MaxPreps Oregon Team of the Week: Regis boys basketball

Having success is one thing. Having it in great numbers is all the more fun and rewarding.

Such is the case for the Regis (Stayton) boys basketball team, which is 12-5 on the season, riding an eight-game win streak and using all 11 players to make it happen.

"Our No. 1 strength this season has been our depth," Regis coach Tony Miller said. "We are fortunate to have 11 players who all see the floor. My coaching staff and I are always comfortable going to our bench knowing that the level of play will be consistent."

For their depth, consistency and win streak, the Rams are the MaxPreps Oregon Team of the Week, presented by the Oregon National Guard.

Beyond having depth, Regis has two other key components going for it, especially during the win streak, which have come by a variety of margins: 27, 10, 9, 16, 28, 12, 9 and 6.

"Throughout the first half of league play I feel that our team defense along with our unselfish play on the defensive end has been the key to our success," Miller said.

The team's leading scorer is Blake Minten at 12.1 points per game. He's backed up by Bryce Piete (10.8), a sophomore. Junior Sam Nieslanik (9.5) and senior Paden Reynolds (7.5) are other capable scorers.

Minten is a hard worker on both ends of the court, Miller said.

"He is an outstanding young man who has great quickness and strength, which allows him to create inside scoring opportunities for us as well as a great outside shot that helps us stretch defenses," Miller said. "Defensively, Blake can guard just about any opponent and his relentless pursuit of the ball has generated a great deal of offensive as well as defensive rebounds."

The Rams will need those continued contributions from Minten and all his teammates to stay unbeaten in the Tri-River League.

"Going into the second half of league play it is crucial that we continue to play as a team and adjust to our opponents' adjustments," Miller said. "The Tri-River League is a great league filled with tremendous players and hard-working, competitive coaches. We know that every night we must be ready to play our best game."

Whether the Rams can get to the level of the start of the century will be a tremendous challenge.

Regis won four state titles in a six-year span starting in 2003. The Rams went 23-6 in 2009, then had their only losing season at 11-14. They then had back-to-back 13-9 seasons, followed by 23-7, 20-7 and 16-14 last year.

What are they capable of in 2015?

"Our team has the ability to go a long way this season in the playoffs," Miller said. "We know that there is an amazing amount of competition in our league as well as state-wide. We are taking it one game at a time and know that if we focus, continue to work hard and play together every night, we have a great opportunity to be there in the end."
Staff writer Leland Gordon contributed to this report.