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All-COC Small
Jake Branham, 6’0, PG, 2019, Catholic
One of the area’s most underrated point guards, Branham was a first-team all-conference selection a year ago and is our early-season favorite to earn Player of the Year honors in a crowded field of potential award winners. He is a smooth ball handler who can shoot from the outside whose best attribute might be his leadership skills and basketball savvy.
Lane Carroll, Reeds Spring
A talented offensive player, Carroll is among the league’s returning leading scorers from a year ago as he averaged 14 points and knocked down 46 3-pointers. Carroll brings good size to the court for a guard, can handle the ball a little and is a good shooter and moves well without the ball.
Ian Cochran, 6’7, PF, 2018, Catholic
One of southwest Missouri’s few true stretch 4 type players, Cochran brings good size to the court at 6’7, is a strong rebounder in the paint and can knock down jumpers out to the 3-point line. He has also shown the ability to be the roll man in the high pick-and-roll and is a good finisher around the basket. We look for him to have a breakout season and likely earn a spot at the next level.
Ian Jones, 6’0, PG, 2019, Bolivar
One of the better all-around guards in the area, Jones will have some big shoes to fill this season as Bolivar will look to him and others to step up and take the place of Conley Garrison and others. Jones is a good all-around athlete who is quick with the ball and has the ability to get to the bucket.
Triston Letterman, 6’5, F, 2019, Marshfield
A strong, athletic forward who can play in the post where he uses his length and quick jumping ability to make buckets around the basket look easy, or step out to the perimeter and knock down outside shots. Letterman is a mismatch for most opponents due to his all-around skill level.
Charlie O’Reilly, 6’2, G, 2019, Catholic
A smooth all-around player, O’Reilly has been a big part of the Catholic varsity since his freshman season. A year ago, he averaged a little more than 12 points per game while showing a diverse skill set. He is a capable ballhandler, can shoot from the outside and brings terrific length to the court as well. O’Reilly brings a high basketball IQ to the court.
Logen Plumb, 6’6, PF, 2018, Reeds Spring
Plumb has a terrific feel for scoring around the basket as evidenced by the fact he shot 70 percent from the field a year ago. He combines good size and athleticism with a soft touch and a willingness to play within himself, seldom taking bad shots. He averaged 13.5 points and 9.5 rebounds per game last season.
Austin Porter, 6’4, G/F, 2019, Marshfield
Porter is a terrific inside-outside wing type player who can handle the ball a little and shoot from the outside, but is perhaps at his best taking advantage of size mismatches and going into the post where he has a good feel for scoring the ball around the basket. Porter has long arms and plays bigger than his listed height.
Andrew Scott, 5’11, PG, 2018, Rogersville
One of the area’s most underrated point guards, Scott brings strong leadership qualities to the court and a steady hand to the ball handling duties. He is a solid outside shooter and has the ability to lead a team and set up an offense.
Ryker Strong, 6’5, F, 2019, Rogersville
A skilled inside-outside forward, Strong is a terrific ball handler who can play on the wing and whose best attribute might be his passing ability. Has the ability to make slick passes and has terrific court vision, as well as the size to see over defenders. Strong is definitely a player that is flying a little under the radar in area hoops.
Luke Vandersnick, 6’5, PF, 2019, Rogersville
A starter and a key player since his freshman year, Vandersnick is an athletic forward who competes in the paint at both ends of the floor. He has a lot of bounce in his step and plays bigger than his listed height and has added an outside shot to his offensive game.
Player of the Year
Jake Branham, 6’1, PG, 2019, Catholic
Defensive Player of the Year
Corey Spindler, 6’6, F, 2018, Bolivar
Newcomer of the Year
Jacob Villines, 6’2, G, 2019, Marshfield
Freshman of the Year
Kanon Gipson, 5’6, PG, 2021, Rogersville
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REEDS SPRING — Rising senior guard Lane Carroll brings experience and a diverse skill set to the court for Reeds Spring head coach Barry Yocom.
At 6’0, 160-pounds, Carroll is coming off a junior season in which he averaged a team-high 14.2 points, 4.0 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game while leading the Wolves with 46 3-pointers.
“I like to play at a high intensity and make those around me better whether that’s in practice or games,” he said.
Carroll says he is putting in time throughout the offseason working on becoming a more physical player and more demanding at the defensive end of the court.
“This summer consisted of a lot of team bonding and overall skill work,” Carroll said. “I think we all got better individually while still bonding as a team! Personally I think that my midrange became more consistent and I became more aggressive while driving towards the rim.”
Carroll says that expectations are high this season for Reeds Spring, a program that went 14-13 last season. The Wolves lost three seniors, but return four starters and bring back plenty of experience.
“Our expectation this year is to compete and win the COC Small title,” he says. “I think that our team is looking forward to matching up against Bolivar because it’s always a tough challenge and they’re usually the top dogs in the COC Small.”
A fan of NBA standout Kyrie Irving, Carroll says he enjoys watching how the point guard gets his teammates involved while also scoring.