By Jordan Burton
District basketball gets going on Saturday. Here are 10 things to follow in the area’s Class 1 districts.
CLICK HERE FOR THE DISTRICT BRACKETS
1. The champs are here…
The Eagles have done absolutely nothing to soften how I feel about them this year. You look at their five losses at the surface and think maybe they lost a bit too much in Ryan Ward and Grant Dedmon, then you realize those losses came against Class 3 Mountain Grove (twice) and Class 5 programs Nixa, Glendale and Parkview. If there was an RPI metric for high school basketball Hartville’s would be astronomically high. Looking back at the Eagles regular season, I’m not sure it is understood just how many quality wins are on this gauntlet of a schedule. They beat Hazelwood Central, something Webster Groves couldn’t do. They also knocked off Class 3 powers Licking, Fair Grove and Clever. For a cherry on top they beat future Class 1 state champ Walnut Grove and turbo clocked Mansfield. Again, they’ve put the clamps on opponents, holding 10 of them to 40 points or fewer. This is anything but a typical Class 2 team. Not enough can be said about the job that these two seniors have done. Both are undersized and seemingly have physical limitations but they just continue to make plays. The big knock on them entering this year is would they be able to score enough against elite teams to win big games. Well, Jones answered that with a 49-point bomb against Class 5 Hazelwood Central and Piper has had several 20-point games, including Catholic, Glendale and Mountain Grove. Their individual numbers are off the charts. Jones (21.6 PPG, 8.5 RPG) and Piper (16.6 PPG, 5.7 RPG, 4.9 APG, 2.5 SPG) have played like superstars, which has aided the development of guys like Wyatt Ward, Jace Keith and Braden Keith. They seem determined to will Hartville back to Columbia.
2. Thayer should name the gym after Matt Pitts
The only thing more impressive than the Bobcats 23 wins is the fact their three losses came to Class 5 Jackson and state-ranked Class 3 programs Licking and Mountain Grove. This is yet another Matt Pitts team that will value the basketball and defend. Let’s just take a second to appreciate just how good Thayer has been under Pitts. Three SCA titles, six district championships and 21 wins a year since 2006. This team is also good enough to get Thayer to the Final Four for the second time in the last five years. Zyman Langley (12.5 PPG, 4.1 APG) has done everything a senior PG is supposed to do and sophomore Ayden Stone(11.1 PPG, 7.4 RPG) has had the breakout season that everyone expected. The key has been the play of 6-foot junior Kobe Meyer (13 PPG). While Thayer was in the midst of another district championship run last year, Stone was a sporadically used freshman and Meyer was helping Hartville win a state championship. Both will be key pieces next to Zyman Langley if the Cats are to make a Final Four run. Thayer is 11-0 when Meyer scores at least 15 points. He’s an efficient scorer, shooting 54% from the field and 37% from 3. Whenever he is attacking he gives Thayer’s offense another dimension. Speaking of dimension, 6-foot-5 sophomore Ayden Stone is the future of the SCA and has shown it in spurts this year, with big games vs. Winona (23-10), Melbourne (14-15) and Mountain Grove (21-11). His size and athleticism make him difficult to deal with. Much like Levi Hargrove, Stone is capable of being the post presence that gets Thayer over the hump.
3. Mansfield eager for another shot at Hartville
The resume Mansfield has put together is impressive in its own right. The Lions have already beaten the district’s 4-seed (Plato) twice, in addition to wins over Springfield Catholic, Marshfield and Fordland. The Lions also gave Glendale and Mountain Grove solid games. But ultimately that’s not enough; they have to BEAT Hartville, something Mansfield hasn’t done since 2011. Actually, the Lions have dropped eight straight in the series with five of those coming by single digits. I was at the Sectional game last year where Mansfield hung before falling 47-37. That was the toughest game Hartville had during its championship run. The Lions have won seven straight entering this postseason, maybe this is the year they get over the hump. Mansfield’s run will coincide with the production of Payton Watterson. With all the pressure on Mason Roy (16.8 PPG, 4.2 RPG, 4.2 APG) and Dylan Caruso (12.5 PPG, 7.1 RPG, 3.3 BPG), the impact that the 5-foot-11 sophomore guard has had since the turn of the year has been dynamic. He gives Mansfield another threat that can create for himself or others. Since Jan. 1 he is averaging 11.5 PPG and shooting 54% from 3. He will be the X-factor if Mansfield is to make a run.
4. Greenwood feels disrespected
This one seems to be a clear case of Greenwood vs. The Field. Despite getting no love from the state polls, the Jays are 21-3 with their losses coming to Crane, Nixa and Fair Grove by a combined 20 points. Greenwood’s resume includes wins over Purdy, Fordland and Reeds Spring. While the strength of schedule can be underwhelming, Greenwood has beaten everyone they should, including a perfect 12-0 mark in 2017. Julius Walker broke the 2,000 point barrier for his career and is making everyone around him better. This Greenwood team has felt disrespected all season long, the only way to right that wrong is to win a district championship.
5. The Ted Young Difference
If you needed proof that Ted Young is an excellent basketball mind, look no further than the fact that he has guided a team that lost its three top scorers and one of the most decorated senior classes in program history to a 22-3 record and No. 7 state ranking. They split with Greenfield and Reeds Spring, with Fair Grove being the only other team to beat Marionville. Wins over Crane (58-55), Strafford (62-58) and Lockwood (49-31) show that the talent is there. Can Marionville continue to overcome a lack of experience and win a district championship? If so, it’ll be led by Cole Brown. The senior guard was the team’s leading scorer among returners and wasted little time taking over as the leader of this year’s team. The savvy point guard stuffs the stat sheet every night, putting up 11.3 PPG, 4.6 APG, 4.5 RPG and 2.6 SPG while shooting 51% from the field. Good guards win games at this time of the season and Marionville might have the best in the district.
6. Just how good is Lincoln?
They’re up to No. 5 in the state polls and their lone loss came on Dec. 16. Coach Tyler Burke has a salty group, one that has excelled regardless of the sport. While the strength of their schedule isn’t quite up to the level that Hartville or Thayer have played, the Cardinals have some quality wins, most notably a filthy buzzer-beater by Boone Kroenke against Class 1 No. 5 Glasgow. Lincoln also got revenge against Sacred Heart earlier this month. Six of Lincoln’s top seven players are experienced seniors that remember the sting of early district exits the last two years. A grudge match against Sacred Heart will decide this group’s season.
7. District 9 is a mess
With Hartville moving out, this district is an absolute toss-up.
Favorite: Newburg
Last year as the No. 3 seed Newburg got hot and made a run to the district championship game before losing to Hartville. This year they own the top seed in the district and have as much balance as anyone in Class 2 with Ryan Terry (13.5 PPG), Tyler Newton (12.5 PPG), Trey Gaedke (12 PPG), Landen Callahan (10.3 PPG) and Logan Doerr (8.5 PPG) all finding ways to consistently put the ball in the bucket. Newburg was undefeated against the entire district except Iberia, which it took 2-of-3 from.
Top Challenger: Iberia
The Rangers have been one of the best programs in Missouri over the last half decade, making three Final Four trips in that time. While Dexter Frisbie and company have moved on, the cupboard is hardly bare. Junior 6-foot-4 forward Carter Halley (16 PPG, 6.5 RPG) has taken over in the post and Coach Steve Scholfield is able to surround him with a team that shoots 38% from 3 collectively. They’ve struggled against Newburg, but Iberia is still a quality team that has played several good teams on its schedule. The fact that Newburg won two of the first three also might be a positive for Iberia. Beating a good team twice in a season is hard, beating a rival three times is a tall task.
Sleeper: Crocker
I love the Lions ability to get in transition and score points and I love their balance. Coach Phil Gambill is able to throw out five or six different guys capable of getting 20 on a given night. Senior Blake Neuman (14 PPG, 3.6 RPG) is leading the way but gets plenty of help with six different Lions averaging at least 9 PPG. Multiple guards that can get to the paint with a 6-foot-4 post in Ethyn Boorom makes this a dangerous squad.
8. Freshmen of the Frisco League – Grady Todd and Ethan Farge
Each season there are freshmen that step in immediately and make an impact at the varsity level. Some score. Some defend. Some rebound. Rarely do you have a freshman come in and change the game at both ends of the floor the way these two have. Plato will have its work cut out for them to win a district championship, but the future is bright as long as Todd is wearing a Plato uniform. The freshman big is averaging a team-high 15.7 PPG, 8.2 RPG and 1.2 BPG. He’s a throwback post that loves to play with his back to the basket. He’s just 6-foot-2, but he understands how to use his body. Farge – a 6-foot-1 wing – has done it all for Richland. His overall line (11.9 PPG, 8.3 RPG, 3.9 APG, 2.4 SPG) is almost as impressive as his ability to relieve some of the pressure off of standout seniors Tanner Riddle (21.2 PPG, 72 3s) and Dillon Zeigenbein (13.6 PPG, 6.9 RPG). Richland has been inconsistent, but this is a team that is capable of beating anyone in the district.
9. Fordland lurking
Sharing the Summit Conference with Hartville and Mansfield, Fordland understands exactly what is in front of them. If you look past the wins and losses of the regular season, Fordland has enough pure talent to upset either Hartville or Mansfield behind the three-headed monster of Noah Abbasi (17.1 PPG, 9.1 RPG, 8 APG), Noah Sparks (16 PPG, 7.5 RPG, 3.4 APG) and Hunter Burks (19.3 PPG, 8.3 RPG). All three can clearly score and “Noah Squared” has added the ability to facilitate for others as well. Fordland loves to get up and down and can pick you apart offensively. If all three have it going on a particular night then you may see one of the state’s favorites go home early.
10. McAuley ready for a run (literally)
Last year the Warriors were the 1-seed in their district and got bounced in the district championship by rival Purdy. They then had to sit and watch as Purdy made a run to the Class 2 quarterfinals. It seems like McAuley is on a mission this season, entering districts with a 12-game winning streak that includes a win over Purdy. Really, this McAuley team has flown under the radar all year. The Warriors losses have come against Class 3 standouts Clever, Fair Grove and Mount Vernon (all neutral site games), as well a neutral site loss to Purdy by three. McAuley has four guys averaging in double figures as the team’s 66.4 PPG is one of the highest in the Ozarks. Senior PG Brendyn Taylor has been playing unreal basketball since that Purdy loss, averaging 11.6 PPG, 12.1 APG and 4.9 RPG; he continues to be top-5 nationally in assists according to MaxPreps. Winning this district will be tough, especially having to play on back-to-back nights, but this senior-laden team appears ready to taste postseason basketball.
