By Michael Cignoli (For OzarksSportsZone.com)
After graduating a 10-player senior class, a particularly young Camdenton boys basketball team struggled to find a rhythm last winter.
The Lakers finished 5-21, a nine-win drop from the record they posted the year prior.
As he enters in his third season in charge of the program, coach Daniel Eidson is optimistic this year will look more like the first than the second.
“Our teams have evolved over the past two seasons,” Eidson said. “There hasn’t been a true development of a whole group that has come together to compete. We are definitely getting closer to that ‘together’ piece this year. We had great commitment from the guys we knew were bought in and we were surprised by some others that showed up and got after it as well. This will be a very different locker room feeling — in a very good way. Guys are eager to play, they are dedicated to each other and they will have success because of their mindsets.”
Eidson and the Lakers have shifted north to the Central Missouri Activities Conference, where they’ll face perennial powers like Helias Catholic, Rock Bridge and Jefferson City in a gauntlet that brings as many challenges as their former Ozark Conference schedule.
“The CMAC is absolutely stacked with basketball talent,” Eidson said. “Our conference opponents will most certainly show us where we are as a program, in regards to what we need to excel at to compete at the state level. Coaching and playing in the CMAC will give all of us a chance to grow in the game of basketball, while fiercely competing against some of the best in the area – for sure – but also the state.”
To help navigate the transition, the Lakers will return three players who started at various points last season — senior guard Owen Borbe, senior forward Jonny Semau and sophomore guard Alan Poage.
Eidson on Borbe: “Owen will be our floor general. He will be expected to let the game develop, create opportunities for himself and his teammates to be successful and lead the charge with energy, dedication and all-out effort on both sides of the ball.”
Eidson on Semau: “Jonny is our Swiss army knife. Jonny will have nights where he will absolutely go off. Our goal is for that to be very often and let his game be more of consistency, and not sporadically. Jonny can do it all, and we are very excited to watch his senior season unfold.”
Eidson on Poage: “Alan has the pedigree and basketball prowess to start turning some heads. He is an evolving guard that can play the point, or the shooting position well. He is deadly from 3, but his biggest asset that he worked tirelessly on is his ability to finish through contact. He is a special player that is constantly improving and leading our team.”
Junior Krasi Petrov-Diaz will have an expanded role.
“Krasi is a young guard that is very athletic and has the ability to majorly contribute for us this year,” Eidson said. “He will be a guy that will be expected to play great defense and handle the ball to create for his team as well.”
The personnel changes could also signal a shift in Camdenton’s game plan.
“I have not done a great job of being set in stone with my offensive approach,” Eidson said. “I often find myself wanting to attack from different angles based on the personnel we have. In saying that, we certainly will have to coach/learn quickly about how we want to play offensively.”
Camdenton’s lineup will receive a boost from the return of juniors Gavin Franklin, a 6-foot-1 forward, and Paxton Yowell, a 5-foot-10 guard. Both missed chunks of last season with injuries.
Eidson on Franklin: “An undersized big man that can play with the best. His footwork, toughness, and basketball IQ give him an advantage every game. We are blessed to have Gavin back this year.”
Eidson on Yowell: “Paxton is a relentless competitor, and brings instant depth to our varsity team. He is a pesky defender, he can shoot very well and he is a menace on the boards.”
Junior Brady Rapp, a 6-foot guard, is another newcomer who could have an impact.
“Brady has gotten very good at handling the ball against ball pressure and is an elite-level shooter,” Eidson said. “We are very happy to see Brady evolve into a contributing player. The sky is the limit for Brady.”
As the Lakers prepare for the season ahead, they’ll rely on contributions up and down the lineup.
“The biggest strength for this team is their coachability and desire to work hard,” Eidson said. “We won’t have a ton of seniority to bring leadership, but we believe that each grade level will step in and lead while the whole group plans on working together for something bigger than oneself.”
The Lakers will host a November 19 jamboree with Eugene, Macks Creek and School of the Osage. They will open the regular season at the Tipton Tournament, which begins December 2.
“Our identity will need to be reflective of relentless effort, hard work and never giving up,” Eidson said. “No matter the match-up, our success (is) going to be driven from mental toughness.”
