Experienced Eagles expect major improvement

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November 24, 2007

Anonymous The Joplin Globe Sat Nov 24, 2007, 11:50 PM CST

By Anvil Welch

awelch@joplinglobe.com

Tim Spiers, boys basketball coach at Joplin High School, believes the Eagles will be markedly improved this season.

The Eagles finished 6-20 overall and 0-9 in the Ozark Conference in 2006-07.

“We’re faster. We’re bigger. I like the dedication of the players,” Spiers said Saturday. “We expect to be much improved.

“Our practices have been very competitive and intense,” Spiers said. “We have 16 kids trying to find varsity minutes. I usually play eight or nine kids in a game. So that makes for a competitive time.

“And, win or lose, it’s time to play that first game,” Spiers said.

The Eagles debut at 6 p.m. on Tuesday against Neosho in the 61st Carthage Tournament. Joplin is seeded second.

Joplin returns four seniors with starting experience in 5-foot-9 Ja’Von Hackett, 6-1 Matt Harrison, 6-5 Harrison Menke and 6-2 Scott Williams.

For Tuesday’s opener, Spiers said, 5-9 senior Logan Taylor will join those players in the starting lineup.

“The second game out, who knows?” Spiers said.

Taylor missed last season because of an injury after picking up varsity experience as a sophomore, Spiers said.

Scoring averages from last season include 4.5 for Hackett, 3 apiece for Harrison and Williams and 2.5 for Menke. Harrison and Menke combined for nearly eight rebounds and Hackett added two assists.

There are three more lettermen from last season in 6-1 senior Ja’Cobe Britt, 5-8 senior Jordan Hudspeth and 5-8 junior Sam Nguyen.

There’s one more senior on the roster in 5-5 Jeremy Alexander.

Juniors bidding for varsity playing time include 6-4 Michael Bethune, 5-11 Jeril Thomas and 6-1 Jonathan Warden.

Sophomores in the mix — “they are coming off a very successful freshman season at 17-3,” Spiers noted — are 5-10 D’Andre Baker, 6-5 Philip Davis, 6-3 Matt McCreary and 6-3 Dereck Stokes.

“Everyone is falling into place — where they should be playing — with the return of L.T. (Taylor),” Spiers said. “His job is to run the team and get the ball into the hands of the right people.

“Our main concerns are execution and team chemistry,” Spiers said. “Our No. 1 goal is to improve on the defensive end. We want to play a more up-tempo style on offense.

“I want to see four or five players averaging 7-9 points rather than one averaging 20,” Spiers said. “That way, of course, the opposing defense can’t key on one person. I believe we can achieve that scoring balance.”

Notes: Spiers, in his third year as head coach, returns the same assistants (Steve Wells, Sean McWilliams). ... Spiers believes defending champion Kickapoo (26-2 overall last season) and Waynesville (22-4) are the teams to beat in the Ozark Conference. Those teams won district titles last season and Kickapoo beat Waynesville 52-47 in the sectional round of Class 5. Eventual third-place finisher Fort Zumwalt South then ousted the Chiefs 48-47 in the quarterfinals. ... Joplin doesn’t play its first varsity home game in Kaminsky Gymnasium until Dec. 14 against Republic. The Eagles, following the Carthage Tournament, visit Nixa on Dec. 7 and McDonald County on Dec. 10.

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