By Jordan Burton (For OzarksSportsZone.com)
Bryan Tucker is about as Fair Grove as it gets. After spending 11 years as an assistant with the program, last year he slid over to the top spot, leading the program to a district championship.
After being a part of three district title teams as an assistant, last year’s run saw the Eagles win the championship as the 2-seed.
“It meant a lot to me to see those guys (seniors) get it done in the district championship,” said Tucker. “The way they just kept grinding and grinding and competing throughout the season is a testament to their character and will. We had several injuries that changed the way we played at different times and the way we competed and executed on the defensive end and boards at the end of the year is what I was most proud of.”
This year’s group will have a new feel with zero starters returning. While there are no starters back, there is some experience in the rotation.
Senior Jaxon Rowden played meaningful minutes as a sophomore but lost his junior season to injury.
He is expected to take on a larger role this winter.
“Jaxon is a senior for us that had a great sophomore year but basically lost his entire junior year to injury,” said Tucker. “He broke his wrist right before we started summer activities and then re-broke it in the same spot in January. At that time it required surgery and got back just in time for baseball season. He is a great competitor with a high motor that never stops. He has had a great summer and fall and I cannot wait to see him for his senior season.”
Junior Tyler Barnett is a post player but can space the floor via the shot or the pass, providing a skillset that is a difficult matchup for opposing bigs. Classmates Blake Winterberg is an athletic guard that can score at all three levels and Brayde Smith is a facilitating guard that is also very good defensively.
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Sophomores Spencer Seiger and Bryden Baxter will both see significant roles. Seiger was a member of Ava’s 24-win group last year. Baxter saw a larger role as the season progressed last year, culminating in a 16-point performance in the district championship.
Seiger will give Fair Grove a versatile, defensive-minded guard and Baxter is a great scorer. Fellow sophomore Nolen Geitz gives Fair Grove a 6-foot-4 athlete that can play inside-out.
All of these juniors and sophomores will adjust to a new level and new role, which can be tricky initially. It’s even more difficult with a schedule like Fair Grove’s which includes Class 5-6 programs like Lebanon, Camdenton, Willard, West Plains, Rogersville and Springfield Catholic.
“The speed and physicality of the game at the varsity level can be difficult to get used to,” said Tucker. “We played a lot of games this past summer to try and shorten the learning curve but you can’t simulate a true varsity game until you’re in it.”
Fair Grove Basketball has been among the top programs in the area for several years and while the faces change, the expectations don’t.
This group will have to get acclimated to some system changes, but Tucker is hopeful some of those early growing pains will lead to future success.
“We have to be tougher, communicate better, execute situationally and learn how to play with each other due to so many new faces at the varsity level,” said Tucker. “We have to do the little things, especially on the defensive end. We have a lot of fall sport athletes that usually miss out on the first week or two of practice, which is really hard to get them in the gym late and get them in shape. That is something we prepare for with the success of our football, cross country and soccer programs having a lot of success over the past few years. My goal is to see our team play our best basketball in February when conference and district time rolls around.”
Fair Grove will travel to Norwood for a jamboree that includes Willow Springs and West Plains. The Eagles will open the 2022-23 on Nov. 28 at the Clever Tournament.
