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If you ask local basketball fans to name some of the best players in the Ozarks, you’ll surely hear people talk about Isaac Haney and Anton Brookshire.
“Isaac is a great player,” Anton said. “He’ll [play] a great role, and be a great stretch [player] for our team.”
“[Anton] plays amazing with his teammates,” Isaac said. “He’s also a killer, can score himself.”
Anton and Isaac have each proven themselves through their respective careers at Kickapoo and Dora.
Now, they’ll both be suiting up for the Chiefs.
“I want to bring some of that winning mentality to a team that has had a lot of success at the highest [class] level,” Isaac said.
With Isaac’s family moving to Springfield, the Class 1 player of the year will join Anton at Kickapoo for their senior seasons. But this is no new friendship.
“Me and Isaac have been playing [together] for a very long time, I think [since] like sixth or seventh grade,” Anton said.
“I know where he likes to score. You don’t play with somebody for seven years and not know how they want to play,” Isaac said.
As summer ball teammates for seven years, these two stand-out guards have no concerns about blending their games together.
“Me and Isaac are smart enough to block out the outside noise about who is going to score the post points this game, and who is going to have a better year,” Anton said. “At the end of the day, it’s all about winning for us.”
Kickapoo should be poised to do plenty of winning, with a strong cast of other returners from last year’s final four team.
With Anton committed to Mizzou and Isaac to Missouri State, they say it’ll be easy to focus on their senior years.
“I think that that allows you to just play the right way and not put too much pressure on yourself,” Isaac said. “I think the best players are the ones that are most relaxed.”
“I’m going into this year just more focused on having fun and having a bigger goal of winning state,” Anton added.
They’ll have as good a chance as anyone with two of the area’s best leading the way.
