With no player taller than 6-foot-4, height isn’t an asset for the Issaquah boys basketball team.

But, that’s little concern for head coach Jason Griffith. He plans to use a deep roster and a group of athletic players to his advantage.

“Issaquah fans are going to enjoy our games,” said the second-year coach. “The tempo will be quicker and we will play at a faster pace this year. We have shooters and kids that can put the ball on the floor and attack, which fits into what we are trying to do.”

Leading the group of returners is 6-3 senior guard Nick Price, who averaged just over 20 points per game last season.

“He has the ability to change speeds, play at different levels and angles, shoot the mid-range and three-ball, as well as get to the rim,” Griffith said.

Senior Fletcher Martin, the team’s tallest player at 6-4, is also someone Griffith expects to turn a few heads.

“We have the one of the more underrated forwards in the league,” he said. “Fletcher is 6-4, but has a 6-8- wingspan and has an incredible knack of getting rebounds. He is a hard-nose kid that isn’t afraid to mix it up inside.”

In addition to the senior leadership, the Eagles have a group of underclassmen who will play key roles. Junior Ryan Sexton, junior Grant Bair, sophomore Jake Henke, sophomore Cory Nevin and freshman Ty Gibson have already made an impact in Issaquah’s 2-0 start.

Going 8-12 last year and being absent from the league playoffs the last two seasons, its no secret a return is in the Eagles’ sights. But Griffith knows it will be no easy task in a tough KingCo 4A conference.

“We were a good high school team last year that didn’t make the playoffs, so that was a good learning experience for our program,” he said. “Our overall expectation, is to go out and compete. The wins and losses will take care of themselves.”