As an eighth grader last year, Ian Theisen already had big plans for this season's Osseo boys basketball team. He knew the roster would be strong, and before a game had been played, the word "undefeated" was being tossed around.

So when the Orioles lost their fourth game of the season – getting outworked on their home court by Blaine – the losing locker room was dead silent afterward. That night, coach Tim Theisen (no relation to Ian) barely said a word as the players changed quietly. But the next day, the culmination of the team's frustrations clashing with their lofty goals manifested in a drill sergeant-like performance from Tim Theisen, and a lot of careful re-evaluating by the players.

"It was more like a football practice than a basketball practice to be honest with you," said Ian, a 6-9, 225-pound center who, as a 9th grader is playing in his second year on varsity, and starting for the first time. "Real physical, a lot of up-and-downs, a lot of running, a lot of saying, 'OK, obviously, we're in shape enough to play the full 36 minutes.'

"It was a good loss for us, because it brought us back to the reality that we can't let up."

For Osseo, that reality means that as a program that has won the Northwest Suburban Conference five out of the past nine years, made it to the state championship game two years ago, and is ranked No. 6 in 4A, the Orioles are going to get every opponent's best game.

Though the Orioles boast a somewhat green roster (with just four seniors, and three sophomore and a freshman), most of their young players have been in the varsity system for at least a year. Nonetheless, Tim Theisen said the squad is still very raw, and need to guard against such careless turnovers and mistakes that lost them the Blaine game.

"I think we're getting there," he said. "We're a very, very competitive team, but at times in our games so far, we've lost focus for about a five, six-minute stretch. We're still a very young team, and we're going to have some stumbling blocks, but I think it's going to make us stronger when it comes to tournament time."

And while the goal of going undefeated is already shot, the Orioles – who have significant height all around, including Ian Theisen and the 6-7, 240-pound Will Johnson to go with a strong defensive game – have more important dreams up ahead.

"It's a lot of motivation to get back to the state, because when I was there, it was a lot of fun," said senior Joey Sonnenfeld, who helps lead the team along with junior DJ Hebert. The two also pair up as wide receiver and quarterback, respectively, on the football team.

So, remembering both the ambitious goals they had burned with months earlier and the sting of a loss that relit the fire, the Orioles head into the bulk of the season with a revamped attitude.

"We need to come ready for every single game," Ian Theisen said. "Undefeated isn't there anymore, but we'd love to not lose another game for the rest of the season."