RONAN - Remember the line in Top Gun?

RONAN - Remember the line in Top Gun?

"I feel the need... the need for speed!"

Thankfully, Tom Cruise won't be courtside for any Ronan basketball games, but there will be plenty of speed.

"Let's just say we're not going to be running the Dean Smith four corners offense," Ronan head coach Steve Woll said.

With no starters returning, Ronan had a 1-10 start last season before they found their stride and finished 8-3. In divisionals, they were just a game away from the state tournament, losing to Polson for the berth.

"It was a good strong run at the end," Woll said.

This season they return all their keys players and it' going to be a track meet at the Events Center.

"We plan to start five guards," Woll said. "The challenge will be to have tempo in our favor."

Senior J.J. Tanner has a command on the floor and the speed to back it up. Any team that would leave him unguarded from the three-point line is just asking for trouble.

Along with him, Justin Dusty Bull and Kevin Wroblewski are key scoring threats for the Chiefs.

Both have done cross country so you know they're used to running. They also earned all-conference honors last season, along with Lucas Black.

Woll also has the luxury of junior Marcus Hungerford, who should probably be called "the warden" with the way he locks down people on defense.

"We're going to have to rebound and play defense," Woll said. "Those two will be big."

This will be Ronan's last season in Class A before moving down to Class B and it should be one heck of a spectacle.

While Woll said that they haven't talked about the move, and that it doesn't make anything different this season, you've got to think it would be a nice wrap up to 37 years of history for a run to the state tournament.