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Defense, defense and defense would probably be the way to describe Rogersville’s basketball identity.
Now, that could be changing.
“I probably got to bend a little too, and not be so defensive minded, I guess, if you will,” said Rogersville Head Coach John Schaefer.
It’s not a change that comes without good reason.
“We got lucky and got a great athlete,” Schaefer said.
Rogersville got Jonathan Dunn, who moved to the area with his mom and is committed to Division I Western Illinois.
“[He’s] 6’6″ and has guard skills so you know, we’re not going to kick him out,” Schaefer joked.
Jonathan moved from the St. Louis area and brings a high flying ability that adds a new element to the Wildcats.
 “I feel like when I get off on a break or I’m dunking, it gives me energy but also my teammates as well. It gives us all energy,” Jonathan said.
It also brings the team more points, but with that comes a different change, which Schaefer is less fond of.
“As a group, our defense went downhill because we look up [at the scoreboard] and like ‘oh we’re up, we don’t need to guard these possessions’,” Schaefer said.
That means Jonathan’s addition is a work in progress, but it’s one the newly added senior says he’s ready to embrace.
“[We] just [need to] listen to what coach got to say. Basically just buying in to what he says. As long as we play defense we can have fun on offense,” Jonathan said.
It’s that balance which Schaefer hopes to find, now that he’s coaching another elite talent.
“He’s a top 10 kid out of my 20 years for sure athletically and the things he can do and that’s in really good company,” Schaefer said.
It’s in company with the likes of Trey Starks and Dorial Green-Beckham who Schaefer coached to a state title with Hillcrest a decade ago.
To achieve the same, Jonathan and his teammates will need to beat some good teams, and the guy they “JD” says he’s ready to give it a try.
“I’m just excited to play everybody, just excited really,” Jonathan said.
Just as the Wildcats are certainly excited to have him.
