By Jordan Burton (For OzarksSportsZone.com)
Taking over a program is never easy, especially when that program is Republic and the coach you’re replacing is a two-time state champion.
But, it seems like Republic hit a home run with the Tim Brown hire.
His first season ended with 22 wins, an undefeated COC run and a district title.
The Tigers return three starters and seven letterwinners from that team, making them one of the early favorites in the conference and district.
“I’m excited to be in year two this year,” said Brown. “There is a comfort level for me as a coach and I think our players are more comfortable as well with the relationships and expectations that have been established. It took us awhile last year for our team to form its identity and when we did it was special to watch and be a part of.
“I think our team this year has the ability to form its identity sooner with the majority of our players understanding our system better.”
All-COC selection Broc Smith is off to Drury to begin his collegiate career, handing the reigns over to senior point guard Race Looney and a talented 2020 class.
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Looney is the emotional leader of the group, returning after averaging 8.1 points and 3.7 assists from his point guard spot.
He’s also one of the league’s top defenders, which helped him earn All-COC honors.
“Race is one of the best true point guards in the area. He runs our team and does whatever is necessary on both ends of the floor to make winning plays for our team,” said Brown. “As the season went on last year when we started to play our best basketball Race was a key component to that; he found ways to control the game and make the game easier for his teammates. He also found his role for us offensively and found ways to score baskets for us with in our offense.
“He is going to have the opportunity to make more plays for his teammates and himself this season and I expect him to have a larger offensive role for us but it will still be important for him to run our team and make the game easier for everyone else.“
Seniors Tucker Thomas and Joe Rexroat are also returning. Thomas was a starter as a junior, averaging 8.3 points and 3.5 rebounds.
“Tucker is a good athlete that can get a lot done on both ends of the court when he plays with great activity,” said Brown. “Tucker has the ability to be a great scorer from multiple areas on the floor and has been a consistent scorer in our program the last two seasons. We will look for Tucker to continue to raise his level of play and have a great senior season.
“Joe came off the bench last season and really found his role late in the season for us. We went on a 10 game win streak to finish the season and Joe was a big part of it. He has great length and athleticism and is skilled offensively. We believe that Joe will find ways to score the basketball for us in our offense this year.”
A sleeper candidate for COC Player of the Year will be junior guard Drew McMillin, who averaged 13.4 points. He also posted one of the best shooting splits we’ve seen in the O-Zone era, shooting 52 percent from the field, 49 percent from 3 and 91 percent from the free throw line, connecting on a team-high 74 3-pointers.
McMillin was an All-COC and All-District selection as a sophomore.
“Drew had one of the best seasons last year in SWMO in his class and for his position,” said Brown. “He was one of our most consistent players on our team last year as a sophomore.
“We have seen him expand his game and become more comfortable at making plays for himself and his teammates. There are a lot of talented guards in the junior class in SWMO right now and we are glad that we have Drew on our team and in our program.”
Brown is also excited about the new faces that will play larger roles at the varsity level this season, which includes Will Berry, Claye White, Oliver Welch, Carson Neff, Skyler Locke and Trevor Porter. He loves their competitive spirit, with White adding great athleticism and Neff adding another knock down shooter to the roster.
They’ll all be in the rotation in some capacity this season.
“We have an experienced group of juniors and seniors who have experienced success at the JV level and have won a lot of games,” said Brown. “They are a very professional group, who prepares and practices the right way and are very coachable.”
Republic has won at least 20 games in six of the last eight seasons. That stretch includes three district championships and a pair of state titles.
In what could be one of the toughest years the COC has seen top to bottom, Republic will have to battle to defend its title.
“We have a great amount of respect for the teams and programs in our league,” said Brown. “There are great programs with elite players and coaches. It takes great preparation and effort each night to be able to win in this league.
“We must have great attention to detail on the defensive end of the floor and defend and rebound each night at a high level. Offensively we are going to have to execute, be hard to guard and take great shots.”
Republic will open the 2019-20 season by hosting their own tournament starting on Dec. 5.
