2022-23 Winter Preview: Gainesville Boys Basketball

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By Chris Parker

Gainesville boys basketball will be looking for new players to step up this year after graduating three all-conference seniors from last year’s 16-win team. The trio of Jake Leeker, Bryce Hambelton and Landry Jenkins accounted for more than 70-percent of the team’s scoring.

“That group of senior boys had been a huge part of the program over the last four years,” Gainesville head coach Chris Randolph said. “The three of them accounted for over 70% of the scoring last season and their departure will leave big shoes for our returners to step in and fill.”

Randolph enters his first season as head coach of his alma mater.

“I’m very excited for the opportunity to come back and coach at my alma mater,” Randolph said. “Not everyone gets to return home and coach games in the gym he grew up playing in, and I feel blessed that I get the chance to do just that.”

Three full or part time starters lead the returning players in Randolph’s first season.

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“This group had a great summer of showing up and getting better,” Randolph said. “We have some guys that are going to need to step up into bigger roles than they have had in the past, and a lot of our success will be based on our ability to do so.”

Wyatt Alms started full-time as a junior averaging 4.4 points and two rebounds per game. Fellow senior Carter Wise saw part-time starting opportunities averaging 4.5 points per game. He played in all 27 of Gainesville’s games last year.

Camden Evans (25 games played) and Grayden Rowbatham (19 games played) round out the returning seniors.

Junior Easton McGee is the team’s leading returning scorer. He averaged 6.9 points per game with 2.9 rebounds and 2.3 assists as a full-time starter last year.

Classmates Andrew Hambelton and Nathan Kiger also return. Hambelton played in all 27 games as a sophomore while Kiger saw action in 24 games.

Sophomore Harmon Johns and junior Garrett Taber are new players who will have an impact this season.

This group will look to gel with each other and the new coach early in the season.

“We are still figuring out exactly what we are going to look like stylistically, but I know that with the energy these guys play with we have many different options,” Randolph said.

Gainesville opens the regular season on Nov. 18 at home against Chadwick.

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