CHILLICOTHE − Basketball is back − in totality this time.

As the final days of November tick away, the final days until the high school boys basketball season also slip past. When the calendar turns over to December, so will it turn over into the regular season. All 10 Chillicothe-area teams are in the final stages of preparation in order to kick off their schedules.

With the excitement that’s bound to stem from a new season, there’s also plenty of storylines to keep track of through the winter months. However, we’re highlighting a handful for you to keep an eye on as the season gets underway.

Here’s three storylines to follow through the start of the 2023-24 boys basketball season:

SVC Boys Basketball Preview:Takeaways from the Scioto Valley Conference boys basketball preview scrimmages

SVC Girls Basketball:Three storylines to watch early in the Chillicothe-area girls basketball season

Coaching changes

A new season is bound to bring changes, but for five teams around the area, this year brings a change in leadership. Southeastern, Westfall, Huntington, Paint Valley and Waverly will all enter the 2023-24 season with new head coaches.

For Huntington and Paint Valley, it’s not a drastic change. Rick Uhrig, the winningest-coach in Huntington program history, has come out of retirement for another stint of coaching. Kyle Bradley, who coached for Huntington last season, has taken up the head coaching position at Waverly. Paint Valley is now under the leadership of former assistant coach Lakiem Lockery, who helped his team to second place in the Scioto Valley Conference.

Even those new coaches without a direct connection to last season aren’t strangers to their programs. Bryan Alley and Kyle Joseph, who’ve moved in as the head coaches for Southeastern and Westfall, both have connections to their respective schools.

With half of the schools in the area entering the year with new coaches, there’s bound to be growing pains as players adjust to their new system. Still, those developments are bound to shake up the dynamics during the regular season.

Who has a chance in the SVC race?

The short answer? Almost everyone.

The SVC has shaken up considerably compared to last year. Four new coaches, a lot of top players from the schools in the top rung of the standings last year have graduated, all the while a handful of teams have grown into their rosters and have a stake in the race.

Any of the top teams from last season stand a chance at winning the title outright this year. Zane Trace, while missing the size it had last year, has shifted to a quicker tempo of play and still has a reliable shooting game. It won’t be the same team as last year, but Zane Trace will be a threat, nonetheless.

On the other hand, Unioto and Adena have both grown into their rosters since last season. Both teams are chock full of upperclassmen that have been through the ringer before. Unioto suffered single-digit losses to both Zane Trace and Paint Valley last season, and those teams went on to dominate the conference standings. Adena’s also got a pair of shooters in Joedy Ater and Bryson Smith, while sliding experienced role players in beside them.

Even Paint Valley, which is without a handful of its starting lineup from last year, can throw its hat in the ring. Lockery was an assistant under former coach Jason Smith last season, and he knows how to best elevate his players under that system. There’ll be growing pains with a new lineup, but the Bearcats are still a definite player this year.

What players will stick out?

Much like the SVC title race this year, the field to become a potential player of the year candidate is anyone’s game. All but one player from the SVC’s all-conference first team for 2022-23 has graduated − Adena’s Joedy Ater is the exception.

This gives plenty of players a chance to leave their mark. Ater has a chance to follow up on his junior campaign in which he averaged 15.9 points per game, and he’ll have plenty of support to do so. Zane Trace has returners Landon Robinson, as well as Brock and Landen Jarrell. All three proved consistent from the field last year and might benefit from Zane Trace’s new approach this year.

Unioto returns All-SVC Second Team selections KB Perkins and Blake Hoops, Paint Valley has a consistent deep threat in Braylon Robertson, Piketon can depend on Brent McGuire to run up the score and Adena’s Bryson Smith is on the rise through the preseason.

That’s not to mention some of the younger players floating through the conference. Huntington’s Isaac Kellough and Carson Henneberger are two to keep an eye on after significant court time last season, while Southeastern has presence with returning starters Connor Smith and Lane Williams.

There’s bound to be developments as the season progresses, but the one certainty is that the SVC is bound for a breakout this year.