It’s the first season for Homewood-Flossmoor basketball under coach Brandin Brown and subtle differences are already noticeable.

One is the size of the players. Not how tall they are, but how big they are. The Vikings spent the summer in the weight room, and several of them are noticeably broader in the shoulders and arms. 

“It’s going to be a movie this season,” sophomore Darrius Hawkins said. “Everybody be prepared. We’re coming for all heads.” 

Last season’s rotation featured nine players. No one else played more than six minutes per game. Of those nine, six were lost to graduation. 

“When you lose six key guys, that just presents opportunity,” Brown said. “We’re fortunate to have a ton of talent in the community, and I think our kids are up for the challenge.”

Some of the new names to know, Brown said, include juniors Danny Ruffin, Jeffrey Cade II and Jayden McDonald and freshman DJ Jackson. 

Ruffin is in his first season on the varsity roster but led the JV in scoring a year ago. Brown said he plays with energy. Cade has a similar profile. McDonald is a shooter. The staff is still trying to find a way to help Jackson make an impact on the varsity team but they love his potential.

That means players like Marvin Douglas and Hawkins, who’ve played important minutes in important games, will be leaned upon – especially early in the year. 

“They were part of a senior-laden team last year, playing roles, but now they have to go into leadership roles,” Brown said. “We’ve been trying to accelerate that process and they’ve done a good job of taking that and running it with it.” 

Hawkins, as the point guard, will have to steer the ship even though he’s only a 10th grader. He said he’s ready for that responsibility. Douglas said Hawkins’ work ethic adds weight to his words.

“I feel like that’s been my main role since summer league, just being able to lead these guys by example and vocally,” Hawkins said. “I’m just making sure these guys trust me, and I’m not just leading them in the wrong direction. It’s taken some getting used to, having to talk a little more.” 

Players say there’s a different “aura” to Brown, who was hired over the summer after Jamere Dismukes left for an assistant coaching job at Long Island University. That’s led to a more cohesive and bonded team.

“I feel like we’ve got a new goal here,” Douglas said. “I think everyone’s just buying in a little more. Everyone’s just a little more into it. It’s a lot of younger guys and we’ve all been around each other since we were coming up. It’s more of a brotherhood, for sure.” 

The goals don’t change, though. The Vikings are only two seasons removed from a state title. They went a combined 63-8 over the last two years and added a bunch of trophies to the school’s case. 

H-F hopes what they say is a family bond, facilitated by Brown, can help them add a few more. 

“If we can just get better each day and play our best basketball by March, by late February, I think that’ll be a success for us,” Brown said.