Every team goes through rebuilding phases, though typically not by choice.

Often an unenviable task, coaches are regularly forced to fill holes in their lineups caused by injuries, graduation and any number of circumstances that can take a key player, or players, away from a team.Entering his second season as head coach, Matt Gould will be charged with undertaking such a process with his Pleasant Valley boys' basketball team this year.Despite entering the 2015-16 campaign having lost their top seven scorers, Gould is cautiously optimistic about the Bears' chances this season."We've been able to get more work in earlier this year," Gould said. "I've been able to do more with my staff, and we've been doing as much as we can in the offseason."Most of the focus has been on fundamentals with so many new guys on the varsity roster. We have a lot of young guys that are getting acclimated to playing at this level, so we're just trying to make sure they stick together."Continuity will be key for a squad that returns only five players that logged varsity minutes a year ago.While it will be tough to replace the production of an Eric Marbury (13.95 points per game), Eric Mikulski (10.05) or Nyiem Nevarez (9.86), Gould likes what he has seen from this year's team."They're a very resilient group," he said. "They come in everyday and give it their all. And we might be going 10 or 11 (guys) deep this year, so it's going to be important that we always work hard and do all the little things right."Though the numbers might not jump off the page, Lucas Shaffner (1.71 points per game), Connor Pandolfo (1.60), Chris Barker (1.15) and Romello Smaltz (1.00) have led by example."They're always diving on the floor for loose balls, and they're the first ones down the floor on defense," said Gould. "That's what we need everyone doing."Elijah Munford, who saw playing time with the varsity team a year ago but was primarily on the JV squad, will look to crack Pleasant Valley's rotation this season. As will Mike Mitchell, who has been an asset to the Bears' football and track and field teams in recent years."Much of our success this season will depend on how well these guys fit together," Gould said. "We have a bunch of different pieces that we need to come together as one in order to be successful."After allowing 62.55 points per game a year ago and missing the District 11 Class 4A playoffs for the second straight season, Gould knows defense will be key to turning around his team's fortunes."We have to keep our opponents field goal percentage down. If we allow under 50 points per game, we'll have a chance to win every night," he said. "If we get into run-and-gun situations, we'll be in trouble."Following an 8-14 season last year, which included a 6-10 mark in the Eastern Pennsylvania Conference, the best thing for a team in transition will be to build confidence early, something that could propel Pleasant Valley to even greater success in the future."It all depends on how we start, and getting a few wins early would be huge," Gould said. "But they have to stay focused everyday. That's how we're going to get better."