By Joe West
PUTNAM ---  Head coach Tom Espinosa entered the 2009-2010 basketball season with a lot of uncertainty.  The Coastal Prep League, which PSA won last year, was terminated due to budget issues.  All 5 starters from the previous year were gone to graduation.  Four new players arrived on campus that had never been to Northeastern Connecticut before.  “With the amount of players we lost, I didn’t know what to expect this year,” coach Espinosa said on a conference call last week. “And not having a league schedule made it hard on us at times.”
Despite the question marks and tough schedule, the Mustangs made their mark by winning 17 games, tying the school record. “I can’t tell you how proud I am of these kids.”  Espinosa said.
With the new personnel in place, the Mustangs started the season off strong.  Big wins over Masters School and IMG Academy had the team 2-0 for the first time ever. The Mustangs dropped to 2-1 after a loss to powerful Satellite Academy in New York, but bounced back to win their next six games to end first semester with an overall record of 8-1.
Second semester had its ups and downs. Playing inconsistent and very weak on the defensive side of the ball, the Mustangs could not upset some of tougher teams on the schedule, including Marianapolis Prep and St. Andrews Prep.  A big win to close out the season against Hartford’s Leadership Prep gave the Mustangs an overall record of 17-5 and left coach Espinosa feeling happy.  “It’s always nice to win your last game.  It keeps the spirits high going into the off-season.”
TaQuan Zimmerman had the best single season in PSA history, leading the team in points, steals, and assists.  Over the course of the season, Zimmerman broke many PSA game records that most thought would never be broken.  College-bound Michael Gittens also had a great season, leading the team in rebounds and block shots.  Fellow senior Orhan Sultanov did an outstanding job giving the Mustangs toughness and leadership off the bench.  Putnam native Dino Porcic made a successful transaction to prep school basketball, finishing the season as the team’s third-leading scorer. Sophomore Han Burhan showed great potential toward the end of the season, playing a lot of crucial minutes.  Junior Adis Muminovic was the force in the middle defensively and was also voted Most Improved Player by the Hartford Courant. 
The PSA basketball program saw several important milestones during the season. On Jan. 27, they captured the 50th win in school history against rival Providence Country Day.  And on March 4, PSA picked up win No. 17 against Leadership Prep to tie the school record.
“This team has been great to coach,“ said Espinosa. “They came to practice every day with the mindset of working hard and getting better.  I couldn’t have asked them to do any more.”