As many of us may know, the Chaminade basketball team is one of the best in the city, and maybe in the state. After a disappointing loss in the state championship game last year, the Red Devils are ready to bounce back and take this season by the straps. They learned last year that it takes dedication and hard work to win a state championship, and they are going to need all hands on deck this season to win. I sat down with Coach Frank Bennett, ’01, and Collin Keller, ’25, to talk about the upcoming season and what it is going to look like to bring a state title back to the Nade.

I started off by asking Coach Bennett: “What are some things that you as a coach and the team as a whole need to do to perform better this year? In your opinion, what is the one thing that you guys need to do this year to give you the best chance of winning a state championship?”

He replied, “The biggest thing was players becoming individuals, and guys have successfully done this throughout the offseason.” He believes that all they need to do is take the things they have worked on separately and blend them together to accomplish the same goal.

My next question was: “What are some things that you guys did well last year that you need to keep up this year?”

He said, “Moving the ball, having a lot of energy on offense, and keeping up the intensity and passion on defense.”

Along with this I asked him who I should look out for this year. He talked about how any returning player on any given night can be someone to look out for. Coach cannot stress enough how hard and how much his players have worked this offseason.

I then asked him, “If there is one piece of advice you’re going to be instilling in your players this year, what would that be?”

He immediately stated without hesitation, “Character and maturity.” He stressed that if the team can demonstrate these two values, the team will be unstoppable.

I asked Coach Bennett about the rumored new uniforms, and he said he expects them to be in halfway through the season so keep a look out for those.

He says that seniors get a little bit of say in the designing of the uniforms, but “ultimately it is under his control,” he said smiling.

Not only does the team have hard games to play against what Coach Bennett referred to as a “loaded” MCC this year, but they also are traveling quite a bit. The team will be heading to Phoenix, Arizona; Washington D.C; Quincy, Illinois; Chicago a handful of times; and Normal, Illinois. Overall, Coach Bennett is confident in his players and knows that his players have put in the work. He believes that if the team comes together and plays as a team with character, no one is going to beat them.

In addition to the Coach’s perspective, I also wanted to get a player’s perspective about how he feels about the year. I sat down with Chaminade point guard Collin Keller and asked what he as a player needs to do better this year.

He replied that he “has to have a voice as a leader to make sure that everyone is holding up their end of the bargain.” He also needs to find “any area on the floor where [he] can help [his] team win.”

Along with this, I also asked him, “what he needs to do to keep up this year that he did well last year?”

He responded confidently, “ being ready for the moment, whether it is for 2 minutes, or the entire game.” He needs to “make a shot when he has to or lock up on defense when he has to.”

I then asked Keller about Coach Bennett and what makes him such a great coach.

He told me that “He lets his players play basketball the way it is supposed to be played. He shows us how to play the game but doesn’t tell you how to play the game. He puts trust in his players.”

Similarly to Coach Bennett, I asked Keller what the team must do in order to win a state championship. He says that “We can improve on scoring on 3 levels of scoring and be one of the best defenders on the floor. Have each other back. Play as a team. Play together.”

That seems to be the theme of Chaminade basketball. Playing with poise, character and playing together. I then asked about a player that we need to look out for this year. His answer was none other than Tricy Collins, ’26.

Finally, my question to end this interview was, of course, “What shoes are you rocking this year?”

He told me, “Stay tuned, but he will rock Kobe 8’s, Jordan 11’s, and Tatum 2’s.”

This team is confident. Coach Bennett believes that his team can win it all. So does Collin Keller. They believe that this team has got what it takes to win, they just need to play as a team. Coach and his players are hungry for another state championship. The last one that Chaminade won was back in 2016 when we had Jayson Tatum. They have the talent and the coaching, now the question is if they have what it takes to win it all?