By Jordan Burton (For OzarksSportsZone.com)
It’ll be a new look for Liberty in Year Two under Justin Harrill.
The Eagles are coming off a 19-9 season that saw them advance to the district championship, but now must replace four starters and a lot of points from that unit in the form of Terrell Gaines and Carter Pruett.
“Terrell and Carter were both a huge part of our program here at Liberty,” said Harrill. “Carter was a great athlete who could score at a great clip and was a good defender. Terrell was a one-of-a-kind player who left a huge impact on our program. Terrell broke the Liberty scoring record last year and he’s a great player who did things for us on both sides of the basketball. Both of these players will be hard to replace.”
Leading this new edition of Liberty Basketball is senior standout Gavin Reese.
Reese has been a high-level contributor in every sport he’s competed in at Liberty and basketball is no different.
His athleticism and IQ will make him tough to account for as he prepares for a new role this winter.
“Gavin will have to be the leader of the team this year,” said Harrill. “He is a smart player and knows the system inside and out. He is a great defender, but will also have to carry more of a workload on offense than he did last year. He is very capable of having a breakout year.”
Junior Drayton Wells and sophomore Alex Tune also return after playing rotational minutes.
Harrill is excited about what they have shown during the offseason with Wells being a big body and Tune being one of two Tunes that can really score it from every level.
“These two played big minutes last year and will have even bigger roles this year,” said Harrill. “Alex has really improved over the summer and is becoming a great player. Shoots the ball at a great clip, I am expecting a breakout year for Alex. Drayton had a great summer. He is a great defender and has improved tremendously. Great rim protector.”
Senior Landon Hines, as well as juniors Parker Tune and Brayden Mays will also see more minutes this year for what will be a more balanced lineup.
“Parker has potential to be a great player and really step into a big role this year,” said Harrill. “He is long and athletic and can be a force on both sides of the ball. Brayden Mays and Landon Hines will also play huge minutes as they both are a threat offensively.”
For Liberty, it will come down to game(s) against Thayer as they chase conference and district championships.
Thayer has beaten the Eagles 20 straight times, with the last Eagle win coming in January 2016.
“Thayer seems to reload every year and are always one of the best teams in the area,” said Harrill. “We played them last year in the district championship and were tied at halftime. I think our kids are excited for the challenge to go against Thayer and look forward to that matchup.
“I believe that we have the potential to compete for district and conference titles year in and year out. I think the key for us is believing in each other and trusting each other. We made great strides on the defensive side of the ball last year and I am hoping to keep going in that direction. If we can learn to guard night in and night out we will be able to achieve great things.”
Liberty will open the 2024-25 regular season at the Current River Challenge in Van Buren on Nov. 29.
