Keystone Oaks has a pretty good chance of returning to the WPIAL Class AAA playoffs this year and only part of the reason is the four returning starters.

The other is the newly created six-team Section 4-AAA compared to last season's nine-team section in which Keystone Oaks competed. Chartiers Valley, last season's section champs, and Keystone Oaks are the only playoff teams from 2006 in the new section.

"Its kind of funny. We went from a section of nine, which was too many, to a section of six, the exact opposite," KO coach Mike Pfeuffer said. "I would much rather be in a section of seven. Last year four out of nine teams making the playoffs was unfair and now we are getting the good end of it."

The Golden Eagles went 9-7 in the section last season to make the playoffs for the third time in Pfeuffer's four seasons. They were 14-11 overall and were eliminated in the preliminary round of the playoffs against West Allegheny.

This year they open the season hosting a tip-off tournament that features defending WPIAL Class AAAA champion Bethel Park. The Black Hawks face Keystone Oaks first.

After finishing fourth in the section last year, the Golden Eagles should compete for the top of the section with all the experience they have back.

Two second-team all-section players, 6-foot-1 senior Jim Taylor and 6-4 junior Corey Bellovich, will start at guard. Both averaged 16 points per game last season.

"We are going to rely on balanced scored and playing as a team," Pfeuffer said. "It will be a matter of us maybe passing up a good shot to get a great shot. We are going to put five guys on the court who can score."

Ryan Hart, a 6-4 power forward, and 6-7 center Matt Janota are seniors who return with some experience. They will be joined by a new starter, 5-10 sophomore guard Tyler Hans. Hart, Janota and Taylor have all started since their sophomore seasons and Bellovich has been starting since he was a freshman.

"Without a doubt this is the most experienced team we have had," said Pfeuffer who enters his fifth season on the KO bench. "These guys have been in battles and playoff games. There is no substitution for playoff experience."

Hans came on strong toward the end of last season when Pfeuffer used a Duquesne-style five-for-five substituting system. He came off the bench to score 17 points in a playoff-clinching win last season at West Mifflin. Pfeuffer said he is looking for Hans to continue the late-season growth he showed last season.

As for the Duquesne-style substituting, Pfeuffer said there is a chance he may use it again this season.

"It's not going to be our primary point of attack because our top five guys are so strong and I hesitate to yank them all off the court every two minutes. If we need a jump start or if we need to get things going, we have that in our arsenal," Pfeuffer said.

During the offseason, the team took part in a camp at Albright College in Reading, Pa. They competed against teams from New Jersey, Philadelphia and Williamsport. They made a contact with Williamsport High School and will travel there on Jan. 5 to play. They also competed in summer leagues in Green Tree and Fox Chapel.

A lot of emphasis has been placed on defense during the offseason. The up-tempo style of play Keystone Oaks played last year, trying to press and trap a lot of opponents, led to higher scores.

In the half-court defense Pfeuffer said his team struggled to get stops when they had to. He wants to see his team stop dribble penetration and dominate inside this season.

"We put a lot of attention on our defense in the summer," Pfeuffer said. "We changed some techniques. We need to contest shots on the perimeter, cut down dribble penetration and take away rhythm jump shots. We are trying to make teams work for their baskets."

Contesting jump shots will be especially critical playing against a section rival such as Chartiers Valley, a solid shooting team.

After the tip-off tournament Keystone Oaks plays five non-section games before opening section play Dec. 18 at McGuffey.