Coming back from a year that saw a school-record 18 wins, victories over every team in the league and a league championship is no easy job.

Topping it, on the other hand, is an even tougher assignment.

But it is one the Manhattan High boys basketball team is tasked with in 2015.

Make no mistake, however — the Indians are well-equipped to tackle the challenge. Four starters return to this year’s roster, which includes seven seniors. Head coach Benji George, who enters his second full season at the helm of the program, said the consistency will pay dividends down the stretch.

“We have a great core group of guys coming back,” George said. “Especially with our guards, with Trevor [Hudgins], and Gabe [Awbrey], Robbie [Ostermann] and Tommy [Ekart] in the mix there.”

The list of seven seniors includes guards Awbrey and Ostermann, as well as forwards Christian Carmichael, Cole Gritton, Darryl Mallett, Grant Munsen and guard Zach Francis.

Francis, however, is a newcomer to the Varsity squad after playing on the J.V. team the last two years. George explained that Francis’ style of play will be especially beneficial in half-court sets.

“He shot lights out this summer,” George said. “He’s taken steps forward defensively; that was the area he needed to improve. And he has a really good feel for our offense. He’s going to fit in, I think, really well in games where it’s more of a half-court game.”

Junior Ian Trapp is another newcomer. Fresh off playing quarterback for the football team, George said Trapp’s strengths reside in his abilities as an athlete.

“Ian provides us a whole other level of athleticism,” George said. “When we’re getting up and down and pressing, with his length, and just general athleticism, I could see him fitting really well into our press and full-court game.”

The frontcourt of Carmichael, Gritton and Munsen saw action in 2014-15, but their minutes were relatively limited with then-senior Pierson McAtee, who stands six-foot-six, taking up space underneath. Without McAtee’s towering presence this year, George expects the trio to see extended playing time and make an impact accordingly.

“Our bigs, the more we talk, are going to be ready to step up and answer the challenge,” George said. “Every team is going to talk about our guards. Our bigs aren’t going to be talked about a whole lot. And I think our bigs have a really good opportunity to step up and surprise some people.”

He said Munsen will be a crucial factor, a player who has a chance for a season the likes of which the senior has not yet seen.

“I think Grant Munsen is going to be phenomenal,” George said. “I don’t think anybody knows how good he can be. He’s so athletic and has a good feel, and his footwork’s great. I think he’s ready to step up and have a big year.”

Munsen himself agreed, saying he has worked on expanding his abilities under the basket.

“Definitely worked on the post,” Munsen said. “I’m going to have to play a lot of big men this year, so getting stronger, working on my moves, little bit of shooting.”

Another big-man George said will see time on the court is junior Cade Roberts.

“He is a guy that has worked incredibly hard,” George said. “He’s kind of a guy that could be a poor man’s Pierson. And we would take a poor man’s Pierson. Very similar player; kind of taken a similar route to Varsity. He’s worked so hard. On the defensive end of the court, he’s working real hard…. He’s got a great feel and a great touch, and he’s going to get on the court some. He’ll definitely be on the floor.”

Aside from McAtee, the frontcourt of Awbrey, Hudgins, Ostermann and Ekart provided much of the scoring last year, but Hudgins dished out a good dosage of assists. George said the coaching staff will rely on the junior to score a bit more this year.

“We’re going to be on him to score a little bit more,” George said. “I don’t worry too much about where we’re going to replace some of the scoring from, but I think he’s going to have to have a large role in terms of scoring.”

Awbrey gave the Indians 15 points per game last season, but he explained that the biggest development of his game he made over the summer did not involve a ball in his hands.

“I’m just trying to be more of a leader, coming in here as a senior,” Awbrey said. “It starts on the defensive end of the floor, and then, after that, everything just comes.”

For Manhattan, the season starts Dec. 3 at the Hays Shootout tournament, where the Indians will first take on Thomas More Prep-Marian.

Without starting the season with a standard game, Awbrey said the unique outset to the year will pose a challenge for his team.

“Obviously it’s a little bit different,” he said. “Three games in three days, so we have to be ready to go. We can’t just play one game then practice and play another.”

As debilitating as last year’s short postseason run could have been, Hudgins said it didn’t take long for the disappointment to translate to motivation for this year.

“No,” Hudgins said of whether it took long for the feeling to change. “The next day.”