When Bountiful boys' basketball coach Mike Maxwell peered t his finalized roster after tryouts in fall, a high school basketball anomaly immediately jumped out at him: His team had no seniors. Now, after starting off region 4-0 and proudly perched atop the Region 6 standings, Maxwell can take all the credit he wants for picking a prodigious and prosperous platoon.

"I got a young team, and for them to be on top is a cool thing," Maxwell said. "I told these kids that they were the best candidate for the job and to go to war with me, and so far they've been battling."

Battling is an understatement after what his young team has been able to do so far this year. After starting out 4-5 in preseason, Maxwell and his team worked out the kinks in lineup and technique and have gone undefeated in region since.

The sight of no seniors on his roster is unprecedented in head coach Mike Maxwell's 21 years at Bountiful, but the personnel he chose was a deliberate decision that has panned out.

"Whether they're sophomores, juniors, freshmen, or seniors, it doesn't matter, you're part of Bountiful high, so represent your school and win," said Maxwell, "They're starting to believe in themselves and think they should be where they're at, which is three-fourths the battle."

The team is still in the early stages of figuring out its identity, but a couple of prospects have emerged as leaders. McKay LaSalle, a guard who specializes in outside shooting, has averaged a team-leading 13.7 points per game this year and has a staggering 39 shots from three-point territory. Nick Williams, more of a slasher who drives to the basket and draws fouls, has been able to compliment McKay's team leading score total with 12.6 points per game on his own accord.

Williams has been a force in the post position recently, with double-doubles in two of the last three games and averaging 15 points in that span. Williams acknowledges that the scoring burden is on LaSalle, and has taken it upon himself to use his energy under the boards.

"I try to be aggressive on offense, drive to the basket and bring energy, but since we're a little smaller, I really try to do the best I can on the boards and rebound on the offensive or defensive end," Williams said.

With five returning starters on the slate for next year, and kids like Williams and LaSalle perpetually trying to improve, it's been hard for Maxwell not to take a second and ponder how great the future could be.

"I look around all the time and grin cause I know when we get done in April, we won't miss a beat and just keep getting better and better. We're stacked for the future," Maxwell said.

As promising as the long-term possibilities are for Maxwell, the immediate future adds a daunting task for his team. With Olympus -- a team that has one loss in 13 games this season -- coming to town this Friday, the Braves will really be able to see how far they've come.

Nevertheless, Maxwell has continued to keep his team grounded. Even with scoring and leadership fleshing themselves out on their own, experience has taken a firm spot at the back of LaSalle and some of the other players' minds.

"Friday's going to be a good test because Olympus had so much hype coming into the year. Our coaches keep on a pretty short leash. If we had anything to worry about it would be experience, but I can't see that happening," LaSalle said.