Boys Basketball Preseason Capsules
ARCADIA VALLEY Tigers
2015-16 Record: 10-15 (3-2 MAAA Large)
Head Coach – Ricky Turnbough
Key Returners: Jake Pryor, sr., guard; Austin Wren, jr., guard; Colton Day, sr., guard; Peyton Whited, jr., guard
Season Outlook:
Arcadia Valley sustained heavy personnel losses after winning the MAAA tournament in February 2015, and rode the scoring punch from two main sources last year.
The development of six juniors will be crucial for the Tigers to climb back into the Small-School division race as only two starters return.
Senior Jake Pryor is the undisputed leader on the court, setting an example with his overall hustle and ability to either attack the basket or knock down pull-up jumpers.
Colton Day is the other AV senior with significant varsity experience, which leaves plenty of chances for other players to establish permanent roles.
Junior Austin Wren has previously shown a hot hand from the perimeter. Peyton Whited and Isaiah Gibbs provide speed at the guard spots.
BISMARCK Indians
2015-16 Record: 7-17 (1-4 MAAA Small)
Head Coach – Tom Brown
Key Returners: Austin Jarvis, jr., forward; Grant Latham, sr., guard; Hunter Drake, jr., guard; Logan Dunn, soph., guard; Pierce McGeorge, sr., guard
Season Outlook:
The Bismarck boys enter this season with a healthy lineup and offensive skill that matches up favorably against numerous teams on its schedule.
Austin Jarvis is an explosive scorer from any angle or distance, and junior classmate Hunter Drake has added interior balance to his perimeter capability.
Senior Grant Latham has recovered from back surgery, and bolsters a fast-paced attack that features four players who have started since their respective freshman years.
Success may ultimately hinge at the defensive end, however, where the Indians posed little resistance while allowing 15 of their 24 opponents to hang at least 79 points last season.
Sophomore Logan Dunn is back at point guard while Pierce McGeorge, Jacob Reese and Jacob Gibson join Latham within a group of four seniors.
CENTRAL Rebels
2015-16 Record: 14-16, (3-2 MAAA Large)
Head Coach – Adam Barton
Key Returners: Holden Mayberry, jr., forward; Wade Scherffius, jr., guard; Kobe Wright, sr., center; Tyreece Welch, jr., guard
Season Outlook:
What began as a banner 2015-16 season became a nightmare for the Central program, and the effects continue to linger heading into this winter.
An investigation into the use of ineligible players prompted MSHSAA to strip the Rebels of 13 victories and a district championship while levying other sanctions.
The fallout not only resulted in a coaching change, but has left promoted assistant Adam Barton with quite a rebuilding project after two prominent players elected not to return.
Central will proceed with six freshman on its 12-man varsity roster, and the opportunity exists for those players to gain valuable knowledge moving forward.
The transition is eased by retaining lone senior Kobe Wright plus juniors Wade Scherffius and Holden Mayberry, who all earned regular time off the bench last year.
Tyreece Welch, Jace Bland and Will Hopkins have just joined basketball practice following the conclusion of another state playoff appearance in football.
FARMINGTON Knights
2015-16 Record: 18-10 (4-1 MAAA Large)
Head Coach – Justin Callahan
Key Returners: Brendon Hardy, jr., guard; Tycen Gray, soph., forward; Alex England, sr., guard; Gunner LaBrot, sr., center; Cameron Friend, jr., guard
Season Outlook:
The Knights will begin competing in their brand new home venue soon, and would like to celebrate by ascending back atop the MAAA food chain.
The emergence of sophomore shooting guard Brendon Hardy and junior forward Tycen Gray last year as top weapons established a solid foundation for the immediate future.
Senior Alex England provides stability at the point and a third returning starter for Farmington, which floundered offensively in a district title loss last March.
The inside game is bolstered by Gray and 6-foot-5 senior Gunner LaBrot, who has previously played extensive minutes in a reserve role.
Should the Knights incorporate a three-guard attack, junior Cameron Friend and sophomore soccer star Bryce Sancegraw are likely to fill that need.
FREDERICKTOWN Blackcats
2015-16 Record: 4-19 (0-5 MAAA Large)
Head Coach – Jason McMurry
Key Returners: Bernard Dorsey, sr., guard; Ethan Rouse, sr., forward; Jonathan Moore, sr., forward; Jake Sullens, sr., guard
Season Outlook:
Fredericktown was unable to extract itself from the bottom of the MAAA Large-School division following another winless stretch of conference games.
The Blackcats are aiming to turn that corner sooner than later with a new look as several players from last season either graduated or decided not to return.
Bernard Dorsey remains as a standout athlete at guard. The athletic senior qualified for the state track and field meet last spring in the 400-meter dash.
Ethan Rouse provides some power along the low block while fellow seniors Jonathan Moore and Jake Sullens also look to make an impact.
KINGSTON Cougars
2015-16 Record: 5-19 (1-4 MAAA Small)
Head Coach – Paul Hamilton
Key Returners: Cole Ragan, jr., guard; Steven MItchelle, sr., guard; Jonathan Dickerson, sr., guard
Season Outlook:
The scrappy Cougars enter a new chapter of their program without standout forward Dayton Shepard, who became the first player in school history to reach 1,000 career points.
Paul Hamilton begins his ninth season leading a Kingston crew that constantly saw coaches come and go in short intervals before his arrival.
His team will be mostly green in terms of having a post presence, as several players vie for minutes and vacated starting roles.
Three guards are called upon for leadership as returning players. Junior Cole Ragan is perhaps the most explosive of that group, which also includes seniors Steven Mitchelle and Jonathan Dickerson.
NORTH COUNTY Raiders
2015-16 Record: 15-13 (3-2 MAAA Large)
Head Coach – Jimmy Palmer
Key Returners: Hayden Sprenkel, jr., guard; Hunter Johnson, jr., center; Brett Hubbard, sr., guard; Karson Kekec, jr., forward
Season Outlook:
North County hasn’t enjoyed a 20-win season since 2010, but the potential exists to change that trend and compete for conference and district supremacy.
Three starters are back amid a 13-man varsity roster for the Raiders, who hope that an influx of team size can create a stronger showing on the boards this winter.
The ability to erupt from 3-point range is a constant concern for opponents of North County, and that threat is mostly spurred by junior guard and Division I recruit Hayden Sprenkel.
Senior Brett Hubbard also spreads out defenders with his long-range skill, especially from the corners, and three-year starting forward Hunter Johnson presents another matchup issue.
Senior transfer Brian Chandler supplies a needed 6-foot-6 presence near the rim. Juniors Karson Kekec and Nick Parker saw varsity experience late last season when injuries plagued the Raiders.
POTOSI Trojans
2015-16 Record: 11-16 (2-3 MAAA Large)
Head Coach – Brett Hale
Key Returners: Dalton Whitley, sr., guard; Dylan Wright, sr., center; Thad Hornbeck, sr., forward; Noah Jacobsen, soph., guard; Tristan Brown, sr., forward
Season Outlook:
Potosi endured a predictable slide in overall record last season following the departure of MAAA career scoring leader Dylan Coleman and a stellar senior class.
But the Trojans are building toward an upward trend with several key components returning, and can overcome a lack of overall size with their physical style.
While sound defense remains a key to victory, the offense should also benefit from a year of collective experience among several young guards.
Top shooter Dalton Whitley is back for his senior campaign along with point guard Noah Jacobsen. Fellow sophomore Jake Casey and freshman Demond Guthrie added depth to the backcourt.
A blue-collar approach prevails inside with Dylan Wright and Thad Hornbeck leading the way. Senior Tristan Brown hopes to be at full strength following a season-ending football injury.
ST. PAUL Giants
2015-16 Record: N/A
Head Coach: Don Huff
Season Outlook:
St. Paul Lutheran officially makes the move to a permanent varsity program on the boys side after playing a limited schedule and building up numbers over the past two seasons.
The Giants will be guided by veteran coach Don Huff, who previously spent time as a Central assistant and current heads the Mineral Area College golf team.
The debut game is set for Tuesday at Bunker, and St. Paul will also compete against Valley in the annual MAC Rotary Shootout.
Returning players are Gabe Ayers, Isaac Carroll, Grant Crocker, Trent Kujawa, Devin Messersmith and Andrew Parker.
STE. GENEVIEVE Dragons
2015-16 Record: 18-11 (3-2 MAAA Large)
Head Coach – Rob Coleman
Key Returners: Gabe Greminger, jr., guard; Trevor Drury, sr., guard; Dalton Giesler, sr., center
Season Outlook:
A decade of perseverance by head coach Rob Coleman finally yielded an elusive district title last season as the Ste. Genevieve boys earned their first state playoff appearance since 1947.
The Dragons ended another lengthy drought against conference rival Farmington in a low-scoring affair with five seniors helping to bring home the trophy.
MSHSAA has since reassigned Ste. Genevieve to a more grueling southern district that appears to be firmly in the command of perennial power Sikeston.
Three starters return for the Dragons off an 18-win squad. Senior Trevor Drury is among the better outside shooters in the area, and point guard Gabe Greminger has impressed since his arrival as a freshman on the varsity roster.
Senior forward Dalton Giesler harbors the most experience among the Dragons’ post players, and figures to gather more rebounds and points.
VALLE CATHOLIC Warriors
2015-16 Record: 17-11 (4-1 MAAA Small)
Head Coach – Terry Noble
Expected Returners: Cole Wood, sr., forward; Coleman Keeley, sr., forward; Tristan Rollhaus, sr., guard; Mason Skaggs, jr., guard
Season Outlook:
It has been a common occurrence for Valle Catholic to proceed through several weeks of boys basketball practice without having its full complement of players available.
This season is no different for the Warriors and new coach Terry Noble, as a handful of key fixtures are continuing their quest for another football state championship.
Once the team reaches full capacity, the task of replacing top scorer Connor Basler takes center stage. Mason Skaggs and Tristan Rollhaus appear set to man the perimeter at each end of the court.
Cole Wood and Coleman Keeley return as forwards for Valle Catholic, which had five players achieve double figures in multiple wins last year.
The Warriors should be squarely situated among the MAAA Small-School contenders yet again, and will host reigning champion West County on January 20.
VALLEY Vikings
2015-16 Record: 4-22 (1-4 MAAA Small)
Head Coach – Chad Middleton
Key Returners: Zach Turner, sr., forward; Dalton Waller, sr., guard; Michael Presley, soph., guard; Dustin Payne, sr., forward
Season Outlook
The Vikings knocked off Bismarck at home and again at the MAAA Conference tournament to highlight an otherwise taxing 2015-16 season.
Several returning seniors give Valley some hope for a resurgence, and its upcoming home tournament presents a stage for solid early competition.
Zach Turner and Dalton Waller are back after finishing second and third, respectively, in scoring for the Vikings as juniors.
Dustin Payne provides an inside presence, and sophomore guard Michael Pressley has emerged as a top threat within the roster.
WEST COUNTY Bulldogs
2015-16 Record: 21-8 (5-0 MAAA Small)
Head Coach – Chris LaBruyere
Key Returners: Jacob Meinershagen, sr., forward; Jared Jones, sr., forward; Matt Momot, sr., guard; Jared Barnett, sr., forward; Noah Vinson, jr., guard
Season Outlook:
West County is gearing up for another title pursuit in the MAAA Small-School division while looking to ride the momentum of a 21-win season.
The Bulldogs lost the calm and intelligent influence of point guard Parker Forshee, but still have a core group of five seniors firmly in place.
Jacob Meinershagen leads the scoring charge after netting a school-record 51 points against Bismarck and supplying multiple clutch moments in previous Arcadia Valley Thanksgiving tournaments.
Jared Jones and Jared Barnett are called upon for hard work inside, especially on the boards as West County looks to develop a variety of scoring options.
Matt Momot and Brendan Pingel figure to be more heavily involved at the guard positions, and Noah Vinson brings the most experience among nine varsity juniors.
Junior guard Brendon Hardy (23) is among three returning starters for Farmington.
Jacob Meinershagen returns for his senior season to lead defending Small-School regular season champion West County.
Junior guard Hayden Sprenkel is hoping to propel North County to the top of the MAAA Large-School division.
Austin Jarvis is among four current Bismarck boys basketball players who have started since their respective freshman seasons.
