Adam Williams ’14

One of the hardest decisions any coach has to make is the names that appear on the final team roster. This year, St. Edward Basketball coach Eric Flannery faced a blessing and a curse, having too much talent. With an outstanding class of juniors, and a larger junior class, Coach Flan had to make the decision no coach wants to make.  But, in an act of respect for seniors who have committed themselves to the team, Flannery decided to keep 18 players, instead of the traditional 15-man roster. In an interview with St. Edward sports reporter Norm Weber, Flannery discussed his decision, saying, “I asked [my coaching staff] who the 15 guys would be and every time it was different. If we can’t make a distinction as a coaching staff, it would be unfair to the kid.” So what does an 18-man roster mean for the eagles this year? One word: depth. Unlike most other teams in the state, the eagles will be able to have division-1 level play from their starters and from the bench players. This means the eagles have the potential for another state championship run. Their first challenge starts on Friday, as they face off with a tough St. Vincent-St. Mary team. This game will reveal whether this nontraditional 18-man roster changes the eagles’ level of play.