Outside of Murray, Marlon Boreland — a 6-foot-6 forward that averaged 11 points per game — is Upper Darby’s only returning starter. It’s left Diggs with the job of finding who can contribute come late November. 

Aaron Davis, a combo guard transfer from Abington Friends has the potential to make a big impact, while Boreland’s brother, Markel is looking to find a role as he makes the jump from junior varsity. Diggs said Markel Boreland is a really good athlete and has gotten better over the past three months, but he “needs to get him in the mental space of being a good player.”

Guard Shymir Hinton impressed on the freshmen team last year and Diggs singled him out as another potential contributor, along with Tawhir Riley, who will join the team after the football season.  

Whoever’s on the floor, Diggs won’t shy away from his up-tempo and pressing style. Every year he’s coached, Diggs has sped things up to make opponents uncomfortable with his pressure. That isn’t going to change in the Central League, where teams tend to play a slow, methodical style, according to Diggs. He wants to force teams into playing their brand of basketball, which he’ll attempt to do by playing 11 to 12 players a night. 

“We’re gonna get guys in and out, and we’re gonna pressure the ball at that kind of high level every night. That’s gonna be our identity,” Diggs said.

“We need to stay poised and in control, but I think we’ll be able to compete and play faster than a lot of teams expect,” Murray added.  

Murray feels the key to Upper Darby’s success this season is being unselfish. With a lot of new faces on varsity, Murray knows the Royals are still figuring out how to play with each other, but as a senior, part of that responsibility falls on him. 

As for Diggs, he wants his team to rebound the ball better, although he knows that could be a challenge since UD doesn’t have a ton of height, leaving a lot of pressure on Marlon Boreland to control the glass. 

Rebounding aside, Diggs is still working out the kinks in his first year with the program. He made clear to his players that there aren’t any defined roles yet, but the expectation of being a more consistent  program remains. And despite never coaching at a 6A school before, Diggs’ previous track record shows he can turn things around. 

“I think we’re in a really good spot,” Diggs said. “We have a couple really good returnees. Some of the younger guys will be stepping up to some bigger rules and I think we’ll be right in the line to compete for the Central League.

“I’m putting in [my players’] heads that we have enough to win right here, like this year.”