The Vian Wolverines basketball team practically will look the exact same from a season ago.

Veteran coach John Mays, beginning his ninth season at the helm, lost only one senior from last year’s 8-15 team — Yonsi Grass.

Seven of the 11 players back who saw action last season bring back with them approximately 36 points per game to the court this season.

Key seniors back this year are Jacob Brannick (seven points, three rebounds per game last year), Ethan Pollock (three, two), Dante Glass (four, three) and Cash Collins (two, five) to go with juniors Masyn Wright (10, six), Trace Sanders (six, six) and Brayden Rodriguez (four, four).

The other four players back from last season are seniors Nate Cheater and Kyle King and juniors Cash Trammel and Michael Polecat.

Rounding out the roster are Marcus Armstrong, Ethan Bullock, Braxton Drake, Rylan Lane, Jeremiah Marshall, Zane Polecat, Jorian Riggs, Colton Campbell, Tyler Holly and Chris Cheater.

“We only lost one player from last year, so we bring back a lot of experience,” Mays said. “They learned a bunch. We will be athletic, and we’ll be able to run the floor.”

With 21 players out, depth will be one of the team’s strong suits.

“More so than in previous years, we will have a deep bench,” Mays said. “We’ll have lots of players capable of helping out.”

The biggest obstacle, as pretty much every year, is getting a late start due to the usual strong football season by the Wolverines, since about half the roster play on the gridiron.

“It will be a late start since football is doing so well,” Mays said. “We will have to catch up on stuff.”

The Wolverines are scheduled to begin their season at 7:30 p.m. Dec. 10 at Spiro, but that could change should the football team keep advancing in the playoffs.