The hunger is there. You better believe the hunger is there. Second-ranked La Lumiere School (IN) has had its focus set on this moment since the offseason.

After losing to Oak Hill (VA) at the buzzer of last year's championship game, the Lakers return to DICK'S Sporting Goods High School Nationals next week in New York City as the top seed and look to hang the title banner they have coveted for years.

Armed with a talented and deep squad, La Lumiere head coach Shane Heirman is ready to go. He loves this group, and it's about that time to see what the Lakers have in store this time around.

FloHoops: Coach, you knew you'd be back to the event. How did it feel this year when you got the official announcement?
Heirman: It's very humbling and an incredible event. It's a validation to the work that you've put in. Not being able to play for your state association, it's definitely our No. 1 goal we play for every year. We're very excited. It kind of rejuvenates you a little bit to get you back to work. It kind of makes the workouts, practices, everything a little more intense getting ready.

You've a very successful season up to this point, but is it kind of weird or strange going through that lull and gap between games?
Yeah. We let our guys go home to coincide with our spring break. So we let our guys go home. I think for coaches, players, managers, everybody alike, it's refreshing to have a break and toward the end of it you're excited to get back and excited to get to work. We took a much needed break, got home, and rejuvenated ourselves. We're ready to go.

What have you seen from this time and their response since they've been back?
Maturity. I think with so many people that were here last year in the event, and losing the way we did, there's a maturity to this group, an expectation, a standard that they are working toward right now. There's not much coaching being done from my end, which is awesome. These guys are running the show and holding these guys accountable, holding each other accountable, and really pushing toward making this thing exciting.

Do you feel like you have been dialed in the whole season considering how last year ended?
Definitely dialed in, but I think there's an element of some growth that had to happen from a team perspective. We still had new faces and a new culture of people. There was definitely a time period of making it right, but yeah, throughout the year there's always been a pretty good focus on our end of guys who understand the bigger picture, a bigger purpose, and really working hard toward these goals.

How hungry are you personally and how hungry is this team to get back that championship game?
We're an extremely competitive group. I'll loop myself in with the guys. We have a very competitive group and so obviously anytime you can lace them up and go against the best and find out where you are and what you're made of, it's exciting. Very hungry. Hungry to see where we stand and how we match up and what we're capable of.

For many who many not know, how would you describe this tournament?
It's March Madness. It's very similar in the respect that you know your first opponent so you can have a game plan and you can have a defensive scheme and what you're trying to accomplish offensively, but from there you don't know your opponent. You can do your best to gather film and have a game plan, but you just have to be ready. Winning that first game is imperative. From there, you have to be as prepared as possible and then get as lucky as possible. I think that kind of coincides with March Madness.

What are the keys to get out of the first round on Thursday against Wasatch Academy (Utah)?
I think we have to be us. It's been a long year. There's a lot of distractions at some point or another, but we are able to be us and locked in. A big part for us right now, the emphasis in practice, is communication and being the loudest team there. If we can have a chemistry and cohesiveness with communication and having each other's back, I think we'll be all right.

All of these teams are good. It's eight of the best teams in the country but do you feel any pressure being that No. 1 seed?
No, because I think we have as much to prove as anybody. We've got four banners that hang in our gym that say, "DICK'S Nationals Participant," and those are hard to look at every day. As much as it is an accomplishment, it is also a motivating factor. So for us, we're not really excited about the participant logo or runner-up. There's a lot to prove for us.

What's at stake and what do you have to do to hang the correct banner?
I think in this time of the year, it's about chemistry, it's about camaraderie, it's about the willingness to sacrifice and buy in to something. Who's capable of doing that is more than likely to come out on top. I think we have a really good nucleus of people that care about each other and push each other. So I think that true kind of brotherhood trumps in this time of year, and I love our guys for what they stand for in that capacity.

What do you think your emotions will be like when you get this thing going? You're not just facing good teams; you have to go up against some good coaches across the bench from you.
For sure. It's an honor to compete against some of these guys. There's guys who have been doing it for forever. Steve Smith is damn near in the Hall of Fame. To be able to go against these guys and do this and compete against them is an honor. But all we can do is best prepare our guys, keep them in the moment, and more than anything, let them enjoy it. We're excited.