By Brennan Stebbins (For OzarksSportsZone.com)
Despite seven losses by single digits, including their first five by a total of 20 points, the Joplin boys basketball team improved on its record with a 9-18 campaign last season after winning just four games the season before.
“Nine wins is not where you want to be, but it was an improvement from the year before. I did think we were much more competitive even in our losses,” said head coach Nick Pfeifer. “We know we still have a lot of work to do. We played in the championship game at our tournament and that was a highlight for us, it was a good game against Hillcrest and that was probably when we were playing about as good as we did but we also know the schedule gets harder when you get into the middle of league play so we have to continue to improve and build on some of those successes.”
Joplin graduated four seniors from last year’s team, which had a winning record for parts of January and was still 8-8 late in the month before finishing with 9 of 11 games against winning teams. Fred Taylor was the lone Eagle to garner postseason honors, but the second team pick in the Central Ozark Conference returns as a senior this winter.
In 26 games, Taylor led Joplin with 12.8 points per game and 2.4 assists while also grabbing 3 rebounds and 1.5 steals. He’s one of three returners this season with some starting experience.
“He’s going to be the key for us as far as production,” Pfeifer said. “Led us in scoring, assists and steals last year so he was one of our greater producers. We’ll look for him to do that this year and I think he’s going to have a really nice year for us. He’s been putting in a lot of work and he’s gotten stronger physically and looks sharp in our fall stuff. I’m excited about him shooting the ball as well as he has since he’s been in our program. I think he’s really primed, he had a nice year last year but this year I think he can compete for one of the best point guards and guards in the area. He’s very athletic.”
The other two returners with starting experience are senior Brecken Green (8.7 PPG, 2 REB in 17 MIN) and senior David Bhend (4.4 PPG, 3.3 REB, 1.6 AST in 21 MIN).
“(Green) really jumps well and shoots the ball, he’s definitely our key threat from outside so we’re looking for him to have a nice year,” Pfeifer said. “He’s gotten better defensively, a little quicker laterally. (Bhend) was a really solid player, defends well and rebounds well. We need him to be able to knock down a few shots for us and produce a little more offensively but we know we’re going to get great effort and defense and rebounding from him.”
Joplin’s roster will feature six seniors, with Taylor, Green and Bhend joined by John Jasper, Canyon Kimbrough and Isaiah Thom. Jasper started one game and logged 3 points and 5 rebounds in 20 minutes, but missed the rest of the season with a knee injury.
“He’s coach (Curtis) Jasper’s son and he’s just a hard worker, probably the most traditional post player that we have,” Pfeifer said. “Big, physical, does a really nice job rebounding and defending. He’ll be a key for us. All those guys have played some varsity minutes. Canyon Kimbrough has been steady with a great work ethic and he can shoot the ball. We’ll need him to defend and rebound. Isaiah Thom is a guard and a really good defender on ball. Those guys maybe didn’t play as much as far as minutes last year but I do feel like they’re experienced and they’ve played a lot of minutes at the JV level and also this summer with us.”
Kimbrough (20 games) and Thom (25) both averaged about 10 minutes per contest.
The team’s junior class includes more than a handful of players who should contribute, as well.
“TJ Willis is a guard who can be the one or the two and is a good shooter who has improved defensively,” Pfeifer said. “I’m excited about him and Trenton McCadney, as well. They’re both guards, Trenton’s a little bit bigger. At times this summer he was our best on ball defender. We’ve got a handful of post-type forward players in that junior class. Tucker Martin will get a lot of varsity minutes this year, he’s really improved as an athlete and is really strong, a state qualifier in triple and long jump. Dayton Sluder and Traveon Simmons are longer forwards, Dayton a little more physical and Traveon is super athletic with long arms. Jack Lewis is a good guard who really contributes and practices hard.”
Joplin will host East Newton, Nevada and New Heights Christian for a jamboree on Thursday, November 20. The Eagles open the season at Pittsburg (Kan.) and in the 79th Annual Carthage Invitational. Joplin won’t play a home game until the Kaminsky Classic in January. The Eagles will play twice in the 12 Courts of Christmas in late December, and head to the Pittsburg Tournament in late January.
“We have two really strong classes and that’s going to bring about some natural competition, it already has this summer and that’s what we want,” Pfeifer said. “We want those guys to be competing every day in practice, that’s how you get your best product. We have some of those older guys who have done it, they’ve been consistent and really put in the work and commitment so those guys will be our leaders, but we’ll have that junior class that should be pushing them. We know we have to defend and we put a lot of emphasis on that. Sometimes the way we explain it is if you can’t defend you have no chance. If you can defend then you at least have a chance but now you’ve got to score. We’re taking that next step hopefully on the offensive end.”
