CARY- After L.J. Hepp stepped down as the boy’s basketball head coach last year, there were many questions about who would take over his duties. Still filling the role as athletic director, Hepp didn’t have to look far for his successor, deciding to hire someone who already knew the program by promoting junior varsity head coach Shawan Robinson up to lead the varsity squad.

Many weren’t sure what to expect in 2014-2015. After all, the Catamounts had graduated nine seniors from the team that advanced to the fourth round of the playoffs in 2013-2014 and they were being lead by a head coach who was a rookie to the varsity level.

The Catamounts had their growing pains early in 2014-2015, starting the season 6-7. Their playoff chances were beginning to look cloudy. As the team entered the final stretch of conference play, their fortunes began to turn, as they won four of their final five games. The final push tied Panther Creek with Cary for second-place in the final SWAC standings. After weather wiped out their chance to play for sole possession of second place, the Catamounts (13-11, 9-5) entered the playoffs as the SWAC’s third seeded team and the East’s 19-seed. Panther Creek will travel to D.H Conley (16-5, 8-4) in the first round looking to replicate their postseason success from last year.

The Conley Vikings (Greenville) finished the season 16-5 overall. They were 8-4 in Eastern Carolina play (3rd), which includes 3A/4A teams.

— CatamountsLIVE (@CatamountsLIVE) February 21, 2015

Robinson is proud of how his team has grown under his leadership.

“We came [into] the season a young team that [showed] flashes of being very good,” he said. “We played a tough schedule and that has prepared us for Tuesday. We know if we play up to our potential we can compete with and beat anybody we face.”

2014-2015 allowed new players to step up for the Catamounts, and Robinson identified them early by finding ways to turn fresh faces into contributors. Freshman Riley Adams and Cary-transfer A.J. Morris started making an impact from the season’s opening tip-off. Adams made a name for himself as a sharpshooter behind the arc, leading the team with a 47.9% three-point percentage (60.7% in the team’s final 14 games). Morris immediately became an offensive force, finishing the regular season second on the team in scoring (14.2ppg).

The transition from high schools has been a special one for Morris, who has formed a comradeship with his Catamount teammates.

“It has been a lot of fun meeting all these new people and having the Catamount Chaos coming out to our games,” he said. “This year we became stronger together by being less selfish and pushing each other to get better which also made us closer as friends.”

Freshman Tyler Smith also inserted himself into the lineup after relocating from Fayetteville during the middle of the season. Standing at 6’5″, Smith immediately earned the love of his teammates and fans with his alley-oop dunks and goofy smiles on the court.

The big name that returned from the 2013-2014 squad was junior point guard Juan Munoz. Munoz was under the spotlight as a sophomore, having his name mentioned on SportsCenter following his famous lob to Nubian Spann and becoming one of the team’s leading scorers as only a sophomore. After the massive class of 2014 graduated, Munoz’s role shifted. As a junior, it was his turn to be a leader on the court, and in the locker room.

“To be honest, it was tough being a vocal leader at first,” Munoz said. “I think as the season went on, I became more comfortable with the role and I thought it was a great learning experience for me.”

Munoz lead the team in scoring this year with 20.3ppg, but was also the team’s main facilitator on offense. Team ball and defense is a place Munoz saw the team improve the most over the final stretch of games.

“We started playing better defense and just playing as more of a unit the [final games],” he said. “I expect us to play great team ball against Conley and play our best basketball of the year in the playoffs.”

Shooting guard Alex Zietlow is the lone senior returning from last year’s playoff run. Zietlow knows this may likely be his last run of competitive basketball, and wants to extend it for as long as possible.

“Every game is not just possibly the last game of the season for me; every game could be the end of me playing basketball competitively,” he said. “But at the same time, it’s still the same game, and I’m still going to have fun with it.”

The team will travel to Greenville this Tuesday as they attempt to extend their season. Conley finished third in the Eastern Carolina Conference standings with an 8-4 record. The Catamounts are a lackluster 5-7 in away games this year, but have shown the ability to win on the road when it matters most, winning their final three away games in the regular season.

“We can beat anybody, but we can also lose to anybody as well,” Munoz said.

Following the cancellation of the SWAC tournament, the Catamounts are as well rested as they’ve been all year. All eyes will be on Coach Robinson to see how he handles his team in the postseason, and if their run at the end of the regular season is any indication, the outlook is bright.

Keys to the Game

-Score early: Conley’s offense has been short of impressive this year, as they’ve averaged only 51 points per game. However, their defense is a different story; the Vikings have held opponents to an average of only 45.7 points per game this year. By lighting up the scoreboard early, the Catamounts offense will be unlike anything the Vikings have seen all year, making a comeback attempt unlikely.

-Run the fast break to perfection: The Catamounts have plenty of fresh legs after a week long break. By converting on their fast break opportunities, they’ll be able to set the tone they want for the game.

-Get everyone touches on offense: The week long break has done wonders for the Catamounts’ fatigue, but making sure everyone still has their shot may be crucial before a possible match-up with three-seed Seventy-First High School in the proceeding round.