By Brennan Stebbins (For OzarksSportsZone.com)
Despite featuring just one senior in the starting lineup, Carthage’s boys basketball team still managed its third straight winning season last winter, with the Tigers finishing at 15-11 including six losses by single digits.
“It felt like we probably had some other games that could have gone either way, especially in conference play,” said head coach Nathan Morris. “We were pretty happy with last year knowing the competition we came up against and knowing we were heading into a really tough district. That leads us into what we expect to be a pretty good season knowing we have five guys with starting experience returning.”
The Tigers must replace four-year starter Justin Ray, a unanimous first-team pick in the Central Ozark Conference and an all-district and all-area player who is the career leader in games played at Carthage; the guard finished with 1,253 points and ranks first in career and single season 3-point field goals and third in career free throw percentage and assists. Carthage also graduated Jack Ryder, a forward.
With all the starting varsity experience, the Tigers will rely on a group that includes a handful of seniors. Trent Yates will be playing point guard for the second season after averaging 6 points, 2.9 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 1.5 steals per game as a junior. Kruz Castor, a multi-year starter who figures to finish in the top three for career rebounds, averaged 7.2 points, 3.7 rebounds and better than 1 assist and steal per game. Dylan Pugh started a handful of games as a junior and averaged 7.2 points, 3.3 rebounds, 1.5 assists and a steal. Taylor Stevens-Diggs, the team’s center, is back after posting 4.7 points and 4.1 rebounds a game. And junior Landon Ray, Justin’s younger brother, returns after averaging 7.2 points, 3.7 rebounds and more than 1 assist and steal.
“They’re not eye-popping scoring numbers but to have that many players close to seven or eight points per game, we expect them to take a bigger leap,” Morris said. “Trent had a phenomenal summer and at times I felt he was the best player on the court for either team this summer. We need him to be really special at the point guard position for us and we obviously expect Landon to take a big jump in his junior year, and his size is something we don’t particularly have anywhere else on the team. He’s close to 6-4 but his wingspan makes him like a 6-5 or 6-6 kid, he can play out on the wing and down on the post. We have two Pugh brothers that both can shoot it at a really high clip and we need those guys to shoot it well. Kruz, you talk about a warrior, he’s started since he was a sophomore and has worked on his offensive game but he knows no matter point guard or center, he’s going to play 32 minutes defending whoever the other team’s best player is and he relishes in that.”
Other contributors include senior Colt Pugh, a good 3-point shooter and Dylan’s brother.
“Both of those kids are so smart IQ-wise on the court that it makes up for their lack of size,” Morris said. “They’re not the biggest kids but I don’t think they’ve missed a day in the gym since we ended last season. Even if I can’t be here they’re begging me to open the gym for them.”
Junior Jordan Brunnert is an explosive athlete who impressed on the football field this fall, Morris said. On the court he’s a “very physical” guard who can play the point over to the wing. Senior Jaeden Morris is another “very smart” player and a vocal leader. Junior Zane Browning could help in the post with a physical presence. And sophomore Henry Laytham, an all-conference track runner, brings more athleticism to the group.
Morris, who’s only finished under .500 once as a head coach entering his sixth season, is pleased with the current state of the basketball program and the makeup of the roster.
“We had a couple tough years my first two years on the job, but I think it started with the group I had my third year (18-8 in ’21-’22) with Joel Pugh and Caden Kabance. They set the bar for understanding the game and IQ and getting in the gym,” he said.
“This is by far the highest-IQ group we’ve had. They just understand the game. We’re not going to jump off the page in terms of height and weight and probably won’t look the part warming up, but our kids understand that and they feed off of it. We have an absolute gauntlet of a schedule. We play Nixa and Kickapoo back-to-back and then we go on the road for four straight, all the way to Waynesville, Ozark and Parkview. It won’t be easy but I think these kids will be up for the task. We could go into the last handful of games of the year with a really good record or we could be under .500 and still have a legitimate chance to win the COC West.”
Carthage hosts a November 22 jamboree with Carl Junction, Mt. Vernon and Lamar. The regular season begins with a December 3 game at Nevada and the 78th Annual Carthage Invitational December 12-14. Joplin, Carl Junction, Webb City, Nevada, Leavenworth (Kan.), Ray-Pec, and Fort Smith (Ark.) Southside round out the eight-team field in that event. The Tigers also travel to the Harrison (Ark.) tournament in late December and the Jenks/Union (Okla.) invitational in January.
