Practice Does Not Start Until You Lock In

The best high school basketball stories aren’t always about the final score, they’re about what a team becomes when every possession feels like a test. We’re joined by Olean seniors Adrian Bohdanowycz and Joe Mest for a real look at a season shaped by tight games, tough practices, and a playoff run that proved how far belief and execution can carry you. If you love varsity basketball, small-town gyms, and the mental side of competition, this conversation hits home.

We dig into the moments that defined their year: early close losses that taught late-game composure, senior leadership that kept the group steady, and the specific practice intensity that separates good teams from great ones. Adrian shares his focus on becoming a threat to pass and score, while Joe explains why “get better every day” becomes a standard you either live up to or you don’t. They also talk about team chemistry, the games where the group truly clicked, and how a smaller roster can become tighter and tougher.

The playoff run brings it all into focus, including the reminder that seeding doesn’t win games, execution does. We talk about preparing for a sectional final against a team you already know, playing for a community that shows up in force, and handling a loss with pride when the opponent simply shoots at an unreal level. Adrian and Joe reflect on going from nervous freshmen to confident seniors, the life lessons coaches teach beyond basketball, and the advice they want younger players in the program to carry forward.

If this helped you think about leadership, confidence, or team culture, subscribe to Husky Huddle, share the episode with a basketball fan, and leave a review so more people can find these stories.

Transcript

Welcome And Season Congrats

SPEAKER_00 0:00

Hi, this is O'Brien Daly with the Husky Huddle Podcast, and I'm joined today by Adrian Baktonovich, Joe Mest. And guys, I just want to say congrats on the season. It was it was a great one. Thank you. Yeah. Thank you. So to start off, I just want to ask you guys, looking back at the season, what what really stands out to you both as like the best moment?

SPEAKER_01 0:22

I would say the best moment is just uh the end of the season, just going on the run in the playoffs, make it the sectional championship, you know. Um a lot of close games, a lot of hard fought games that were uh truly like fun to play in.

Goals And Getting Better Daily

SPEAKER_00 0:35

Yeah, I would say the most, maybe not the best, but the most important for our season was um early in the season we had a lot of really close games and a few sadly word losses, but that is what helped us, like example for the Maryville game and for the Albion game, the playoffs, two like one-point games, and we were just able to squeak them out because we had we obviously have some veterans, our whole starting lineup was seniors, but just those late games sort of help us stay calm, cool, and collected. And when the season started, what like goals did you personally set for yourselves? Myself, I wanted to be a threat both to pass and score the ball, but um personal goals. Honestly, I was really focused on winning and the team goals, but um Yeah, I would say the goals are just you know, Coach K talks about it was get better every day.

SPEAKER_01 1:25

Um you know, we had a lot of experience, but it's probably the goal. Main goal is to win a sectional championship, but came up short of that. But just the goal is to get better every day and have fun.

The Work Nobody Sees

SPEAKER_00 1:35

Gotcha, gotcha. And that's really it's all about with high school sports. You know, have fun and do the best. Yeah, enjoy it. What's something people outside the team might not have realized about the work that goes into your guys' season?

SPEAKER_01 1:47

Uh I would say just like the time we put in. I mean, we're practicing six days a week. Um and then two up two hours, two and a half hour practices, and just like the time we put into it and the dedication, especially the coaches have.

Chemistry Built By Senior Leaders

SPEAKER_00 2:00

Yeah, I would say we definitely do practice a lot, but the intensity of our practices and the coaches make sure that if you're not ready to go that day, then you're gonna you're gonna you're not gonna go until you're ready. Like we do specific drills that like if you're not focused at the very beginning, like they won't even let you start practice until you do just certain things with intent and focus. So they they don't know it takes a lot of determination and the details are very important. Oh, gotcha. Um, what was the chemistry like on the team?

SPEAKER_01 2:31

I would say it's pretty good. I mean, we had five guys that started that were all seniors that kind of grew up together. So we had good chemistry, and I would say we had a a smaller team, so it was more tight-knit, I would say. You know, everyone knew it. Knows each other, everyone's uh got it got along well. So I've had really good chemistry. And that showed it's some of those close games at the end of the year, like we talk about Bendo Break, you just gotta be able to get through those games and uh make the winning plays.

SPEAKER_00 2:54

Yeah, off-the-court chemistry I think was really good. Like you see in the locker room and during practice, we had we always had a great time doing uh even team dinners, like hanging out was super fun, just talking the hallway to all the boys. But I think our team chemistry with our seniors is great. And throughout the season, like our newer players, it just took it even take that long of a time, but it took like an expected amount of time for their for them to get used to our system, how we do things, and that sort of helped them fit to our mold. So double backing on that, what game really felt did you guys feel like the team really ended up clicking the most, like that had the most chemistry 100%?

SPEAKER_01 3:32

I would probably say the game at Allegheny when we beat them by like 40. You know, we played a complete game from the start to the finish, and that was a really fun game. And I think everyone just had fun and medically scored. And I think we uh scored the ball really well that game.

Brotherhood And Coach K Impact

SPEAKER_00 3:45

I think um that was a prior our earliest game with most chemistry, but I think um the game versus Salamanca at home, our senior night, we beat him up pretty good. But that we definitely came together there, like the first go-round there. It was a very tight game just because we were a little stressed out, didn't really play loose, and no, our guys definitely came together that game, and everyone was playing their role and just were in the right spots throughout the whole game. Gotcha. And what's one thing you'll miss most about being part of this team?

SPEAKER_01 4:18

Oh, you got it. I would just say like the Brotherhood, like you know, high school basketball is probably one of the longest seasons you play. So you you spend a lot of time with these guys, like one of just the wins and losses, just like the time you spent with them, and it's probably the biggest thing that I'll like reflect on and all it's like meant a lot to me.

Playoff Upsets And Seeding Reality

SPEAKER_00 4:35

Uh I would I definitely would definitely miss the brother the Brotherhood as well. But Coach K honestly is probably the part I'll miss the most. Like, I'll talk to I mean, I'm glad the Brotherhood brought me with these guys because I'm sure I'll talk to most of them my whole life, but no, I miss I miss having Coach K around every day. He's really funny and probably one of the biggest influences of my life. Gotcha. Now this run really you guys really were just on fire, really, throughout the whole thing you were pulling upset after upset. What what are you gonna remember most about the playoff run from this year?

SPEAKER_01 5:10

I would say just like the the experience, like you know, going to play at Buff State, going to um knock off Maryvot at their place was probably just like yeah, just like being around each other and in the locker room after the games.

Sectional Final Prep And Execution

SPEAKER_00 5:24

I think we ran on that run because we all knew like how seeding really isn't that important in high school. Like all these teams are where higher higher seeds, like we could beat like their league. Our league was tough this year for sure. Like obviously our league won the sectional title, they beat us in the sectional title, we were runner-ups, but yeah, seating really isn't that important, just you have to know how good your team is and just playing to your best every game. Gotcha. What was the atmosphere like preparing for that like final game? Final game? Um, I think what Coach K said is that like both teams weren't really expecting anything new. I mean, we've already played them twice. We were just expecting like who can go out and execute what they do best. Like we weren't like gonna get randomly some like 6'10 kid come out of nowhere and just mess with their whole game plan. They knew them, we they they knew, they knew us, we knew them, and it was just execution.

SPEAKER_01 6:21

I think we we just talked about like every game starts at zero-zero, so no matter what, I mean we already lost to them twice. Unfortunately we lost to them again, but like did every game starts at zero-zero and you know the game plan can't take you so far yet. You gotta execute everything.

SPEAKER_00 6:34

Yeah, gotcha. And now obviously wasn't the result you guys wanted, and wasn't what a lot of people wanted, but what did that experience, that game really mean to you both as seniors?

SPEAKER_01 6:45

It meant a lot to me, you know, playing for O-LAN and playing for like in front of the stream section in the crowd, it means a lot. I'm proud to be um an Olan guy, and it means a lot to like play for this team of this community.

From Nerves To Confidence

SPEAKER_00 6:57

Yeah, I think the community behind us was great. Like so many people made the trip, parents included. And no, I just I really we I think we really wanted just because the amount of work we put in, how bad, like everyone on the team wanted it so bad, and it didn't go our way. But like I think you can tell by our our 37-point fourth quarter, like we were doing anything and anything trying to get back into that game. And you guys had a great run there, like down the end watching. I mean, you guys like early uh came back really and bought it like to the point where I was it it it got pretty exciting. So I know for sure. Like most people don't know, but like go back to look go back and look at the stats, like their stats were like remarkable. It's hard to be a team when they play like that. Like they were 18 from 20 from the line and the fouls, we couldn't do anything because they kept on making their foul shots. They shot 60% from three, and it's like when a team puts up those numbers, like no matter how well you play, it's gonna be very difficult to beat them. Gotcha. And so going more into like your senior perspective, when you first came in to playing as freshman or even sooner, what's different compared to then compared to now?

SPEAKER_01 8:03

I would say the biggest thing is just like going in as a as a like a freshman sophomore, you're definitely like more nervous and you want and you want to play like mistake free. I think the biggest thing when you're senior is like you just need to go out there and play basketball and just have fun and like play like you know, not carefree, but you gotta just not play and try to not make mistakes and just play each play one play at a time.

SPEAKER_00 8:24

Yeah, this this year definitely taught me how important confidence can be with someone. Like just really have to go out there and like just yeah, sort of playing to have fun, like can't play so scary. I remember just like when I was younger, like playing made me honestly very nervous and anxious because I did not want to play bad, but now like if you make a play, make a bad play, you just go make a better one next time. That's how you will play better. And after all that time, how do you guys think you two have grown as players and as people through the game of basketball?

SPEAKER_01 8:58

Yeah, I think basketball has really helped us a lot. Like people like Coach K and Coach Child, like, you know, they helped us a lot become like better people and not just basketball players. They've taught us a lot of lessons outside of basketball, and I think basketball is like something that I always like cherished and sports in general, like that had made me a better person and like just a more personal person as well.

Pride In Representing Olean

SPEAKER_00 9:20

Yeah, I mean we all put in our individual work and Coach K obviously helped us improve as players, Coach Shots as well, but they're the real life lessons that were in our practices, it goes way deeper than just practice. Everything that they sort of preached, like even if it was just like a player basketball, like it did have a meaning behind it. And they would they mentioned that and I got to like thinking about it, it really did. And like they had all the lessons definitely add up, and that's why I think I previously said that Coach K was such a big influence on my life, Coach Childs as well. What do you guys think it means personally to you to represent Only An as like as like your community?

SPEAKER_01 10:00

Yeah, it means a lot. I mean, like I'm super proud to be from Olean and wear Olean colors. Like I think it's a lot of people that care about how Only Does I mean you go to Tim Hortons and people know who you are just because they see they see you in the newspaper and stuff. So that's it, like really cool to be able to like get recognized outside of just the school area. And I think just Olin has also like played a big role in my life and how they become who I am and the people around here.

Advice For Younger Players

SPEAKER_00 10:24

Yeah, I think Onlyan's their sports program, like teams. I think the teams are always a little afraid to s afraid to play. It's just because like we're a very like humble and gritty team. Like every sport, like football, we didn't we were definitely uh like underdogs every game, but we gave every opponent a good game and it just I think it goes to show like if you really it just comes down to how bad you want it. So lastly, really what advice would you guys give to younger players coming up in the program?

SPEAKER_01 10:58

I would just say stick to it. Like Coach K and Coach Shiles are gonna like they have a standard, and you gotta stick to that standard. And if you don't, it's gonna be bad. Like, but if you follow that standard and trust them and trust your teammates, like everything will go good and just have fun while doing it, and you know, just like again, enjoy playing for Oland. Like it's actually a true honor. We've had so much success here, especially in basketball. So to be able to wear the Olean jersey for basketball and play for Coach K, it means a lot. So like just stay true to his standard.

SPEAKER_00 11:27

Yeah, I think it's very important to put in as much work as you can to improve as an individual player. But the more and the more you play with like your teammates, like especially like the same grade or like one grade apart, like Joe and I were on JB in the eighth and ninth grade together, then varsity 10th, 11th, and 12th. Like five years in a row, like how many practices is that like hundreds.

SPEAKER_01 11:47

Hundreds.

Final Thanks And Sign Off

SPEAKER_00 11:48

Hundreds of practices, over a hundred games. Uh yeah, just sort of that's what that's how good teams come together. Like all these stars, you just have to really get to know each other, especially at the high school level. So, like, not like any of us are like D1 or anything, but a good team just comes from playing well together and getting to know each other, sticking to the coach's plans. All right. Well, thank you guys for being here. Any final thoughts or anything? Thank you. Appreciate it. Thank you.