ODESSA – The 2025 portion of the Tigers’ varsity boys basketball season has helped them take steps toward becoming the team they want to be in 2026, according to Excelsior Springs coach Ian Burch.The Tigers closed 2025 with three games – a 76-39 loss to Truman Dec. 16 in Independence, a 66-33 defeat Dec. 18 by visiting Raytown South and a 5743 loss Dec. 19 to Odessa on the road. The stretch put Excelsior Springs at 2-5 overall entering the new year.“We’ve seen some really, really solid, great basketball in Truman and Ray South – and what those teams are like,” Burch said minutes after facing Odessa. “And then, we’ve also gotten great wins against Kansas City East and DeLaSalle. So I think that we’re starting to understand our identity, which is extremely important for a team like ours.”Part of that identity is a sense of brotherhood, senior guard Booker O’Neill suggested.“Outside of basketball, w...