By Chris Parker
Houston finished 9-15 last year with a fairly young team on the court. That group is now a year older with four starters and eight lettermen returning.
The returning players include two all-conference players in junior Brody McNew and senior Korbyn Tune. Both were named Honorable Mention All-SCA. McNew averaged 11.8 points, 5.3 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game. Tune averaged 13.8 points and 8.9 rebounds per game.
“Brody has had a solid offseason. He has elevated his game and we will count on him for assists, rebounds, and put a few points on the board as well,” Houston head coach Jim Moore said. “Korbyn really came on strong the second half of season last year. He is a load inside and is hard to stop once he gets the ball down on the block. He rebounds well, runs the floor well, and is starting to extend his range.”
Four seniors in Noah Gulick, Hunter McKinney, Tanner Lee and Josh Smith along with juniors Garyn Hall and Harold Lassiter also return for the Tigers.
Moore on Gulick: “Noah is our best all-around defensive player. He is quick, has fast hands, and can put a lot of pressure on the ball. He runs the floor well and will be a threat from 23-feet in this year.”
Moore on McKinney: “Hunter plays his role really well. He can hit the spot up three, he runs the floor well, takes care of the ball, and is a very good on the ball defender.”
Moore on Lee: “Tanner has worked hard on his game through the off-season. He has added several dimensions to his game including being able to get to the hole and finish and hit the spot up three. He sees the floor pretty well.”
Moore on Smith: “Josh is a very good athlete. He is kind of a wild card for our team. When he plays to his potential, our team goes to another level.
Moore on Hall: “Garyn is our point guard. He is quick, has good handles, and does a good job getting us in our offense. He has a sneaky ability to score and has the ability to put a lot pressure on the ball defensively.”
Moore on Lassiter: “Harold is a very good rebounder. He guards well inside, plays hard every second he is on the floor, and continues to earn more and more playing time because he does the right things to make our team better.”
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Junior Dakota James along with sophomores John Kimrey and Brady Brookshire are newcomers to watch.
Moore on James: “Dakota seen a little varsity time towards the end of the season last year. He will see many more minutes this season. He is a hard-nosed player that can shoot the three, attack the rim, and play tough defense.”
Moore on Kimrey: “John works hard on his game every day. He has a really good knowledge of the game and just seems to be in the right place at the right time a lot. He will see varsity minutes this year.”
Moore on Brookshire: “Brady is a good rebounder and a smart player. He can shoot it when open. He does a lot of the intangibles that need to be done if teams are going to win.”
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Houston will travel to Bunker for a jamboree on Nov. 16. The Tigers open the regular season on Nov. 22 at Licking.
“We are excited to get the season started. We just opened up a brand new gymnasium that has our team fired up to get to play in,” Moore said. “We are returning eight lettermen from last year’s team. We have worked hard on our individual games throughout the off-season. If we gel like we are capable of, we will be competitive night in and night out with a chance to be a sleeper in the area. We expect to compete for a conference title and a district title at the end of the year. A couple of wins early in the year will be big to boost confidence and set the tone for the season.”
