There is a buzz around Thad McCracken’s team as basketball season approaches, signaled by the lowering weather and falling leaves. The Warrior basketball team, who graduated only captain of the locker room Jason Gibson, is full of optimism as they return most of their bench and all of their starters from the previous campaign.
“I can’t wait for this season.” Although we are still a very young club, Coach McCracken notes that we have a decent deal of experience from the previous year. “The guys all seemed to have put in a lot of effort on their games as well as their bodies over the summer and have really been working hard so far in practice.”
Coach McCracken said, “Obviously, staying healthy will be an important key for us, but I like our pieces and how they have been coming together.” in response to a question about some of their toughest hurdles this season. Every position has a considerable amount of depth, so managing and accepting each man’s unique job will be our largest problem.
With averaging 13 points and 6.6 rebounds per game, senior Tyler Deithloff, who was named to the second team of the All-SAA last season, leads the way for the Warriors, who return three players from that squad. Colten Berry, a big man who scored 9.3 points per game and led the club in rebounds (7 per game), is back for the Warriors. Caleb Squires is hoping to improve on his rookie season, when he finished second on the team in scoring at 9.8 points per game and shot an incredible 92.2% from the free throw line, good for second all-time in school history.
After playing in 17 games the previous season, including 10 starts, Daniel Cobb finally got to make his debut. Cobb shot 39.7% from beyond the arc and 36% from the field at the conclusion of the season. After missing the whole season last year due to an injury, Darvis Rasberry Jr. is eager to return to the court.
This season, the Warriors have added five new players: Addison Shelton, Micah Gibbs, Ali Rasheed, Zach Nolan, and transfer guard Max Chenault, who previously played at Southeastern Oklahoma State.
The Ozark Eagles will be the Warriors’ first opponent at Grove Gymnasium in the new season. Last season, the two clubs shared the series, with each side winning on their home court. With 17 points and a 3-pointer to close out the game, Daniel Cobb led the Warriors in their victory against the Eagles. Colten Berry finished the game with a game-high three blocks and eleven rebounds. Nine lead changes occurred in the game, with four scores being tied.
Grove Gymnasium will host the game on Wednesday, November 8th at 8:00 PM. The Warrior Sports Network will carry the action.
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