By Chris Parker
Lockwood boys basketball has won at least 17 games in five of the past six seasons, but have just one district title in that same span.
That could change this year with a talented cast returning. Leading that group is reigning Southwest Conference Player of the Year Max Schnelle. Schnelle, who is a 6’4, 210-pound senior, averaged 16.7 points, 9.3 rebounds, 5.8 assists and 3.3 steals per game.
“Max is special for our team in a variety of ways. He is our main ball handler and playmaker offensively. He has the ability to stretch defenses with his shooting range or attack them off the dribble with his strong frame. He has great vision whether in the half court or on the break. On top of that, he also led our team in rebounding last season,” Lockwood head coach Ethan Baker said. “I expect him to continue to be a steady leader for us. I believe he will stay very productive, but the team getting a win will always be more important than stats.”
Fellow senior Blaine Garver returns to his spot at shooting guard after earning second-team all-conference honors last year. Garver was just behind Schnelle with a 15-point-per-game average. He also contributed 3.1 assists, 3 rebounds and 1.4 steals per game.
“Blaine is an intense kid. He isn’t an overly big guard, but like most of our senior heavy group, he has spent a lot of time working in the weight room. His ability to score the ball last year was one factor that allowed us to have as much success as we did. Blaine had 10 games last season where he scored 18 points or more,” Baker said.
The duo of Schnelle and Baker has found success on the football field, and they should do the same on the basketball court.
“Max and Blaine complement each other on the court similarly to how they do as quarterback and receiver on the football field. Blaine was good last year at being able to find opportune times to leak out or make a cut, and Max was usually able to find him in those situations,” Baker said.
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Senior’s Dylan Gallup and Spencer Neal have both shown great improvement in the off-season.
Gallup, a 6’2, 190-pound forward, came out last year as a junior after not playing as a sophomore. He was able to post a stat line of 3.7 ppg, 3.5 rpg and 1 apg.
“Over the summer Dylan was able to put on some weight that made a big difference in his game. Due to matchup problems our size can sometimes cause, Dylan’s added strength allowed him to bully ball some smaller defenders,” Baker said.
Neal, who stands at 6’3, 245 pounds, comes back after averaging 7.3 points and 6.3 rebounds per game.
“Spencer is a relentless worker, but he started off last year playing pretty robotically. Even saying that, he still was our third leading scorer last season. Over the course of last year and the summer, the improvement in his mobility and the touch of his post play really impressed me,” Baker said.
Senior Brayden Hamilton brings great size to the post at 6’6, 275 pounds.
“Brayden at times can be a dominant offensive player. With his size, there aren’t many defenders that can really stop him if Brayden sets his mind to it. We need him to take some strides this year as a player for us to reach our maximum potential,” Baker said.
Sophomore Elijah Kerr lettered as a freshman.
“With as many returners and upperclassmen as we have, we won’t ask Elijah to overdo it, but we will look for him to find his spots and attack more this year,” Baker said.
Kane Cooper returns to Lockwood for his junior season. Cooper, who is 6’4, 205, played his freshman year at Lockwood and his sophomore year at Central.
“Now that Kane is back, we are looking to get him caught up to speed on our system and try to find new ways to fit his versatile talent into what we already do,” Baker said.
Junior guard Clayton Robertson played mostly junior varsity last year. He could see minutes in the varsity rotation this year.
“Clayton’s hustle is his biggest asset. You never have to question whether or not he is giving you everything he’s got and he is willing to fit into his role to best help the team,” Baker said.
Lockwood will have a size advantage most every night, which is something the Tigers will look to exploit.
“Our identity needs to be that we will do everything we can to be the most disciplined team on the floor each night we go out. We aren’t the most skilled basketball team you’ll see in the area, but if we can utilize our size to our advantage and play disciplined basketball, then I like our chances to compete in any game we play. I would hope that anyone who watches us play will see five guys working together in unison both offensively and defensively,” Baker said.
Lockwood is scheduled to open the season on Nov. 20 at Dadeville.
“My expectations are that we will be a good competitive basketball team. We went 17-9 last year and exceeded some people’s expectations. There were 14 games on our schedule decided by 10 points or less, and we also went 4-0 in overtime games,” Baker said. “All that is to say that if we can go game by game, respecting every opponent on our schedule, and playing the right way, then I believe we could have a great year.”
