The Boston Marathon starts in Hopkinton. Of course its boys basketball team runs
HOPKINTON – A four-lane track encircles the basketball floor in Hopkinton’s gym.
The Hillers prefer a 5-by-94-foot relay.
In the town famous for starting the Boston Marathon, they run.
“It’s everywhere, even in practice and when we have preseason meetings,” Hopkinton senior point guard Jack Ianelli said. "We played fast last year, but we want to play faster this year."
Hopkinton pushes the pace every single possession, even taking the ball out of its own net. The momentum starts with the Hillers' press, which hounds opposing ball handlers the moment the game resumes. Hopkinton runs it against itself every day, so it knows where opponents want to go.
“We know how they’re thinking and what process they’re going through to make the next pass. We can tell through their body language and our experience,” Ianelli said. “It's definitely motivating when you're tired. Then you look across and their body language is down, their shoulders are slumped. It gives you that energy. They're almost out. We’ve just got to give him one more blow and then we can take this game over.”
Once the Hillers secure a steal, a deflection or a rebound, everyone on the court takes off toward the basket. Whoever picked up the ball dribbles it up the floor no matter his position. Hopkinton’s entire starting lineup has played two or more varsity seasons together, so they know where to be.
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“I’ve been on teams in the past paying slow. Playing at the fast pace racks up the score, and everybody competes with each other,” Hopkinton junior guard Cooper Willadsen said. “We just keep getting better and better.”
A need for speed
Hopkinton has always tried to play fast during Tom Keane’s 24-year run. He adopted the style from his college coach Paul Phillips at Ana Maria. The AMCATs tried to take 30 3s a game and pressed the entire game in 1995-1996, reaching the Division III Sweet 16.
“He was way ahead of his time,” said Keane, who won his 300th game for Hopkinton this winter. “You coach what you know.”
At least you try to. Sometimes Hopkinton has the athletes to race. Other times the Hillers have to adopt a more methodical approach. This season’s team is a sports car with the pedal down.
“I love watching the way they play so far,” Keane said. “They move the ball, and they’re unselfish.”
That starts with Ianelli and Willadsen at the point. They relish pestering the other team for the ball, taking charges and finding their teammates for open looks.
“They set the tone,” Keene said.
The defense keeps the beat. It wouldn’t matter how much Hopkinson scored if the Hillers gave up just as many baskets.
“We praise defense every single practice,” Willadsen said. “We always say our offense builds from our defense.”
Hopkinton also couldn’t play the pace it does if it couldn’t keep it up. Keene used to condition his players with sprints at the end of practice. Gradually he learned that it works better to incorporate the conditioning into the drills. The Hillers run them at max speed, and the losing team runs even more.
“We did a lot of running every practice, and it’s paying off,” Hopkinton senior Sam Dadagian said.
The finish line
Hopkinton has won 11 games in a row. The Hillers (13-2) are No. 5 in the Division 2 power rankings. They avenged one of their only losses by blowing out Medfield 79-57 on Tuesday. That allowed them to control their own destiny for the Tri-Valley League championship over the final two games.
Hopkinton hosts Holliston on Friday for senior night, and a win there would make the Feb. 13 contest at Westwood a de facto league championship game. The Hillers lost in a similar situation a year ago before falling in the preliminary round of the Division 1 postseason. They haven’t won a league title since 2011.
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“I’d love to be in that environment,” Keene said. “I’d love to see what they do against a really good team on the road.”
No matter the venue, the Hillers will run.
Contact Kyle Grabowski at kgrabowski@gannett.com. Follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, @kylegrbwsk.
This article originally appeared on MetroWest Daily News: Fast paced Hopkinton boys basketball team eyeing TVL championship
