POULSBO — At North Kitsap’s boys’ basketball practice, head coach Aaron Nations often asks his players one question.

“What will you sacrifice to win?”

The expression — which has become a team motto — holds a powerful message for a team overflowing with talented scorers. Not everyone will be able to provide the scoring for the Vikings, and some will have to focus on the less glamorous but just as important other hardwood roles, namely defense.

“I think we have plenty of scorers,” said North point guard Travis Tobin. “But the defense is going to win us games.”

“We know how to score the ball,” Coach Nations added. “But we have to learn to play together and defend the basketball.”

The Vikings, a 6-14 team a year ago, have truly focused all of their energies on building the all-around type of team that does it all to win ball games at the prep level. And Nations said he believes he’s got the guys willing to make the team’s goals — a top four league finish and making the Narrows’ playoffs to name a few — happen.

The day after cuts were finished, Nations had already introduced a new set for the offense. Once the squad had caught on, the second year coach went straight into the older sets from a year ago and the varsity was prepared for each of them.

“It’s nice coming into year two and having the guys knowing what’s going on,” Nations commented.

The starting five for the Vikings has been all but set, with five of North’s six seniors getting the go-ahead. Team MVP from a year ago Jacob Gonzales will play on one of the wing guard positions, providing a perimeter scoring threat but is also someone who can penetrate the paint. Ryan Young will again be called upon to be the Vikings’ primary post player.

“We’ve got Ryan on the inside and Jake on the outside,” Nations said.

From there, the perennial North Kitsap athletic triumvirate — Travis Tobin, Jared Prince and Jordan Henry — round out the starting five.

Prince will bring a physical presence to the floor on both offense and defense but Nations said the senior will be working hard on his shot to pitch in more points and take pressure off the other Viking scoring threats.

The often-acrobatic Henry will play the wing opposite Gonzales and knows how to charge the lane.

“Henry provides us with a nice penetrating shooter,” Nations said. “He’s really exploded as an athlete.”

Finally, Tobin will run the offense from the point and will be depended upon to provide a leading role in the team’s goal of stellar pressure defense.

“It’s a really nice combination of three guys that have played together forever,” Nations said.

“We’ve got five tall, athletic guys,” Gonzales added. “Now we just need to get out there and play.”

The goals are all there — the team just needs to find its overall balance, said many of the players, and make the necessary sacrifices.

“We’ll go out and play through pain, whatever it takes,” Young said. “Our goal is to make the league playoffs.”