Pleasantville’s boys’ basketball squad will look to improve and be more consistent defensively as 2022 approaches.

The Trojans currently sit at 4-3 on the season after their first seven games, and they have given up an average of 57.5 points per game. Pleasantville has given up 60 points or more in four games, and the Trojans are 1-3 in those games. The only game they have won giving up 60 points or more was at Ogden in a 68-61 triumph. Pleasantville has given up 66 to Madrid, 85 to Van Meter, and 74 to Des Moines Christian, who are all ahead of the Trojans in the West Central Conference ranking. Coach Tom Wilkins tells KNIA Sports that improving defensively is the key to winning more games in a difficult West Central Conference.

“We just gotta get better. We gotta play defense. That’s what hurt us in our three losses. Our defense wasn’t very good. In our four wins, our defense was much better. We also got to go into games thinking that we can win every game.”

Pleasantville opens the 2022 calendar year Tuesday at home against Panorama as part of a girls/boys West Central Conference doubleheader. The games will be broadcast on the KRLS3 stream at kniakrls.com.