
Sam Nieslanik (22) goes up high for a floater for Regis, which is the MaxPreps Oregon Team of the Week.
Courtesy photo
Week 19 Winner: 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.

Sam Nieslanik (22), Regis
Courtesy photo
"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."

Blake Minten (11) goes up for a jumper.
Courtesy photo
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."