By Derek Shore (For OzarksSportsZone.com)
Mt. Vernon basketball aims to rebound following a 6-19 season in 2023.
Looking to help the Mountaineers right the ship are three core players back from last year’s team. That group includes senior Landon Jones and juniors Jarrett Zerby and Juliun Hernandez.
Zerby, a 6-foot-1 guard, is coming off an All-Big 8 East sophomore campaign. He led Mt. Vernon in scoring at a 17 points per game while tallying 5.1 rebounds and dishing out two assists.
“Jarrett is recovering from a football injury and we hope to have him at some point in the season,” head coach Mike Ray said. “He has started since he was a freshman and brings experience and skill to our team.”
Hernandez, a 5-10 guard, averaged 6.3 points, 3.3 rebounds and three assists. Jones, playing inside and outside at 6-3, added 5.1 points, 3.8 rebounds and almost two assists.
“Juliun has played varsity since his freshman year,” Ray said. “He has grown into a quality guard for us and has put some time into his game. I believe he is capable of being an outstanding high school guard. Landon has just scratched the surface of his ability and last year he began to step up and be a contributor for us. He has the size to guard a post player but is skilled enough to play on the perimeter.”
The Mountaineers have a large cast of newcomers. It starts with senior Conner Short (5-9) and juniors Quentin Smiles (6-0), Preston West (6-3), Luke Robbins (6-4), Hudson Gaddy (5-11) and Tannor Lutes (6-2).
Ray said Short is a true point guard, who has a good understanding of the game and is like another coach on the floor. Smiles is a guard and forward and looks to build off a strong summer.
West adds an inside presence for Mt. Vernon. Ray said the junior just started playing and has made improvements and looks to anchor the Mountaineers defensively, while Robbins “has a good shot for a big guy” and can step outside and stretch the defense.
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“Hudson gives us a good shooter from the perimeter, who can get hot from the outside,” Ray said. “Tannor is another guy we have who can play inside or outside. He has made great strides in his game this offseason.”
Six-foot-one sophomore Hunter Dawson, 6-0 sophomore Lucas Schoen and 5-11 sophomore Hunter Conway will also compete for playing time.
Ray said Dawson has a good feel for the game with a high basketball IQ. The Mountaineers will count on him to be a key offensively and defensively, while Schoen possesses a naturally smooth shot that Mt. Vernon will look to get opportunities shooting the rock and Conway looks to be a force on both ends of the floor after missing last season due to an injury.
“Those three bring a level of athleticism to our team,” Ray said. “All three are capable of playing guard or forward and will give us offensive and defensive flexibility.”
Mt. Vernon opens the season in Diamond’s Gem City Classic on Nov. 27. The Mountaineers will entertain Crane on Dec. 5 in their home opener.
“As with any season, our goal is to strive to get better each day on and off the court,” Ray said. “We try to focus on the process of improvement and with that our goal is to be the best version of ourselves by February.”
