Eagles coach Tim Beikman said the tourney, in which SLHS finished fifth last year, has a difficult field year in and year out.

“This tournament is always a great challenge for us because it allows us to step outside of our league and play different teams,” the third-year SLHS coach said. “Also, many of the teams are a class size larger than us, which only makes us better down the road. Tonganoxie is our first opponent and will give us a great challenge, since they will have home-court advantage.”

Entering the invitational with a 5-4 record, and a season removed from a 10-11 campaign that ended in the first round of sub-state, Silver Lake might not be one of the heavy favorites to win the invitational, but the Eagles do have enough depth to keep everyone’s legs fresh while playing an up-tempo style of basketball.

Beikman said fans should enjoy watching SLHS because of the fast pace at which the Eagles play, and it isn’t surprising that the coach chose that style given his squad’s guard-oriented lineup.

Tyler Roberts might be the team’s best ball handler and he attacks the paint off the dribble confidently and aggressively. Quin Bruce is one of the Eagles’ top shooters from outside, and Cameron Renfro is the Silver Lake defensive stopper that always displays his hard work on the floor. Inside, Dustin Campbell is the main post threat for SLHS, and his coach said he brings a lot of energy and passion to the hardwood.

Beikman said although he likes for his players to push the tempo, they try to avoid forcing the issue.

“We try to be disciplined,” the coach said, “and when the transition game is not there, we want to work at offense to get the best possible shot.”

By doing that, the Eagles will give themselves their best shot at a successful invitational run.