By Michael Cignoli (For OzarksSportsZone.com)
The West Plains boys basketball team has every reason to expect this season will be better than the last, but there are two big ones.
The way the Zizzers ended the season — and the players who are coming back.
After losing their first six games under new head coach Mason Miller, a particularly young Zizzers team played .500 the rest of the way — finishing with a 10-16 record.
“We were playing some young kids and it took them a little bit to adjust to the speed of the game,” Miller said. “Once we adjusted to the speed — which took some time — we were able to play the speed that we wanted to play.”
Now, the Zizzers return four starters – all a year older and more experienced – as the program makes the move to the brand-new Ozark Mountain Conference.
That quartet — Jared Kraft, Ethan Tuma, Clayton Robbins and Josiah Long — represents about 60-percent of the West Plains offense from last season, with Kraft and Tuma both collecting all-conference honors.
With relatively little turnover – top scorer Briggs Houston is the only of the three Class of 2024 graduates who averaged more than two points per game – the Zizzers look to get back above .500 for the first time since 2022.
“Having a year with me, they are starting to know our system better and what we expect,” Miller said. “This helps because now we can skip the install phase and jump into building what we have already had installed from last year.”
Kraft, a 6-foot-2 junior, is the team’s top returning scorer. He averaged 12.8 points and 2.8 rebounds during a breakout sophomore season.
“He is a three-level scorer who can create his own shot,” Miller said. “We expect him to step up as a leader going into his junior year.”
Tuma, a 6-foot-1 senior, was named to the conference’s all-defensive team, averaging 1.8 steals per game. He added 6.6 points and 2.8 rebounds a night.
“He had a big jump when it came to confidence and ball handling last year,” Miller said. “He is a quick and shifty player. He did a great job last year as one of our defensive leaders, he kept his composure throughout the season.”
Robbins is the team’s top returning rebounder, averaging 4.4 last winter. The 6-foot-5 senior is also an emerging threat on offense, and is looking to improve his 6.6 point per game average.
“Clayton started to hit his groove on the offensive end in the last 15 games,” Miller said. “He had a great summer and we expect to see Clayton continue this into his senior year.”
Long, a 6-foot-3 junior, ranks second among returning Zizzers with 9.4 points and 3.3 rebounds.
“He was a solid defender last year and was a good rebounder,” Miller said. “We expect him to contribute in crucial moments this upcoming season.”
Jake Moore, another 6-foot-3 junior, made significant contributions off the bench as a sophomore. He played in all but two of the team’s games — and is ready for a bigger role this season.
“Jake stepped up for us in the last third of the year last year,” Miller said. “He plays his tail off on both ends of the floor. He is one of the hardest-working players we have in our program when he plays.”
The Zizzers will also have some height with 6-foot-6 junior Neo Wright and 6-foot-4 sophomore Aden Judd. Wright appeared in nine games last season, while Judd played in three games as a freshman. Both are poised to see additional action this fall.
Miller on Wright: “He is a springy player. Long and athletic, does a great job protecting the rim and wants to dominate the boards.”
Miller on Judd: “He played a lot of varsity minutes this summer with us and had a great summer. Is a big body who can bang in the post but can step out and hit a three if he has the right matchup. Had a good end of the summer last year. Is an extremely hard worker and is a winner.”
The Zizzers will benefit from the return of two players who return after spending a year away from the program, senior Chase Larsen and junior Landon Montgomery. Junior Branson Dunbar and sophomores Caleb Cobb and Sawyer Reid could also see varsity minutes.
“We have a lot of possibilities when it comes to playing time,” Miller said. “My biggest question would be who is going to step up?”
West Plains will travel to Norwood for a November 19 jamboree against the Pirates, Willow Springs and Fair Grove. They will open the regular season four days later at the Bunker Shootout.
“I hope our team is known for being a pain to play against because we are going to play hard, play smart and be able to dictate the tempo of the game,” Miller said.
