By Chris Parker
Sparta boys basketball return an experienced group of players featuring a trio who averaged double-digit scoring along with the team’s leader in assists from last season.
That group includes Jacob Lafferty (junior), Kavan Walker (senior), Walker Loveland (junior) and Dexter Loveland (senior). All four earned all-conference honors last season. They will form the leadership core for Sparta.
“Jacob Lafferty, Kavan Walker, Walker Loveland and Dexter Loveland lead for us on and off the court,” said Sparta head coach Deric Link. “They do what they are supposed to in the classroom, they work hard in the weight room, they are always getting extra shots up. They set the standard for who we are. Jacob is one of the most competitive kids in the area and not only does he score and rebound the ball well, but he sets the tone defensively. Kavan is one of the smartest basketball players we have. He always seems to be in the right spot at the right time and it does not hurt that he shoots the ball really well. You will not find another kid in southwest Missouri that works as hard as Walker Loveland does. He guards the opposing team’s best ball handler, he handles the ball for us, and leads by his effort. Dexter is a physical presence. He can score at all three levels and rebounds the ball well for us.”
Lafferty, a first-team all-conference selection, averaged a double-double as a sophomore with 17.7 points and 10.1 rebounds per game. He shot 67% from the field. Walker was a second-team all-conference honoree who averaged 10.1 points and 2.5 assists per game. Dexter Loveland was the team’s second-leading scorer at 12.1 points per game to go with 6 rebounds per game on his way to honorable mention all-conference honors. Walker Loveland was also an honorable mention all-conference player who averaged 5.3 points and a team-high 4 assists per game.
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Senior Steven Brown also brings some scoring punch coming off a junior year that saw him averaged 4.8 points per game.
“Steven brings an edge to this team with his toughness and willingness to do the things that are not glamorous,” Link said. “He gives us balance offensively and does not make many mistakes.”
Caden Roller (senior) and Mason Letterman (junior) round out the returning players for Sparta.
“Caden is the ultimate team guy. He does not have to score, he communicates, rebounds, and does his job,” Link said. “Mason just competes. He can get to the rim and make plays for himself and teammates. He is willing and wants to guard the opposing team’s best player.”
This group of returning players has a lot of experience together entering Link’s third year with the program.
“Our biggest strength will be our connection,” Link said. “This is the third year with this group of kids. We have six guys who started or came off the bench as freshman, sophomore, and juniors the last few years. They know what they do well, and they complement each other.”
Rowdy Ball (junior) and Otis Gilliam Jr. (sophomore) will look to carve out time in the varsity rotation.
“Rowdy is another guy who will make an impact with his ability to shoot the ball and be a good team defender. He is a smart kid with a good skillset,” Link said. “Otis does a great job of making plays for others. He makes an impact with his ability to create offensively and toughness defensively.”
Sparta opens the season on Nov. 22 at Conway.
“Our identity has to be to dominate the paint,” Link said. “We have to do a good job of scoring in the paint and rebounding the ball well. We have to outwork people. We are not as strong or as quick as a lot of people. We just have to outwork you.”
