By Jordan Burton (For OzarksSportsZone.com)
On paper, this is a Bolivar team that should be in rebuild mode. But, what we’ve learned in Robby Hoegh’s 13 seasons in Polk County is that the Liberators will always be contenders come March.
The Libs have won at least 20 games in four of the last six seasons, including a 21-6 campaign last year. Bolivar returns just one starter and an additional letterwinner from that team suggesting that there may be an adjustment period early. However, a great summer of growth – including a runner-up finish at the Missouri Southern Team Camp – suggesting that the learning curve could be minimal.
It all starts with 6-foot-7 sophomore Kyle Pock, who already owns an offer from Missouri State.
Pock averaged 17.2 points and 8.1 rebounds per game as a freshman. He’s currently the No. 2 ranked 2023 prospect in Missouri according to Prep Hoops. He will typically be the most talented player on the court any time Bolivar takes the floor.
“Kyle has a great support system,” said Hoegh. “His grandpa was a coach and both his mom and dad were college athletes. They have raised a young man that recognizes that success is not owned, rent is due each day and Kyle has paid a lot of rent money over the last seven years. He certainly has physical attributes, but we have not had a player this young with this level of commitment. And we have had some very committed players which I think is the other part of it. You know last year we had a senior 6th man, Cooper Bushey who made over 10,000 shots prior to the season starting. What kind of message does that send to everyone else when a non-starter is putting in that kind of time and effort for the team? Kyle has ambition, no question, but he cares about his teammates and wants to invest in others. He will continue to do that and to me that is the way to greatness. Greatness is about what you are willing to do for others.”
Also back in the mix is 6-foot-6 forward Josh Bowes, who came off the bench but played significant minutes for Bolivar.
CLICK HERE FOR ALL OF THE WINTER SPORTS PREVIEWS
Senior guards Jace Krueger, Bo Banner and Luke Meents, juniors Cooper Cribbs and Lukas Gabani, as well as sophomore guards Jack Larimore and Kaden Griswold, will make up the cast of newcomers for Hoegh. While many names will be new, he’s excited about what they’ll bring to the table this winter.
“Our guard with the most returning experience is Jace Krueger who played in 10 varsity contests,” said Hoegh. “Jace, the younger brother of 2016 standout Bryce Krueger, is more than equipped as a competitor to handle what we need him to do for us to be successful. Bo Banner was heavily recruited by our 2020’s last year to get back on the hardwood, and we were all thankful he chose to play. Bo or “Bonus” as he is known to his Instagram followers makes everything he is a part of more fun and enjoyable. His demeanor may be happy go lucky but between the lines Bo brings it and just tries to win. Luke Meents is our final senior. Luke has made significant contributions behind the scenes in our program the last three years. We know his senior leadership and knowledge gained will help us throughout his senior season.
“Lukas Gabani is the most athletic kid on our roster, he is 6-7, fast, has a great build, and can get off the floor. He has worked extremely hard this past year to grow as a basketball player and learn how to use those natural gifts. We look forward to seeing Lukas develop. Cooper Cribbs provides shooting and a nice floor game. He is a strong 6-1 that can also take advantage of mismatches in the post. Jack Larimore and Kaden Griswold are two young guards that have shown a strong desire to get better.”
This will be Bolivar’s final independent season before moving into the Ozark Conference. The last few seasons have seen the Libs become very creative with scheduling and this winter will be no different, specifically ending the season with road trips to Rogersville, Helias Catholic and Kickapoo. All three teams won district titles last year with Helias and Kickapoo advancing to the Final Four.
Not having a conference affiliation presented a unique challenge in making the regular season important.
“The biggest adjustment the last two years was making each game matter,” said Hoegh. “We certainly believe we have a schedule that requires our best efforts each night, but not playing for a conference title or conference position can, at times, feel a little flat. So to combat this we really tried to celebrate every moment we could think of. Again, this was another contribution of our 2020’s. Ever since they were freshmen they did the craziest stuff following wins. They would do things like turn off the lights in the locker room and surprise the coaches when they walked in, or sometimes they would just be barking like dogs when coaches arrived. The celebrations became much more elaborate each year and last year we wondered if our team had more fun celebrating wins in the locker room then they did actually playing basketball. All of that to say, you have to find ways to keep the season fresh and light.”
Bolivar has played for district championships in two of the last three years, losing those games by a combined 12 points. The Libs haven’t claimed a district title since 2017, which happened to be the program’s last Final Four run as well. The success of the program has created annual expectations. Hoegh knows this group will have some obstacles to overcome, but he also believes this team, just like every other Bolivar team, can be a threat by March.
“One thing we will work towards each day is to enjoy our preparation and the competitions. With how COVID-19 has impacted high school sports over the past seven months we want to be grateful for every opportunity we get,” said Hoegh. “We do feel like we have a great group of guys that embrace the character of our program. The challenge for us will be finding our own basketball identity. We have a team where the basketball components are pretty good individually but they aren’t necessarily the most complimentary of one another. As a team we have to figure that out. At times players are going to have to do some things on the floor that aren’t geared towards their strength or we are going to have to collectively solve some problems that in the past a single player could remedy. Those are always fun challenges and if we face those challenges like winners we can solve problems and become a formidable opponent in districts.”
Bolivar will open the 2020-21 season on Dec. 3 in the Willard Basketball Classic.
