By Jordan Burton (For OzarksSportsZone.com)
When you lose a senior class that includes an All-State selection and multiple All-Conference players, most would assume a step back is in the program’s future.
Strafford won 21 games, its first district championship since 2015 and were one shot away from a Final Four appearance.
Last year marked Tyler Ryerson’s first full graduation class at Strafford, making last year’s run even more special.
“That was the first group that I’ve ever coached from freshman year to senior year at any school,” said Ryerson. “That group had lost three district championships in a row. So they had to come into every season, not reaching our goal. That group talked about a district title from our first practice to the district championship. Also, the Thayer Quarterfinal game at SBU, might have been the best high school basketball game that I’ve ever been a part of. It was an amazing crowd, well coached (Matt Pitts is one of the best) and well officiated. They hit a huge shot that got them to the final four.”
Senior AK Rael is the only starter returning for Strafford, and it’s a good piece to have back. The 6-foot-5 guard averaged 12.6 points, 4.7 rebounds and 2.2 assists, earning All-State honors.
He’s one of the best returning players in the Ozarks.
“His athleticism is elite, he can score at all levels, he’s extremely unselfish and wants to guard the other team’s best player,” said Rael. “It’s really easy to coach a team where your best player is also your hardest worker. He’s a mismatch nightmare that could shoot 3’s on you or go dunk on you. He’s unstoppable in transition, and he’s just a great kid.”
The cupboard is hardly bare outside of Rael.
Senior Elliott Goings is a 6-foot-7 post that averaged 3.3 points and 2.9 rebounds as a junior. Sophomore Cody Voysey played in 23 games as a freshman, averaging 7.5 points and 1.6 assists. He also had a great summer on the grassroots tour.
“Elliott was our back up big last year,” said Ryerson. “He had spurts when he was really good for us. He runs the floor very well. He can finish at the rim with a dunk, and he can protect the rim on the other end. He can really run the floor and force the other teams big to sprint every trip. That’s gonna be huge for us, because we’re still searching to play faster and utilize our depth.
“The biggest thing with Cody is he’s more experienced coming into his sophomore year. He’s an elite scorer that has a knack of taking the big shots. He’s impossible to keep out of the lane and he really wants to defend and get steals. We’re handing him the keys and he has a huge job of getting AK, Elliott, Brody involved early, as well as scoring himself.”
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Seniors Isaac Berg and Braden Willard will also return after combining to play in 35 games last year. Berg is a versatile player that can defend 2-5. Willard is a big-time shooter and floor spacer.
Juniors Ryker Venosdel (6-2) and Amren King will provide athleticism on the wing. A trio of athletic, two-way sophomore guards will also add depth and athleticism in Jourdyn Edelstein, Ryder Ross and Bradlee Mullins.
Maybe the most intriguing newcomer is Brody McNew.
The 6-foot-5 guard played JV only last year after moving to Strafford. McNew was a letterwinner at Houston and Mountain Grove. He had to sit out due to MSHSAA transfer rules.
“Brody might be our best natural passer on our team, he’s a very high IQ kid that can read and manipulate the defense with pass fakes,” said Ryerson. “He can play above the rim and can score on smaller guys inside, and he can take bigger guys off the bounce. The biggest thing with Brody is getting him comfortable with his teammates and familiar with what we’re trying to do on both sides of the ball.”
The Indians have been to three Final Fours in program history, all of which came from 2011-15, a five-season span where Strafford won 129 games with five consecutive district championships and had two runner-up finishes.
This group rivals that talent of those teams and is eager to write its own legacy.
“We have been blessed with a very talented, big group coming back,” said Ryerson. “In order for us to compete in the conference and the postseason, we really need to buy into what we’re trying to do defensively. We were an excellent rebounding team last year, I think this group can be better. The biggest thing for us is to play unselfishly. If our kids are willing to find and exploit the mismatches, then we have a chance to be very good.
“The whole thing last year was just great, and this year’s group has that bar set of what they want to exceed. We talk about it openly. This group is hungry for a final four.”
Strafford will open the 2022-23 season by hosting the Strafford Invitational Tournament on Nov. 28 to Dec. 3.
