For the Great Neck South Rebels mens basketball team, success is not only a goal for the 2003-2004 season, it's an expectation, according to head coach Steve Liebertz. "We want to win the division. At the very least, we want to be one of the teams who make the Nassau County playoffs out of our division," Liebertz said in an interview.

Liebertz said that any team reaching the playoffs will have to earn it. "Jericho, Great Neck North, and MacArthur are all doing well in their non-league schedules. Each game against those teams will be a battle, and we might need at least six wins in the division to make the playoffs." However, the Rebels are preparing themselves well, with a difficult non-league schedule that included close losses to Holy Trinity, Long Island Lutheran, and Friends Academy, and a strong 70-54 win against Manhasset.

The Rebels are also hoping to take advantage of depth and balance. Liebertz said he wants to use as many as 10 players in his rotation, from veteran seniors such as Michael Sudberg, David Ha, and Josh Kent, to new players such as juniors Ed Ford and Rory Grady. He said the team would do its best when four or more players score at least 10 points each. "Any of our players can score a lot of points," Liebertz said. In the Rebels' first four games, Sudberg, Ha, and Kent all led the Rebels in scoring. Teamwork is also important. "I don't center the offense around any one player, and the team as a whole is a very unselfish group," Liebertz added.

League play began Jan. 6 with a game at Division High School, followed by the home opener against Roslyn on Jan. 8. The Rebels visit Great Neck North on Saturday, Jan. 17. The Rebels host North in their home finale, Monday, Feb. 9, before closing their league schedule with a visit to New Hyde Park on Feb. 11. All home games begin at 7 p.m. except for the game against Jericho on Feb. 7, which begins at 1 p.m.