It’s been a while since Warren Central coach Jesse Johnson has been this excited about his team.

The 2010-11 edition of the Vikings are still a work in progress, to be sure. Even so, with a talented group of underclassmen leading the way, Johnson looks at his roster and sees not only a group whose best days are yet to come, but one he feels can compete right now.

“I’m looking forward to this year more than I was Chico’s (Hunter) senior year,” Johnson said, referring to the 2005-06 season the year after the Vikings reached the South State tournament. “We’ve always had a Mario (Luckett) or a Dino (Harris), but it was only one player. This is the most talented group I’ve had in the 10 years I’ve been here. We’ve got talent at all five positions.”

Most of that talent has plenty of eligibility left. There are seven sophomores and one freshman on the current 16-man roster. Only three players — including Jeremey Harper, who was leading the team in scoring last season when he suffered a ruptured appendix — are seniors.

The youth movement may not be a bad tactic for the Vikings. They posted a woeful 3-24 record last season and are a combined 8-48 the past two years.

“We’re going to be a sophomore- and freshman-laden team with three seniors thrown in. We’re grooming them for down the road, but we’re going to compete with a whole lot of people right now,” Johnson said.

Leading the underclassmen are freshman Gerald Glass and sophomore Kory Davis. Both are about 6-foot-5 and shoot the ball well, giving Johnson the option of using them on the wing or in the post.

“Our guards are taller than our post players,” Johnson said with a laugh. “They’re versatile enough to where they’ll be able to play inside or outside. The only thing that limits them is their strength, and that’ll come.”

The return of Harper, who was averaging 13 points per game before his injury last year, will add another scorer to the lineup. Centers Dylan Dasi, a sophomore, and senior Jon Hood will provide some rebounding help inside.

While Harper and Hood will be counted on to provide leadership as well as stats, Johnson said this year’s team will live or die by the play of its young guns.

“Those sophomores we’ve got are so talented that we’re going to be able to compete with anybody,” Johnson said. “They’re going to make mistakes, but their talent offsets that.”