Down the road, Fort Dodge boys basketball head coach Bruce Hartley envisions his team winning games with a fast-break, full-court offense, complemented by an intense, assiduous defense.

In the here and now, though, the Dodgers are walking before they can run.

Hartley is preaching early patience and short-term sacrifice for long-term gain. Three regulars are back on the court this winter — including a tandem that nearly single-handedly rallied Fort Dodge to a substate victory in its final game a year ago — but the rotation is far from settled and the CIML Iowa Conference may be more power-packed than ever.

‘‘We’re getting there,’’ said Hartley, who is 33-36 in three seasons at the helm. ‘‘It takes some time make the kind of changes we’re making, but I think it fits our personnel best. There is a learning curve. We just think that a more fast-paced, up-and-down game will ultimately pay dividends with this particular group.