Monday, November 23, 2009 10:26 PM CST
Neoga possesses a team of quick and athletic players
By MIKE MONAHAN, Staff Writer
mmonahan@jg-tc.com
NEOGA -- Six seniors, four juniors and two sophomores make it seem like Neoga is an experienced boys’ basketball team. However, that is not the case as just two letterwinners return from last year’s 18-12 team, one that won the schools’ fifth Illinois High School Association Class 1A regional championship.
Both returning players were starters last year.
“We are pretty young and the younger guys are gong to get a lot of playing time,” said Neoga coach Jason Hanson, who earned his second Journal Gazette/Times-Courier Coach of the Year honors last season.
Senior Dalton Robinson is one of eight guards listed on the varsity roster of 12.
Robinson is the top returning scorer. He averaged 10.8 points per game last year. The second team all-National Trail Conference player, who also earned honorable mention Illinois basketball Coaches Association status, was the Indians Most Valuable Player and led the team in steals, assists and free throw percentage.
The other returning player is 6-foot-2 Bryn Price, who averaged 7.1 points per game for Neoga, who finished 6-3 in the NTC.
While no other player lettered, some did get a little varsity experience on a team that had four seniors as senior Travis McClellan played in 10 games and classmate Zach Blair played in 13; Brett Snively 13 and junior Travis Cornell in 14. McClellan, Cornell and Blair averaged one point per game.
“We are a very quick and athletic team and we are going to be able to push the ball,” said Hanson, who enters his fifth season with a 72-41 (.637) record. “We are not going to be very big and we have to make up for that with our athleticism.”
Neoga averaged 57.1 points per game last year and allowed 50.5.
The tallest player is senior Jordan Warner at 6-3. Only Cornell, Price, Robinson and McClellan are at least six-foot.
“We should be very good at handling the basketball and getting up and down the court in the transition game,” said Hanson. “That should be a strength. We will try and pressure the ball, not necessarily a press, but pressuring the ball to make the team work to get the ball up.”
Neoga finished the last 20 games with a 15-5 record.
“We have two starters back from that team,” said Hanson. “With the young guys hopefully that gave them a taste of what they want to accomplish this year.”
Right now Hanson feels Price, Robinson, Cornell, sophomore TJ Roy, Blair, sophomore Adam Probst, Snively and junior Dalton McFarland are the top players.
“If we play eight when we need to that will be fine,” said Hanson when asked about depth.
As for goals Hanson said, “We always want to set our goals high and work hard for them. If we don’t achieve them that doesn’t mean they were not successful, but it gives them something to shoot for throughout the season.”
Hanson said the goals are between himself, the coaching staff and the team.
Neoga is to begin the season by competing in the Capital Classic. The Indians play first-year National Trail Conference member Dieterich at 12:30 p.m. Friday at Lawrenceville. The two teams are to play again Dec. 8 at Dieterich. Other teams in the tournament are Teutopolis, Red Hill, Olney and Robinson.
“It is a very good tournament and we have an opportunity to see where we are at right away,” said Hanson. “Marshall backed out because of the football team playing and now we play Dieterich. Teams from the tournament have done very well in the postseason. We have to play well in the games down there to have a chance to win.”
Former assistant coach Matt Sturgeon left to take the head coaching job at South Central. Mike Roy, a Neoga graduate, is back as an assistant and is joined by Al McCarron and Zach Braden. Braden is a 2006 graduate of Neoga who earned Journal Gazette/Times-Courier Player of the Year honors in helping the Indians to a 23-6 finish in what was Hanson’s first year. Braden averaged 18.1 points per game and was the team MVP and a first team all-NTC player.
“The National Trail Conference has some very good, much improved teams,” said Hanson. “We are going to have to play well each night to give ourselves a chance to win. Our goals are very high and we have to make sure to come out ready to play every night.”
Contact Mike Monahan at mmonahan@jg-tc.com or 238-6854.
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