By Jordan Burton
District basketball gets going on Saturday. Here are 10 things to follow in the area’s Class 1 districts.
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1. Walnut Grove is on a mission
Walnut Grove is the best Class 1 team in Missouri right now and that’s not based on reputation but results. The Tigers have handled elite Class 1 teams like Hermitage (66-64, 85-65), Greenfield (78-58) and Wheatland (84-54). Their three losses are about as equality as they come with Class 4 Rogersville, Class 3 Fair Grove and Class 2 Hartville being the only teams to beat the Tigers. You’d be hard pressed to find a better Class 1 resume in Missouri. Darin Meinders loves playing fast and having his team let it fly and that is the epitome of what this team does. Walnut Grove averages 73.9 PPG with 10 games of 80 or more. They shoot 35% from 3 which is impressive, but it’s staggering when you consider the fact that they shoot more than 30 per game (not a typo). Junior Logan Thomazin (23.8 PPG) gets the headlines, but he’s hardly the only bomber. Ryan Keith (12.6 PPG, 78 3s) and Dawson Meinders (11.6 PPG, 60 3s) can shoot it with the best of them as well. The key is junior PG Hunter Gilkey. He adds a toughness to this team, but also understands how to create for himself and others. His 13.4 PPG is solid, but Gilkey adds 9.1 RPG, 6.2 APG and 3.7 SPG. This team is battled tested and hungry, which is a scary combination.
2. Eminence could be a sleeping giant… again
Have you seen the movie Dark Knight Rises? Well, this is Eminence’s (Batman) season in a nutshell with adversity playing the role of Bane. And by adversity, I mean injuries. Sophomore post Trent McBride (16.3 PPG, 7.5 RPG) is one of the best in the business, but missed a large chunk of the season due to a foot injury. Eminence went 4-5 in his absence and that’s the bad news. The good news is it forced a young team to adjust and grow. Grant (16.9 PPG, 6.7R PG) and Wade Dyer (9.2 PPG, 3.7 APG) – twin brothers of former Eminence star Logan Dyer – are showing that basketball is clearly genetic in the Dyer lineage. Junior PG Ethan Drake (13 PPG, 3.7 APG) is helping to space the floor by shooting 41% from deep and Kydnall Copeland is the ultimate glue guy. The Redwings are 10-3 since McBride returned from injury, including wins over Winona and Ellington. They are getting hot at the perfect time and the 43-41 loss to South Iron, the top seed in the district, could be a blessing in disguise.
3. Hermitage ready to rebound after last year
Last year Hermitage was the top seed and overwhelming favorite before being shocked in the district championship by Weaubleau. They are looking to avoid that same fate and if the regular season was any indication, the Hornets are on a mission. Hermitage has already set a new school record for wins and two of its three losses came to Walnut Grove. I love this team because of their leadership; Hermitage’s top four players are all battled tested seniors. Dillon Meyer (18.6 PPG, 6.5 RPG, 4.5 APG) is a four-year letterman that just scored his 1,500th point. Jeff Salmon (16.6 PPG, 5.5 APG, 3 SPG) is a floor general closing in on his 1,000th point and classmate Austin Hostelttler (10.6 PPG, 7.4 RPG) is another four-year guy with more than 1,000 career points. Throw in senior Victor Le Verdier (14 PPG, 6.2 RPG, 3.9 APG) and there’s a lot to like about this team. For Coach Joe Nicholson, having four guys between 6-foot-1 and 6-foot-3 at the Class 1 level is a luxury. They also share the sugar as a team, averaging 20.7 assists a night. This group of seniors is responsible for the winningest four-year span in program history. They want/need a district championship to cement their legacy.
4. Greenfield could play spoiler
If anyone was to knock off Walnut Grove in district play it’ll be Greenfield. The job that Preston Hyde has done is undervalued. Last year Greenfield went toe-to-toe with undefeated Rich Hill in the district semifinals before falling 65-54. Right now the Wildcats are sitting at 21-3 with 15 straight wins, need a win against Diamond on Friday to clinch the SRVC championship. That resume includes a win over state-ranked Class 2 Marionville. Hyde also has one of the Ozarks’ best-kept secrets in junior guard Marcus Wright (19.5 PPG, 5.5 RPG, 4 APG). Can Greenfield beat Walnut Grove? Yes. But, it all comes down to how the ‘Cats bounce back from that early-season loss mentally.
5. No rebuild for Bradleyville
I’m not sure what else to say about this district besides the fact that Bradleyville is the clear favorite. The Eagles are the top seed and went undefeated against district foes. Bradleyville is the only team in the district sitting above .500 and they’ve scored 75 or more nine times this season. On paper it seemed like this unit would struggle offensively after graduating All-Everything guard Cole Thomas, but Bradleyville has just reloaded.
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6. Rick Luna and Dora could sneak back into playoffs
Luna is one of the better coaches in the area and a half decade ago he owned the district. The Falcons have fallen on hard times, but they’re the 3-seed in the district and have the toughest strength of schedule of anyone. Playing the likes of Mountain Grove, Eminence, and Hartville will have this team ready to compete for the program’s first district championship since 2013. Also, I have to tell you that Coach Luna’s triplets are FINALLY in eighth grade, so look for Dora regain its form here in the coming years.
7. Kodey Weaver is a scoring machine
The 5-foot-8 junior has been a scoring machine over the last two years, dropping nearly 1,000 points combined. This year he’s averaging 21.3 PPG and has attempted nearly 200 free throws. His ability to score and put pressure on opposing defenses is unique. He put up 29 against Bradleyville in their lone meeting this year, but his team lost by 18.
8. Third time the charm for Wheatland?
It’s been more than a decade since Wheatland had a 20-win season and the last time the Mules won a district championship I was in high school (2007). But, here we are; keep in mind this was a sub .500 team last year. Coach Brian Pearson has his team in position to compete for a berth in the Class 1 state tournament. It’s no secret that it’s tough to beat a good team multiple times in a season and Wheatland has already lost to Hermitage and plays the Hornets again on Friday night. The Mules are hoping that the third time will be the charm. The reason for Wheatland’s turn around has been collective buy-in. The Mules have committed to playing defense and helping senior standout Zac Sutt get shots. Sutt is averaging 25 PPG and has scored nearly 2,000 career points. This is the first time in his career he’s won more than 14 games, which is a testament to Wheatland’s supporting cast buying into their roles.
9. Hello Arlo Stump!
It’s unlikely that Golden City will win a district championship, but the Eagles have one of the most productive freshmen in Missouri this season – 5-foot-10 guard Arlo Stump. He’s averaging 22.7 PPG, 8.5 RPG and 2.7 SPG for Golden City, including eight 30-point games. It helps that he’s shooting 40% from 3 (70-176 3FG) and 81% from the line (96-118 FT). Stump will be the Ozarks next 2,000-point scorer.
10. South Iron in the way
Class 1 will be far from a cakewalk for anyone. South Iron is perennially one of the best Class 1 teams in Missouri, winning at least 20 games in five of the last six seasons. Eminence upset South Iron is last year’s district championship. South Iron turbo clocked them the year before that and Eminence won the three previous district championship meetings with all three being decided by eight points or fewer. These two know each other very well, this game will be a war. South Iron would have to go through Eminence, No. 6 Advance and No. 1 Winston just to get to the championship game.
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