By Shelley Ebbrecht
Connor Wilkins will shoot for his 1,000th point when Morrisville returns to the basketball court in November.
Wilkins is a versatile senior player who head coach Brett Rippee depends on to get all of the Panthers’ scoring threats involved.
“Connor is a dynamic scorer who can flat put the ball in the basket in a variety of ways,” Rippee said. “His offseason has been exceptional and his love for basketball is off the charts. I’m excited to see him in year two under our system.”
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Wilkins is currently sitting at 964 points and will likely surpass the 1,000 mark within the first three games. He was injured during the district tournament last year, a big blow to the team’s championship hopes. The Panthers dropped the semi-final game to Marionville in Class 2 District 11, finishing the season 19-9.
“I feel we will have the chance to build off our outstanding season of a year ago but we have to have big improvements from many players,” Rippee said. “We lost some outstanding seniors, however I feel we can be very good again this season.”
Rippee is gearing up for his second year at the helm for the Panthers after being named Class 2 District 11 Coach of the Year in his rookie season.
Morrisville graduated six seniors last year, including Brandon Bell, Hunter Wilkins and Jordan Criss. Bell was one of the team’s top three scorers who Rippee described as a great player but an even greater person. Wilkins led the team in rebounds and consistently guarded the other team’s best player, holding them below their scoring average. As a senior, Criss had one of the best offensive seasons in MCE history, leading the team with 20 points per game and earning unanimous first team All-District honors.
“Jordan was our spark plug and gave us an edge,” Rippee said. “His speed and competitiveness will be hard to replace.”
Henry Ladino, Nick Beavers and Dalton Arthur round out the graduated class of 2016. Rippee said they all leave big shoes to fill, but judging from the off season, the team is up to the task.
“We have worked on defense and shooting during the off season,” he said. “We have some good returning players and we are establishing some new styles and getting used to playing together.”
Josh Turner, a 6’4” senior, will post up for the Panthers. He serves as a scoring and rebound threat inside and Rippee expects him to cause some mismatch problems for post players on the defensive end.
Senior Gavin Lombas is a high motor guard who Rippe said will step in and be one of the Panthers’ main guys in all aspects, “His defensive skills are outstanding and his aggressive style fits our defensive philosophy perfectly.”
Trenton Taylor and Jordan McMillen are other notable seniors returning to the squad. Junior Ben Presley is a 6’3” post who Rippee described as a “hardworking, country strong post player who had a breakout summer.” And Justin McMillen, though only a sophomore, will be looked at to shoot well and score while also guarding the opponents’ best players.
“We will be athletic and strong at the guard position and long at the post position with good shooters,” Rippee said. “The things we want to do all start on the defensive end and we want Morrisville to be one of the toughest defensive teams in the area.”
The Panthers kick off their season with an appearance in the Clever Tournament beginning November 28 followed by the Mansfield Tournament December 15. The team will face off against State Champion Hartville on the road January 5.
“The Clever Tournament is loaded with great teams that have final four expectations so it’s a great tournament right out of the gate for us,” Rippee said. “Our rivals are Pleasant Hope and, to a lesser extent, Fair Play, which is going to be extra fun since we are in the same district as them. We travel to Hartville for a date with the State Champs, so that will be tough but beneficial at the same time.”
