The West boys’ basketball team heard the negative chatter.

The Panthers couldn’t win without perennial all-stater Tyrell Corbin, who graduated. They would finish last in their region. They had no offense.

There wasn’t much to argue with. After all, West started the season with a 30-point loss to Bingham en route to a 1-10 start. During that time, the Panthers sorely lacked a consistent scorer.

West may have quieted the voices by winning two of its first three Region 2 games. With improved offense, West beat Taylorsville 61-49 on Jan. 13 and Granger 49-46 on Jan. 20. Even a 53-49 loss to Kearns was encouraging for the Panthers.

“We kind of lost our [swagger],” senior Lennon Coley said. “We’ve got it back and it shows.”

But did this group ever really have swagger? Coley is the only significant contributor left from last season’s team. Eight seniors graduated and coach Bob Lyman stepped down to a reduced role due to health concerns. Holes were plentiful on the roster. But this new den of Panthers may have found something.

Devin Price has emerged as the team’s top scorer from the post at more than 10 points per game and leads the team in rebounds. He’s stepped things up to 13.3 points per game in region play. Coley is the team’s best outside shooter with 16 made 3-pointers on the year. Gordan Vetas can go off offensively at any time, as he did for 23 points against Taylorsville.

Then there are the role players. Holani Olive and Daniel Ainsworth are tough rebounders. Zach Floisand, a co-captain, is a defensive specialist. After Granger’s Isaiah Tademy scored 14 first-half points, West put Floisand on the star. Tademy scored only five points in the second half.

The Panther lineup is full of players shouldering new responsibilities at a new level of competition. With everyone getting more comfortable with their roles and finding their groove, West’s confidence is looking much better.

“We were all too excited,” Price said. “We weren’t used to varsity basketball and playing in front of a big crowd. It’s starting to turn more into just regular basketball.”