen Christian basketball since 2016, and in that time, he says he has learned several things that have prepared him for the head coaching position.

“It’s just kind of learning who’s who in the zoo,” Moeller said. “Whether it’s school leadership, the teams in the area, learning the kids and their families; that’s probably been the biggest learning for me. I’ve coached at other locations in Virginia and in the Seattle area, and I’ve had some great mentorship along the way, so this isn’t new to me, but I think being familiar with the area, with the school, and with the kids is a huge advantage.”

Moeller understands the program he is inheriting, and he hopes the success from the past four years (under coaches David Rohrbach and Matt Rohrbach) continues this season and beyond for the Knights basketball program. “The Rohrbachs did an amazing job when they were here; obviously, the number of state tournaments speaks for itself,” Moeller said. “But I think we’re on a trajectory to kind of hopefully continue that trend. Is it this year? We’ll see.”