As the winter season comes to a close, the Varsity Boys Basketball team wraps up a season full of growth and experience. They finished the season with a 16-12 record, runners-up in the KAIAC Conference and Cup Tournament and fourth in the APAC Super Tournament. They went through many close games, which helped them bond as a team during the clutch moments. Although they ended up losing many close games, with 7 games decided by less than five points, they learned to stay resilient and aggressive during the toughest stretches of their games. 

The boys started the season on a roll, with five straight wins and being undefeated in the Korea Classic. However, the boys faced tough opponents, including HKIS, SAS-Puxi, Singapore American, and Taipei American, at the HKIS Holiday Invitational, where they went 1-5. Here's what Dev Shah (12) had to say about the HKIS Holiday Invitational. "At the HKIS Holiday Invitational, we were down to a 7-person rotation with three of our starters missing. To overcome this, everyone had a next man up mentality and played with 100% effort, helping us stay somewhat competitive in a very stacked tournament." This shows how the boys never failed to show their grit and grind on the court, even when things weren't going well.

This was a major learning point for the boys' basketball team, and it fueled them to win five of their next six games, until a heartbreaking 58-62 loss to Chadwick on homecoming night. The game was filled with intense and exciting moments, and it was a memorable experience for the whole team. The boys ended their fantastic season, finishing 2nd at the KAIAC Cup tournament hosted by our school and with a 3-3 record at the APAC tournament.

As our seniors leave this year with their sweat and tears smeared on our home court, Dev Shah, this year's Varsity Basketball MVP, provides his recap of this season and what he has learned during his time on our school's Varsity team:

"I think the most important thing I learned from this season is perspective. Basketball has been a sport I've played for as long as I can remember, and with it being my senior season, losses in big games hurt even more. With time, however, I realized that basketball was never only about the games themselves, but about the relationships and memories built along the way. While the losses will always sting, I know I'll look back and smile because of the countless memories I made with my teammates. I would describe the season as heartbreaking but fulfilling."

"One thing I learned during my years on varsity is the importance of staying humble. Nobody is perfect, and nobody knows everything. Even though I have been playing basketball for a long time, I have always understood that there is still more to learn and improve. This mindset helped me grow as a player and kept me grounded. I emphasized improving my game and learning from the people around me. This mindset is something I know I can carry outside of basketball as well, because humility keeps you open to learning, improving, and respecting the people around you."

Even as one chapter of our Varsity Boys Basketball team closes as our fantastic seniors leave, our team will remain in good hands as we push forward to achieve our goals.