The roster may change from year to year, but the expectations for the Macomb High boys basketball programs do not.
The Bombers are coming off a 25-6 season a year ago that included a regional championship.
But it’s a new season with new challenges.
“I think that’s where our continuity is a huge advantage,” said MHS coach Jeremy Anderson. “Having coach (Zach) Keene and coach (Brian) Langworthy teaching at the lower levels. It’s not such a dramatic change when they come to the varsity. They know the terminology and they know how we want to play, because they do such a good job teaching.”
“It’s just like we’re going to plug guys in and see who’s willing, or ready, to make those next steps,” he added.
Two starters return from last season.
Senior guard Drew Watson (5-feet, 11-inches) is a three-year starter.
“He’s by far our most experienced player,” said Anderson of Watson. “He’s been in really big situations before. He’s played in sectional finals and a super-sectional game. He’s been down that road before.”
“We’re going to need that experience to help some of the new guys get a little bit more comfortable as we move forward,” he added.
“I think he is the quintessential three-sport athlete,” Anderson said of Watson. “He’s a gamer in all of them. Those are the guys as a coach that you just love to have.”
Senior Nolan Hoge (6-5) also returns after last season as a junior.
“He had a really good year in development last year,” said Anderson. “This summer when we played, he was drastically improved offensively than he was as a junior.”
“We’re going to lean on his energy also,” Anderson added of Hoge. “He is an energy giver on both ends of the floor, which I am hoping becomes a contagious aspect.”
Anderson is aiming for seniors Isaac Leinbach (5-9) and Cooper Hobson (6-3), along with junior Nick Elbe (6-2), to be ready to step up and have more responsibility this season after seeing limited action a year ago.
Meanwhile seniors Macon Allison (5-10), Collin Adams (5-11) and Zacarion Conley (5-6), along with juniors Carter Havens (5-10), Kellen Martin (6-1), Drake May (5-11), Hayden Katz (5-9) and Marshaun Brown (6-0) add on to what Anderson noted was one of his deeper teams he has coached..
“We have guys that are going to be really competitive in practice,” said Anderson. That’s going to make my job really tough to see who gets the minutes. But that’s a good problem to have.”
“If you can put each other under pressure in practice, it makes game pressure more manageable,” said Anderson. “I’m hoping that we can have 10-12 guys in practice that are really going to be competitive and help us build, but also help us manage that pressure.”
The Bombers do have areas of concern entering the season.
The team lost Malachi Conley and Braden Holthaus, who Anderson noted were big scorers that made big plays in big games.
“We have to find a replacement or a substitute for that,” he said. “Now I’m not going to say that we’re going to be able to shoot the ball or score with the ball as well as those two did, because they were really good at it.”
“Now we have to make up for that by moving the ball really well on offense,” he added. “Cutting really hard without the ball. Getting the ball close to the basket. Playing the inside-out.”
“The summer games there were times where we struggled to score,” said Anderson. “However, we were very competitive in all of them because we would guard.”
But as is the case with Anderson, it all starts with defense and rebounding.
“We’ll guard and we’ll rebound,” he said. “I think that has to be the cornerstone of your team. So far, these guys have really bought into that they have to guard first.”
“I think that’s just what the best coaches do. They concentrate on defense and rebounding first,” said Anderson. “They worry about the other end when they get to the other end. But sometimes it’s hard to get the kids to believe in that, because it’s not really a cool thing to do necessarily. But it’s what winning teams do. The best teams are usually the best defending teams and the best rebounding teams.”
“We have to emphasize that and hopefully it becomes a habit,” he added.
The team has tweaked its schedule somewhat, adding Rushville-Industry, Beardstown, Rockridge and Sherrard to its slate.
It’s a different season and a different team, but the goal never changes for Anderson.
“We want to be playing the best we can late in the season so we can get on a roll and so we can hopefully win that regional tournament,” he said.
“As far as expectations are concerned, it’s all about attitude and effort,” said Anderson. “Work as hard as you can, be as coachable as you can while you’re doing it and the enjoyment will come along with that and we’ll compete.”
“I think we have a good group of guys that are competitors this year,” said Anderson.
Anderson stated that with this year’s group, it will need time to gel.
“We’re going to have to learn to play as a team,” he said. “Not that we would be selfish inherently, but this is the first and only time this group of kids will be on the varsity team together.”
“We have guys in new roles and we have guys in new positions, so we have to learn how we work the best as a group,” he added.
“Defensively, we’re going to have to try to keep the ball in front of us, really work hard on guarding the ball. We’re going to have to make sure that we’re ready to help and that we give (opponents) one contested shot,” said Anderson. “Offensively, we’re really going to have to go by the philosophy as the go-to guy is the open man. The more we can move the ball and move well without it and get an advantage somewhere, that guy has to take care of that advantage and make the defense pay for that advantage.”
Anderson also noted that getting off to a good start on the season is critical in helping the team build confidence and to be ready to compete with the best teams they play.
