[More Cowbell]

SV lost 2 starters and the 6th man.
6'10 Deven Adams, 6'7 Curby Tackett and Logan Bryant.

LC lost one.
Chandler Thompson.

LC is deeper than SV.

That's how the point difference has been narrowed or erased.

Those three young men you mentioned were all nice players, and each served his role on the team well. But I think you overestimate their importance to last year's team. The core of the 08/09 SV team was the trio of Justice, Hatfield, and Taylor Newsome, all of whom return.

The loss of Adams and Tackett certainly means that SV will not have the inside presence they had last year. But since most other teams around here also do not have a lot of size, I don't think it will affect SV locally. Where the loss of those two will hurt them is in playing the bigger teams downstate.

The loss of Bryant is a bit tougher to deal with, since he was a great defender and provided a lot of heart and leadership. But SV will move on.

Bottom line, Lawrence may have closed a gap a little, maybe by about 6-8 points, but not enough to say an entire 20+ point difference has been erased.