By Kai Raymer (For OzarksSportsZone.com)
The Joplin Eagles will usher in a new era entering alum Jeff Hafer’s seventh season as head coach.
The talented Class of 2020 is gone after earning a pair of district championships in the last three years, three All-COC selections last year and a total of six college athletes from last year’s team alone.
The Eagles are also tasked with replacing 53.4 points per game. There will be plenty of new faces in new roles, but Joplin will return one of the top players in the COC in the form of junior Always Wright.
The 6-foot-3 combo guard averaged 12.4 points as a sophomore, knocking down 63 3-point field goals at 41 percent. He’s one of the state’s top shooters.
“Always is a special young player, his IQ as well as his skill makes him unique,” said Hafer. “He has great range, but also play making ability and the ability to make everyone around him better. He will have a target on him this year, but I think he is capable of rising to the challenge.”
He is the team’s only returning starter, but will be joined by several seniors looking to make an impact.
Senior guards Dominick Simmons, Fielding Campbell and Carson Wampler have all spent several years in the program and will look to solidify backcourt spots alongside Wright.
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Classmates Alex Curry (6-foot-4, 295lbs) and Zayshon Hughley (6-foot-5) will anchor the paint for the Eagles. Senior Micah Bruggeman is a 6-foot-2 wing that will look to take on some of that scoring load.
Juniors Joe Jasper, Bruce Wilbert, Brantley Morris and LT Atherton will also compete for backcourt rotational minutes, while 6-foot-5 classmate Calvin Clark will also look for interior minutes.
Talented sophomore Dante Washington and Terrance Gibson, as well as Chris Ugalde and Hobbs Campbell, will round out the group pushing for varsity minutes. Joplin also has a talented freshman class that was extremely successful at the junior high level.
“We have several kids that will contribute this year,” said Hafer. “We have several young players and young men who have not yet played at the varsity level that we anticipate will help us.”
Joplin fans will not only have to acclimate to a new roster, but also a new style.
The days of the Eagles being far and away the most athletic, physically-imposing team in the COC are over. In a league full of extremely skilled and fundamental programs – arguably at a level no other conference in Missouri is at, Joplin will now try to get its next generation prepared to see that night in and night out in a loaded conference and district.
For Hafer, it’ll be a fun and unique challenge.
“This is a vastly different group playing this year that will have to learn how to defend and rebound,” said Hafer. “I think we have the personnel to do that. I also think we have very good skill shooting the ball, we are just going to have to find the rotations and the units that are working best together.”
Joplin will open the 2020-21 season on Nov. 24, at home, against McDonald County.
