by Jeremy Benson, GrandRiverConference.com
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Maysville received six first-place votes and is the coaches’ pick to win the GRC Boys Basketball Championship for the 2023-24 season. Maysville finished 3rd in the GRC East in each of the last two seasons. Milan received the only other first-place vote and was picked second. Putnam County was picked third by the coaches.
Maysville
Maysville finished 3rd in the GRC East each of the past two
seasons, winning 22 games last year. Two
players are gone from last year, Trey Hall and Hunter Smidt, but the Wolverines
return their entire starting line-up this season. They have their sights set on bigger things.
Senior Kobyn Metzger (16.0 ppg, 2nd Team
All-Conference, All-District, Cliff Note’s All-Star, KKWK All-Star) and Junior Dillon
Willis (19.1 ppg, 1st Team All-Conference, All-District, Cliff
Note’s All-Star, KKWK All-Star) return as our top scorers and rebounders along
with Senior Kayden Gabbard (7.1 ppg), Junior Kris Gabbard (7.0 ppg), and Senior
Tanner Evans (9.0 ppg, Honorable Mention All-Conference). Senior Caleb Renfro
(2.8 ppg) and Sophomore Carson Bray (1.8 ppg) will be solid reserve players.
Brock Windham is also back after sitting out last season due to injury. Isaak Perkins is a newcomer that has the
potential to give us some added depth. Eli Gaiser could also get more varsity
minutes this year.
Coach Chris McMillen said, “Our expectations for this year
are to continue to work hard, play great defense, and continue to improve our all-around
game. We had some success last year, but we want to improve upon and exceed
that this year.”
Milan
Milan has been one of the most successful programs in the
GRC, having won at least 20 games in the last two seasons and five of the last
six years. In addition, they have won
five District Championships in the last six seasons. They will have to replace two starters this
year with Jeremy Bennett (15.6 ppg, 2nd Team All-Conference) and
Nathan Keck (8.4 ppg) graduating.
If the Wildcats are to continue their winning tradition,
Senior Ahmet Niasse (15.2 ppg, 1st Team All-Conference, All-District,
District Player of the Year) will be one of the keys to their success. Senior Jared Gonzalez (4.5 ppg), Junior Ethan
Bennett (3.4 ppg), and Senior DonDivin Ngombo (2.0 ppg) are players who saw
significant time last year and will return for Milan.
Junior Erick Reyes, Junior Tony Linhart, Junior Macky Sow,
and Sophomore Anthony Bolden are expected to play a more significant role for
the Wildcats this year.
Coach Andrea Dabney said, “Last season, we played 5-6 guys
and are looking to expand that to maybe as many as nine guys in a
rotation. Other than that, we will be
more of the same...hopefully, gritty defense and hard-nosed kids. We will once again be undersized, but I think
we will be able to make up for that with athleticism and experience. Another factor we will have to deal with is
the late arrival of our football team to practice. Once those guys get there, it may take a
little while to get into basketball mode.
Putnam County
Putnam County had a winning season last year, finishing
17-11 and 4-3 in conference. Brayden
McReynolds (8.1 ppg), Chase Tomlin (3.6 ppg), and Blaine Perkins (3.5 ppg) are
gone from last year's team.
The Midgets return their top two scorers, Owen Ream (16.0
ppg, 1st Team All-Conference, All-District) and Trace Riediger (13.5
ppg, Honorable Mention All-Conference, All-District). Mason Morris (5.3 ppg) and Carter Simmons
(4.3 ppg) will also return. Kooper
Hornaday (3.8 ppg) saw some varsity time last year after some injuries and is
expected to play much more this year.
Avery Campbell is a new face to varsity this season and is expected to make
a difference on the Midgets team. In
total, 33 boys have gone out for basketball for Putnam County.
Coach Kyle Fleshman said, “I expect the boys to become
better men, better teammates, and better basketball players.”
Gallatin
Gallatin’s Class of 2023 won 82 games, two conference titles,
and a district championship over their four seasons. Isaac Bird (20.4 ppg) and Payton Feiden (15.8
ppg) were Unanimous 1st-Team All-Conference selections during each
of the last three seasons. Both players
also earned All-District honors, and Bird also was All-State. But Bird and Feiden will not be the only ones
that Gallatin will have to replace. Also
departing were Brett Hemry (6.4 ppg, Honorable Mention All-Conference), Peyton
Johnson (3.4 ppg), and Durk Stout (8.0 ppg, Honorable Mention All-Conference). These seniors' leadership to the program is
immeasurable and will be extremely difficult to replace.
The new coach, Tanner Smith, will oversee that task. To help him will be Senior Boston Bell (4.2
ppg), Senior Jaden Wilson (0.4 ppg), Junior Brody Bird (1.2 ppg), and Sophomore
Gavyn Wilmes (4.0 ppg), who will return from last year’s team. Each of them came off the bench last season
but will have a more significant role this year. Regarding the returning players, Coach Smith
said, “Getting to experience some crucial minutes in some very important
basketball games will be valuable as these guys look to grow into their new
roles this season. While their ability to score, rebound, and defend will no
doubt be important to the success of our team, so is their ability to grow into
the leaders of our program. With a great group of seniors that graduated last
year, we will lean on these guys a ton.”
Newcomers to the Bulldogs’ team include Sophomore Pryce Johnson,
Sophomore Jack Donovan, and Sophomore Sullivan Bird. Coach Smith said, “These guys getting to
practice every day against the group from last year will no doubt help their
transition to the Varsity level. The jump up is always a big one, but I’m
extremely excited to see them continue to grow throughout the season, as these
guys will be big parts of our future.”
Coach Smith added, “We have a young group that is stepping
into a lot of new roles this upcoming season. There will be a lot of new faces
for the Gallatin Bulldogs and a lot of new guys getting some of their first
taste of Varsity Basketball. Inexperience and some early growing pains with
guys getting to gel with each other are to be expected. With that being
said, I expect us to compete and play
extremely hard on both ends of the court day in and day out. I hope that our
guys can continue to grow and build their skills as we move throughout the
season. I think our team has the potential to be a fun group to watch because
of our ability to share the ball and play unselfishly. If we match that with
the drive to compete, I’m excited to see what is ahead for this group.”
Polo
Polo went 9-15 last season (1-6 in conference), but 8 of the
15 losses were by six or fewer points. Last
season, the Panthers were a young team with difficulty finishing close games. New head coach Josh Junco hopes that the
experience from four returning starters will help Polo turn those close losses
into wins this season. One key departure
from last season is Zadin Owens (7.7 ppg, 4 rpg).
Junior Maverick Gentry (13.7 ppg, 2nd Team
All-Conference) and Junior Gage Gilbert (9.3 ppg, Honorable Mention
All-Conference) will lead the Panthers this season. Senior Hunter McGee (6.0 ppg) and Senior Logan
Raby (5.1 ppg) will also return. Junior Brandon
Wallace, Senior Tyler Carter, Senior Levi Bolling, and Senior Garrett Roberts
did not see as much playing time and are expected to make a big jump this
season.
Coach Junco said, “We have some young guys that could see
some time off the bench. We are a pretty athletic team who should be pretty
deep. I see our team as one of the top finishers in the conference who will
make a giant leap this year. We lost eight
games by 6 points or less last year. We are hoping with maturity, skill
development, and an adjusted play style and defensive shift, we will be able to
score more points and give up less. This team is full of athletes with size and
passion. Once we come together and play for each other, we should be able to
accomplish anything.
Trenton
Trenton Bulldogs’ 6-win season last year was their most wins
in four years and a 5-win improvement over the season before. Coach Jon Guthrie is looking for the Bulldogs
to make even more considerable improvements this season. Although they will be missing Tucker Otto (3.6
ppg, Academic All-State), one of their best defenders, Trenton will return their
top scorers, Junior Kiefer Tolson (20.2 ppg, 2nd Team All-Conference,
All-District) and Senior Gabe Novak (12.2 ppg, Honorable Mention All-Conference,
All-District).
This season, they will have a veteran team, with Senior Seth
Doolittle, Senior Maverick Sole, Senior Bradyn Sager, and Junior Hunter Smith
also returning for the Bulldogs. Newcomers
to varsity include Senior Evan Claycomb, Sophomore Isaac Dixon, Sophomore Garrison
Otto, and Sophomore Elijah Miller.
Coach Guthrie said, “We finished the season strong last
year, winning a District tournament game.
That was our first postseason win since 2019. We also improved our average points per game
to fifty. This was an improvement of 12
points per game. We have been working
hard this off-season on competing hard with each possession and trying to
improve our half-court defense. We want
to take care of the basketball and decrease our offensive turnovers. We would like to improve, have a winning
season, and attempt to finish higher in both conference and district play.
South Harrison
South Harrison finished 9-17 overall and 1-6 in conference
last season. If they are to improve upon
that mark, they will have to find someone to replace leading scorer Jad Cornett
(17.5 ppg, 2nd Team All-Conference, All-District). Also gone from last year’s team will be Grant
Williams (8.0 ppg, All-District), Hunter Ackley (5.4 ppg), and Luke Sweat (2.2
ppg).
This season, Senior Braxton Booth (7.0 ppg), Sophomore Jett
Cornett (8.7 ppg), Sophomore Levi McDaniel (1.4 ppg), and Junior Cooper Johnson
(0.5 ppg) will return for the Bulldogs.
They will be joined by newcomers Freshman Khale Taggart and Sophomore
Brody Templeton.
Coach Aaron Fitzpatrick said, “Our expectation is to just go out and compete on a nightly basis. One of our everyday goals is to just get better and continue to improve.”
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