That's because the first-round opponent is a familiar foe: No. 2 seed Cherry Hill East.
If West upsets East, it won't be the final determination as to whether the Lions enjoyed a successful season, but it would surely make for a good argument because that is how much the rivalry means.
"It's just such a big deal," West senior guard Marquis Goodman said.
This game is just one example of the positives the state tournament can bring. One hot night, and West could be on cloud nine, regardless of what occurs during the rest of the tournament.
Yet it's important that the players, coaches, and student body realize that regardless of the game's outcome, this is a West program that has grown while competing in the Olympic Conference. In most sports, including boys' basketball, the Olympic is considered among the best in South Jersey.
Just keeping one's head above that .500 water is truly difficult in the Olympic in any sport.
That doesn't mean that West or any other team is satisfied to be .500 or even slightly below that mark. It's just reality that an Olympic Conference schedule can beat a team down.
"For us, the Olympic Conference is so tough, not only in basketball but all sports," said West second-year coach Hamisi Tarrant, a 2000 graduate of the school. "And sometimes when our sports teams lose, it takes a toll on the student body because of the perception."
The perception is that teams can't win championships, but the fact is, it's tough winning games, let alone titles, in this environment.
This season, the Lions have had their moments, including their first win over Timber Creek.
