From new arrivals to the departure of some familiar faces, varsity boys basketball will see a shift in the team’s dynamic this season. Last year’s players, seniors Nickaan Heidari, Arjun Mukherjee, Michael Seyoum and Lev Zeiger, have chosen not to return this season, and senior Benzie Kanda chose to leave the school.
Leaving wasn’t easy for the departing players, many of whom have played basketball for the last three years at Los Altos.
“It was a really hard decision because I was close with a lot of people on the team and that made it really fun for me,” Nickaan said. “But I think it was just taking a toll on my mental health.”
While explaining the difficulty of his choice to leave, Nickaan also provided feedback on the coaching staff. He noted their strength in seeking a lot of feedback, but said that there was difficulty seeing that feedback put into practice.
Now, in a rare occurrence, the varsity boys basketball roster includes two freshmen. Reilly noted he couldn’t remember the last time freshmen made the squad — the last time being over a decade ago. But Reilly said that shouldn’t hinder the team’s training or performance: outlining the season’s guiding principles, he said he’ll place strong emphasis on player development with a younger team.
And beyond strengthening the team’s scoreboard results, Reilly said he also wants to facilitate personal development.
“The primary goal would be that all the players grow as people,” Reilly said. “We want them all to learn a lesson about hard work and perseverance.”
Regarding expectations, Reilly said he’ll focus squarely on effort rather than results. He highlighted his strategy to avoid specific outcomes on the record board, and said he believed that a successful season is defined by hard work over wins or losses.
“It would be best if we could come out every day and feel like we’ve played our best, no matter whether we win or lose,” Reilly said. Despite losing five veteran players, senior captain Ashkon Chaghajerdi said the team wants to use this as an opportunity for others to step into new roles.
In terms of skill level, Reilly said the goal is not to “fill in” the team, but rather to see players’ current skills and progress as a team from there.
“There are a lot of new bodies on the court right now,” Reilly said. “I think a couple more weeks and a couple more games, and we’re going to be good.”
For Reilly, this year’s team culture will be built on commitment, encouragement and every player giving their best effort. On the court, the Eagles have already seen improvement in communication and defensive assignments. And with four returning seniors still — Ashkon, Rian Mao, Diego Casillas and Bill Chau — Reilly said he hopes they’ll captain the team to conquer this period of transition.
The Eagles’ first league game is scheduled for Wednesday, Jan. 3, 2026 at 7:45 p.m. at Saratoga High School.
