THE CODY BASKETBALL TEAMS OFFICIALLY TIP-OFF THEIR 2019-2020 SEASON TODAY AS THEY WILL BE PARTICIPATING IN THE RE/MAX PROFESSIONALS GILLETTE BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT THIS WEEKEND. THIS IS A THREE DAY TOURNAMENT IN WHICH EACH TEAM WILL FACE THREE DIFFERENT OPPONENTS IN THREE DAYS TO BEGIN THE SEASON. FOR THE CODY BRONCS AND HEAD COACH JAKE KRAFT THIS WILL BE A GREAT EVENT TO SHOWCASE WHO THE BRONCS ARE AND PUT THEM ON THE MAP, SO TO SPEAK, IN CLASS 4A. DUNCAN RADAKOVICH SAYS IT’S A PROVING GROUND OF SORTS AND COACH KRAFT GOES ON TO SAY THE SEASON’S TONE NEEDS TO BE SET NOW.
“WHETHER WE WIN OR LOSE, HAVING A LITTLE BIT OF CONFIDENCE, AND PLAYING TEAM BASKETBALL, BEING SELFLESS. IF WE TURN THE BALL OVER, IF WE MAKE MISTAKES, IT’S WHAT WE DO RIGHT AFTER THAT WE’RE LOOKING AT, BODY LANGUAGE. OUR KIDS ARE REALLY GETTING INTO THAT, THAT IDEA, THAT PHILOSOPHY THAT, YOU KNOW WE’RE ALL GOING TO MAKE MISTAKES BUT HOW DO WE TURN AROUND AND GUARD.”
COACH KRAFT TALKS ABOUT THE BIGGEST NEED OF EMPHASIS AS THEY HEAD INTO THE WEEKEND.
“COMMUNICATION. MAKING SURE THAT ALL FIVE GUYS ARE DOING THE SAME THING, ON THE FLOOR. SPEAKING UP MORE ESPECIALLY IN TRANSITION DEFENSE. WE DON’T WANT TO GIVE UP EASY LAY-UPS. THAT’S HOW WE GOT BEAT EARLY IN THE 4A FIELD LAST YEAR, IS WE DIDN’T GET BACK ON DEFENSE IN THE TRANSITION GAME. YOU KNOW OFFENSIVELY I THINK NOW THAT WE’LL GET INTO THESE LAST FEW PRACTICES WE’LL HAVE THE LINE-UPS THAT’LL BE WORKING TOGETHER.”
WITH SEVEN SENIORS ON THE ROSTER PLAYING TIME COULD BE SPARSE BUT COACH KRAFT HAS HIS EYES ON A SELECT GROUP OF PLAYERS WHO COULD BE DIFFERENCE MAKERS.
“YOU KNOW THE JUNIOR CLASS. NIC TALICH OFF THE BENCH IS DEFINITELY GOING TO BE A SPARK FOR US, ON BOTH SIDES OF THE BALL. HE’S GOT A MOTOR THAT MOST KIDS DON’T HAVE COMING OFF THE BENCH FOR US. HIS YOUNGER BROTHER IS GOING TO GET A LITTLE TASTE THIS WEEKEND AS A FRESHMAN WHICH WE KNOW IS CHALLENGING BUT WITH HIS LENGTH AND HIS ABILITY TO PLAY BASKETBALL WE’RE EXCITED TO GIVE HIM AN OPPORTUNITY. YOU KNOW THERE’S A WHOLE BUNCH OF JUNIORS ON THIS TEAM THAT ARE FIGHTING FOR SPOTS AND FIGHTING FOR TIME. WE’LL SEE WHERE WE END UP HERE.”
AS FOR THE FILLIES. THIS IS A RELATIVELY UNKNOWN GROUP TO CLASS 4A OUTSIDE A SELECT GROUP OF PLAYERS. FIRST YEAR HEAD COACH OF THE FILLIES CHRIS WAGNER HAS LIKED WHAT HE’S SEEN EARLY ON FROM THIS GROUP OF PLAYERS, MOST NOTABLY HOW HARD THEY WORK AND HOW QUICKLY THEY’VE BOUGHT INTO THE SYSTEM. COACH WAGNER IS HOPING THE FILLIES CAN MAKE A NAME FOR THEMSELVES THIS WEEKEND. WHILE TEAGAN THOMPSON, TORRIE SCHUTZMAN AND BRITTAN BOWER ARE NAMES THAT ARE MOST FAMILIAR TO THIS TEAM, FOLLOWING LAST WEEK’S SCRIMMAGE COACH WAGNER HIGHLIGHTED A PAIR OF GIRLS THAT COULD BE SOMEONE TO WATCH FOR.
“I THOUGHT KENNEDI NIEMANN DEFINITELY CONTROLLED THE OFFENSE REALLY WELL. SHE WAS PATIENT, POISED, LIKE SHE FOUND HER ANGLES TO ATTACK AND I THOUGHT SHE CREATED A LOT OF THINGS FOR EVERYONE. LAKE (HARRISON) I THOUGHT SHE DID A GOOD JOB OF JUST GETTING IN PASSING LANES, FORCING SOME TURNOVERS AND YOU KNOW CREATING DIFFICULTIES FOR THE OFFENSE.”
COACH WAGNER GOES ON TO GIVE AN INSIGHT INTO WHAT THE FILLIES HAVE WORKED ON HEADING INTO THE TOURNAMENT.
OFFENSIVELY JUST CONTINUING THE CONTINUITY, KNOWING THAT IF WE DON’T HIT OUR FIRST COUPLE OF LOOKS WE CAN ALWAYS FLOW OUT OF THAT AND CONTINUE THE OFFENSE. IF THE FIRST OPTIONS NOT THERE WE KIND OF SHUT DOWN. TEACHING THEM TO BE PATIENT WITH THE OFFENSE. DEFINITELY WANT TO BRING A LITTLE BIT MORE PRESSURE FULL COURT WISE IN THE DEFENSE, GETTING PEOPLE WILLING TO PICK THE BALL UP EARLY. I’D SAY REALLY WE JUST NEED TO GET USED TO JUST GETTING OUR VOICES OUT THERE, COMMUNICATION I FELT WAS LACKING. YOU KNOW YOU CAN’T BE QUIET ON BBALL FLOOR.”
TWO OF THE FILLIES THREE OPPONENTS THIS WEEKEND PLAYED IN THE STATE CHAMPIONSHIP A YEAR AGO AND COACH WAGNER LAYS OUT HIS EXPECTATIONS FOR THE GIRLS AS THEY ENTER THEIR SECOND SEASON IN CLASS 4A.
I JUST WANT TO COMPETE. I COULD CARE LESS WHAT THE SCORE ENDS UP BEING IN ANY OF THOSE GAMES. I JUST WANT TO KNOW THAT REGARDLESS OF THE SITUATION: UP, DOWN, CLOSE OR YOU KNOW IF IT GETS OUT OF HAND, THAT WE’RE JUST STILL WILLING TO COMPETE ALL ACROSS THE BOARD. WHEN PEOPLE COME OUT OF THE GAME, THEY’RE STILL WILLING TO KEEP ENERGY FOR THE GIRLS ON THE FLOOR AND I JUST HOPE WE JUST COMPETE RIGHT ACROSS.”
THE CODY BASKETBALL TEAMS GET THEIR SEASONS STARTED TODAY AT THE GILLETTE BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT TAKING ON THUNDER BASIN HIGH SCHOOL WITH THE GIRLS TIPPING-OFF AT 5:45PM AND THE BOYS WILL FOLLOW AT 7:30. YOU CAN LISTEN TO THAT GAME AND ALL OF CODY’S GAMES IN GILLETTE ON KODI AM 1400 AND 96.7FM. CHECK OUT MYBIGHORNBASIN.COM FOR A FULL WEEKEND SCHEDULE OF THE GILLETTE TOURNAMENT.
