Wekiva’s boys basketball team enters the 2025–26 season looking to build on a 12–14 finish a year ago and continue the upward trend that began the season before.  

Coach Gersino Lubin, in his 12th year leading the Mustangs, said experience and continuity give him reason for optimism as he aims for even more improvement this year – and a blowout preseason win backed him up. 

“It’s because we have so many guys returning,” Lubin said. “We have more experience, six juniors, four seniors, and one sophomore. So that puts us in a situation where the experience is there, the knowledge is there. Just have to walk the walk.” 

Lubin stressed a simple, detail-oriented philosophy: win each game, each quarter, each possession.  

“This may sound cliché, but our goal is to win each game. We want to go 1-0 every time,” he said. “If it’s a defensive situation, possession by possession, I really believe if we can narrow it down to the smallest of things, the big picture will come around.”  

That emphasis on defense and situational focus will be important for a club that returns four seniors — Darion Thomas, Louvens Saint-Pierre, Jasen Francillon and Markel Anderson — who have played together for years and provide a veteran backbone. 

Lubin pointed to several players he expects to take bigger roles, including Jasen Francillon, a scorer whose growth through the program has been steady. “I’ve seen the kid from sixth grade go through the ebb and flows of getting better,” Lubin said. “He had a really good summer with AAU … One game he had like 48 points, 18 rebounds, something crazy. So his offensive attributes are going to be there.”  

Beyond individual talent, Lubin highlighted the team’s chemistry as a competitive edge.  

“They’re a tight-knit group. They know each other,” he said. “If you see one, you see them all.” 

Players he expects growth from include juniors Eric Nichols and Kaiden Jean-Louis, along with senior Louvens Saint-Pierre, who Lubin said has been asked to lead at a young age and is now flourishing. 

Lubin’s pregame message was to not take anything for granted.  

“Don’t take a shortcut today that may cost you tomorrow,” he said. “Let’s win every game, every possession, every minute thing.”  

The Mustangs carried that preparation into their preseason opener against East River, dominating from the opening minutes en route to a 69-44 victory. Wekiva raced to a 10-1 run behind a Francillon layup and consecutive 3-pointers by him and Eric Nichols, forcing an East River timeout with a 13-1 lead just over two minutes into the game.  

Francillon finished the first quarter with 10 points and added another 3 before halftime as Wekiva went to the locker room with a 31-20 lead. 

The Mustangs pulled away in the second half, opening the third quarter with a 19-5 burst and going on to win 52-29.  

Francillon led all scorers with 21 points, hitting five 3-pointers and adding six rebounds. Ten players scored for Wekiva, showing the depth Lubin has cultivated. The Mustang defense forced numerous turnovers that fueled their dominance. 

Louvens Saint-Pierre finished with eight points on crafty finishes, Nichols added eight on two 3s, Kenny Dieujuste contributed six points, four rebounds and two blocks, and Darion Thomas was disruptive defensively with two blocks and two steals. Markel Anderson provided a spark off the bench with six points, two assists, two rebounds and two steals.  

Lubin praised his players’ effort but said there is work to be done on execution. 

“I thought they played hard, but we didn’t play smart,” he said. “We were obviously better than them as far as talent, but I want to see how efficient we could be running our sets, getting the open shots, not just rely on our athleticism and our talent. There’s always detailed stuff that we can focus on to get better.” 

Wekiva opens the regular season at home on Nov. 17 against Mount Dora, plays Seabreeze on Nov. 25, hosts cross-town rival Apopka on Dec. 18 and will travel to Centralia, Ill., for the holiday Centralia tournament Dec. 29-31.