(Story courtesy of www.bluedevilathletics.com) With basketball returning to Lawrence Tech after a 48-year hiatus, Head Coach Tom Kempf and his players have been given a clean slate on which to start a new basketball tradition Kempf said his expectations for the upcoming season are wide open.

"It is almost like a blank canvas because what I am looking at is a group of people who are going to discover what makes each other tick," said Kempf. "As a coach, I will see which guys I have to mentor and which guys I don't. It's a discovery and learning period on my part. I think it is going to be the same for them."

Kempf went on to say that everything about this upcoming basketball season excites him.

"The newness of the program. The enthusiasm of the players looking to put their own stamp on the program. I'm excited that they are excited," said Kempf. "I'm definitely excited about getting into the coaching part of it. I'm excited about trying to develop these guys."

Kempf has spent the past year recruiting players from across Michigan who he thinks will be successful on the court as well as in the classroom.

"I recruited guys who are real balanced. They have either played on very good teams or had good coaching. The average GPA of the team members is 3.7," said Kempf. "It is a good combo of good athletes and good students."

These recruits include incoming freshman and transfer students who are very much aware of their role as student athletes and the historical significance of this team. "I think they kind of get it. I heard that they are excited about being part of that past tradition," said Kempf.

The coach also said that it more to these players than just rekindling and carrying on a tradition from nearly 50 years ago. "To them it is an establishment, starting out the right way and not so much about winning and losing. It is about being a good team. I see it in their attitude. They want to represent the school as well as they can."

In anticipation on how his team will perform, Kempf says that's wide open and he will have a better idea the more he sees them in practice. So far in the offensive department, Kempf has seen a few shooters and some ball handlers emerge during the open gym sessions. He admits his team is not real big so they will have to look for offensive transitions opportunities such as fast-break shots.

"Defensively, we are going to have to develop a real team attitude," said Kempf.

He stressed that he will be teaching them strong man-to-man fundamentals.

How does Kempf feel about restarting an old tradition?

"I run into people who didn't know there was a basketball team at Lawrence Tech. Students have to realize that they come from a proud tradition," said the coach. He feels that bringing the team back will help create pride in the school beyond its academic reputation.

Read article on bluedevilathletics.com