Mooresville, Decatur Central and Monrovia boys basketball previews

By Mark Ambrogi

Mooresville basketball game manager British Shilling Howard Carter finally will acquire the benefit of having an experienced grouping of players.

"It seemed like every twelvemonth we had four or five seniors and one twelvemonth six seniors, I think," said Carter, who is beginning his 5th season with the Pioneers. "We played a batch of one-year (starting) seniors.

"This is the first twelvemonth we have got everyone back except for Neil Brock, so by far this is the most experienced squad I've had. That agency a batch of large dividends for us."

Senior guard Trent Mossbrucker tax returns as the team's top scorer, averaging 19.7 points and three assists. Junior guard Flatness Kenney averaged 12.5 points and 4.0 assists.

"They make some different things," Howard Carter said, "but they're interchangeable because each of them can play the other's spot."

The two other returning starter motors are senior forwards Ryan Ruble (7.8 points) and Adam Viles (3.8 points). Other returning missive victors are junior guard Brayton Caudill and junior forward Cameron Rhodes.

"We have got some newcomers we believe are going to assist us, too," Howard Carter said. "We hit the ball well. There were modern times last twelvemonth where I didn't believe we shot the ball as we're capable of or the manner we shot in practice."

Carter said the Pioneers are fortunate to have got got good quickness.

"We're going to have to utilize that to negate size because we're not very large or existent strong. We're kind of a delicacy squad that is capable of putting some points up."

Mossbrucker, who began starting as a freshman, is optimistic the squad will better on last season's 10-11 record.

"Those cats are another twelvemonth aged and (have) another twelvemonth of experience, so it should be a good all-around year," he said.

Decatur Central The Hawks tax return five full- Oregon part-time starters from last season's 8-15 team. Four of those participants are juniors.

"They've got that year's experience, but they're calm sort of young," said Decatur Central manager Dave Oberle. "We still may be a twelvemonth away, but we should be able to vie a small spot better this year."

Running the discourtesy will be junior Alec Dye, who averaged 6.1 helps and 2.5 steals to travel with his 5.1 points and 3.1 rebounds.

"I believe he's gotten a small spot stronger and a small spot wiser," Oberle said. "He's a gymnasium rat, and he sees the flooring well. He's who make us go."

Ryan Root (11.3 points) and William Blake Beasley (9.7 points, 6.4 rebounds) are steady scorers, while Pat Sharpe (5.6 points, 2.5 assists) and Chris Bartlette (3.4 points, 3.8 rebounds) both started last season.

"We don't have got got a go-to guy," Oberle said, "but we make have respective options. One thing we don't have got is a batch of size, and we're not existent physical, but if we can happen a manner to trash around, we can make some things on offense."

Monrovia The Bulldogs tax return four starter motors from last season's 7-16 team.

"The Bulldogs should be very competitory this season," Liberian Capital manager Chris Sampson wrote in an e-mail. "We have got a good premix of senior experience and immature talent. Enthusiasm and outlooks are high."

Senior forward Zach Ian Smith averaged 13.3 points and 7.2 recoils last season. Senior guard Damon Speck averaged 13.1 points and 3.5 rebounds. Senior forward Eric Sampson, the coach's son, averaged 5.9 points, 4.8 recoils and 3.6 assists.

The other returning starter motor is sophomore guard Tim Conner, who averaged 5.3 points. Eli Hadley, a 6-foot-9 senior center, averaged 6.5 points coming off the bench.

Call Star newsman Mark Ambrogi at (317) 444-2806.