By Derek Shore (For OzarksSportsZone.com)
There is a high level of excitement surrounding the Aurora girls basketball team as a solid nucleus of players return from last season’s 20-9 group. In 2023, the Houn Dawgs won their first district title since 2012 and notched their first 20-win season since 2009.
“We feel like we have a very solid returning core of players with a lot of athleticism,” second-year Aurora coach Jason Cole said. “I feel like we have the ability to be really special defensively if we continue to work and buy into staying disciplined. We grew significantly last season in transitioning from a predominantly zone team to a less predictable team at the defensive end. We lost some quality players to graduation that will require a daily commitment to working to fill those roles at the offensive and defensive ends of the floor.”
The Houn Dawgs lost two starters to graduation, but will bring back three starters in juniors Makena Hall, Jaelyn Ernest and Kylee Cole in 2024. Cole is an All-Big 8 East performer, while Hall and Ernest earned spots on the conference’s All-Defensive Team.
“Kylee was second on the team in scoring last year,” Cole said. “She has the ability to score on the perimeter, off the dribble and with her back to the basket.
“Jaelyn has the ability to become as big of a matchup problem for teams at the offensive end as she is at the defensive end. As she continues to improve with her back to the basket, she is going to create issues for opposing teams.
“Makena is one of the best on-ball defenders I’ve coached. She showed improvements at both ends of the floor this summer. She should build on last year’s accomplishments.”
Juniors Alyssa Burch and Nadia Davis as well as sophomore Jaysa Ernest are other key returning pieces. Burch was the Houn Dawgs’ sixth man last year and started a handful of games over the last two seasons. Cole said she’s spent a lot of time in the offseason working on her game, which should show this season.
Davis is a tenacious defender who improved as the year went on last season, Cole noted. Ernest played a big role down the stretch in 2023, and Cole said she has the capability to play a number of roles in the new season.
Aurora has five newcomers — sophomores Lakynn Robinson and Brooke Blevins along with freshmen Kylee Phelps, Lilah Cutbirth and Addison Hall — expected to contribute at the varsity level this season.
Robinson has the size to play with her back to the basket and possesses good touch from the outside to stretch opposing defenses. Blevins is a good defender with a high basketball IQ, who continues to improve and will help the Houn Dawgs at both ends of the floor.
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Cole also mentioned Phelps is a versatile player who can play inside and out. One of the tallest players on the team, Phelps will create matchups problems for other teams as she develops.
Cutbirth is a post player who improved throughout last summer, while Hall plays guard and forward and will continue to make significant progress as her confidence grows.
Cole said the overall team speed could be a major strength this season. In fact, Aurora showed the ability to play at a quicker pace this summer, which gives the Houn Dawgs an opportunity to compete in a number of ways.
“We will have a relatively young team this year with no seniors on the roster and a number of varsity minutes open for those who put the time and focus into each end of the floor for us,” Cole said. “We feel like we can be successful in games that require us to play an up-tempo style as well as a slower methodical approach, which both lend themselves for a lot of minutes for a number of players.
“I believe we are going to surprise teams with our versatility at both ends of the floor. We have developed the mindset that if teams try to take one player or two away we will pick up scoring from others. I think we are going to get better and better as the year goes on with teams who don’t know about our balance in scoring.”
Even though it’s a new year, expectations have not wavered for Aurora entering the 2024 season.
“I believe we will have the opportunity to be very competitive in our conference and districts, even though there should be some very good teams in both,” Cole said. “If we continue to buy into the things we need to do as a program, I believe we have the opportunity to match the success we had last season and build on it.”
Aurora hosts East Newton on Nov. 21 to open the season.
