By Chris Parker
Houston boys basketball is coming off a one-win season, but head coach Jim Moore expects experience gained last year to pay off in more wins this season.
“We were extremely young and inexperienced last year,” Moore said. “We have an added year of varsity experience under our belts and have spent a considerable amount of time in the gym trying to get better during the offseason. We are still relatively young with only two seniors; however we feel much more prepared to compete at the varsity level this season.”
Stone Jackson and Brady Brookshire each earned honorable mention all-conference honors last season.
“I expect these two to set the tone for our season by being role models and holding our team accountable to do their best to improve with every opportunity given to them,” Moore said.
Jackson will play small forward. He averaged 6.2 points, 3.5 rebounds and 1.5 assists per game last season.
“Stone is fundamentally sound on both ends of the floor. He also understands how we are trying to play and helps make sure everyone is doing their job. He also is a solid rebounder,” Moore said.
Brookshire is at power forward. He scored 9.6 points to go with 6.7 rebounds per game.
“Brady creates a mismatch on the floor for our opponents as he can shoot from the outside, attack the rim, and post up inside. He has become an above average defender as well,” Moore said.
Jordan Arthur, DJ Riley, Brody Adkison, Nick Dennis, Zeke Grange and Gavyn Daily will be other key players in the rotation.
Moore on Arthur: “Jordan Arthur is a junior and plays the shooting guard for us. Jordan is athletic and has quick feet and quick hands. He has the ability to get the rim and has added a more consistent outside shot to his game. When he figures out he can dominate the defensive end of the floor as well, his game will go to an even higher level.”
Moore on Riley: “DJ Riley is a sophomore and will play the point for us. DJ had to run the point for us as a freshman, and for everything that was asked of him, I thought he did a nice job. The experience he gained will pay off tenfold this season. He is much more confident and understands what it takes to be successful at the varsity level. He does a good job getting us into our offense and has made himself into a scoring threat and a solid defensive player.”
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Moore on Adkison: “Brody Adkison is a junior and plays center for us. He has put a lot of work into his game this offseason. His size will make an impact for us on both ends of the floor. He has potential to have a solid season.”
Moore on Dennis: “Nick Dennis is a junior and will play small forward for us. The best thing that can be said about Nick is that he does his job. Whatever is asked of him he does it to the best of his ability. He is a solid defender and has improved on the offensive side of the ball. He rebounds well and hustles all the time.”
Moore on Grange: “Zeke Grange is a junior and can play any of the guard and small forward positions. Zeke is a really solid defender. He has the ability to cause a lot of havoc on the defensive end. He has also become a solid shooter and is quick enough to get to the rim when he needs to.”
Moore on Daily: “Gavyn Daily is a sophomore and will play center for us. We need Gavyn to play up to his potential this season. He has the ability to be a game changer on both ends of the floor. He is improving quickly, and the sky is the limit for him.”
All of the above mentioned players will be needed for Houston to increase its win total this season.
“I feel the biggest strength for our team will be working together to get better and find ways to win,” Moore said. “We know everyone has to contribute for us to find success. They know they have improved, and they know they need each other to make a jump to the next level.”
Houston will begin its season Nov. 27 at Koshkonong.
“Our program has suffered some setbacks that were out of our control the past couple of years,” Moore said. “Instead of laying over, this group has continued to work on their game. They come to practice and work hard and handle adversity thrown at them. They have taken some lumps the past couple of years, and it hasn’t broken their spirits. This is a team that’s easy to root for. I want to see them get over the hill we have been climbing together the past couple of seasons and experience the success they deserve. We know that just because you deserve something it doesn’t mean you’re going to get it. We have to go earn it and that’s exactly what we plan to do this season.”
