By Chris Parker
Diamond boys basketball will have a strong group of upperclassmen leading the team this year. Seven seniors and six juniors are all expected to contribute.
Leading that group will be senior guard Hunter Shallenburger and junior forward Ty McDermott.
Shallenburger averaged 14.9 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists and 2.2 steals per game last season.
“Hunter Shallenburger has already been a three-year starter here,” Diamond head coach Bryan Adams said. “He’s a great athlete who always gives maximum effort and is a very tough defender on the ball. He’s improved on his outside shooting and has become a very dangerous offensive threat.”
McDermott brings size to the floor standing at 6’5.
“Ty McDermott has grown and improved immensely over the off-season,” Adams said. “He will challenge the seniors for a starting position and give us another scoring option in the post, and he has the ability to step outside and create a mismatch.”
Four other seniors in Tucker Macy (guard), Eli Cupp (senior), Ethan Cupp (guard) and Blake Grube (senior) along with junior Blake Irwin (guard) also return.
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Adams on Tucker Macy: “Tucker Macy is a returning starter that can get us into our offense, and keep us under control. He sees the court really well, is an excellent passer, and is one of our best outside shooters.”
Adams on Eli Cupp: “Eli Cupp is a returning starter for us. His size, strength, and varsity experience will give us a scoring option in the paint.”
Adams on Ethan Cupp: “Ethan Cupp is an excellent defender, has an incredible motor, and he’s always moving and often finds himself in the right spot to make plays.”
Adams on Blake Grube: “Blake Grube will be another big that gets varsity minutes. He’s a strong guy who will give us another option in the paint.”
Adams on Blake Irwin: “Blake Irwin is a returning starter. His quickness and varsity experience will continue to be vital for us. He is also capable of making outside shots.”
This depth of talent and experience will be a big strength for Diamond this season.
“One of our team’s biggest strengths will be returning all of this varsity experience,” Adams said. “We have seven seniors and six juniors that will all be competing for minutes. We have enough talent and experience for our players to challenge each other to get better every single day in practice. This year we will be able to split talent daily and compete at a high level, which will make us a competitive group all season long.”
Seniors Kyler Terry (forward) and Chase Housh (guard) and junior Tyler Daniels (guard) will be newcomers to the varsity lineup.
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Adams on Kyler Terry: “Kyler Terry is a smart player and a crafty scorer who understands the game and will be challenging others for a starting spot on varsity.”
Adams on Tyler Daniels: “Tyler Daniels has put a ton of work into the off-season and is going to add aggressive guard-play as well as an outside shot to our varsity group.”
Adams on Chase Housh: “Chase Housh will carve out playing time because of his effort, non-stop motor, and defensive ability to create havoc for ball handlers.”
Adams will preach ball security and patience on offense this season.
“To find success this year we will need to make sure we limit our turnovers, which have been a huge problem for us the last two years,” Adams said. “We will also need to figure out how to take the best possible shot each possession on offense instead of the first available look we run into.”
Diamond will jamboree at Jasper on Nov. 12 with Jasper, Northeast Vernon County and Bronaugh before opening the season Nov. 29-Dec. 4 at their home tournament.
“Our identity will be that of a team that’ll work hard, play hard, and guard our tails off. We want a defensive presence on the court and we want to make sure our opponents earn everything they get on offense. We will not give up easy baskets,” Adams said. “Our expectations are to be one of the toughest teams in the Southwest Conference, and be able to compete at a high level against everybody on our schedule.”
