The preseason No. 2 ranked Ichabods return everyone but
sharpshooter Jeff Reid from a team that won the MIAA season and
postseason championships and reach the 2nd round of the NCAA tournament
just a season ago. An upper-class latent team will start four seniors in
Martin Mitchell, Will McNeill, Zack Riggins, and Bobby Chipman.
Mitchell, a Junior College transfer from Memphis will start
at point guard and will apply pressure on opposing guards both
offensively and defensively. Mitchell is a multifaceted player who will
heat teams up full court and also beat teams down with his quick and
elusive pull-up. Martin can light it up from deep on the reg while also
having the ability to get past the initial defense and create for
himself and others in the lane.
Alexandria product Will McNeill, an All-American and MIAA
Tournament MVP from a season ago, will flank Mitchell in the Ichabod
backcourt. McNeill already has the Washburn career record for steals and
will only add to that total due to his tremendous on-ball pressure and
affinity for disrupting passing lanes. His offensive game is nothing to
scoff about due to his above the rim play during fast breaks and on the
offensive glass. He uses his quickness and top speed to his advantage in
the full court and on many occasions will lead successful one man
breaks. McNeill also has a reliable mid-range jumper than he can drain
off the catch as well as off the dribble.
Leavenworth product Zack Riggins may be the unsung hero of
this team because he is a great player in the eyes of basketball fans
and an average player in the eyes of statisticians. He may only average
eight points, five boards, and two assists a game, but he is responsible
for much more than that. If you see Will get a wide open look on a
drive, look to see if Rigs sealed the help to allow it. If you see Bobby
grab a board with no traffic, look to see if Rigs blocked out multiple
guys to allow it. If you see the ball go inside out and swung for a
three, look to see if it was Rigs with the hockey assist. It’s really
simple, Big Rigs does the little things that win big games.
Topeka product Bobby Chipman will be a starter for the
fourth consecutive season. The anchor of this impressive defense has the
ability to bang around with the bruisers of the MIAA but also has the
foot speed to step out and challenge the finesse bigs who are all the
rage nowadays. He can play inside/outside on offense as well showing
good touch around the rim off of post ups and offensive rebounds. He can
also spot up from deep which draws most teams best rebounder and best
rim defender away from the basket which opens up driving and rebounding
opportunities.
Junior Alex North, from Topeka, will fill out the starting
five as the small forward. North is an overall crafty player who is a
very sneaky rebounder on both ends of the court. Watch him wiggle on the
baseline and step in front of people at the last second to get the
board. He can get very hot from deep and has shown consistency at
scoring off the dribble from 18 feet and in.
The Ichabod starters rightfully get the most pub, but when
healthy, their bench has shown the affinity to be one of the best in the
league. After adding some necessary poundage in the offseason, 45 year
old looking senior Joe Smith, also from Memphis, is poised to get
plenty of burn in the Ichabod big man rotation. He has had success going
over both shoulders, good touch around the rim, and the ability to
create spacing by stepping out 15 foot and hitting. He is a very capable
defender and rebounder who uses his above average wingspan to his
advantage. Sophomore Kyle Wiggins, also from Leavenworth, might be the
most athletic player in the MIAA if not the entire nation. He possesses a
slick crossover and an explosive first step which can lead to him
finishing at the rim or pulling up from 12 feet. His athleticism allows
him to heat players up like the starters in front of him so there is not
a tremendous defensive drop-off when Wiggins enters the game. Junior
Jared Henry from Olathe will get the majority minutes as the backup
point guard. Henry flourishes on the defensive end specifically creating
havoc in passing lanes and turning them into easy points on the other
end. He has a decent stroke from deep but has the ability to light it up
if his fingers start burning. Henry is also good at distributing the
ball, especially in penetrate and kick situations. Sophomore Christian
Ulsaker (McPherson) and Redshirt Junior Leon Flowers (Wichita) will
fight each other for minutes as possible small forwards who can also
play a stretch four against the correct opponents. They both are good
rebounders for being undersized. Flowers does most of his offensive
damage from the outside while Ulsaker does his from 15 feet and in. Both
are capable offensive rebounders who can be exposed against quicker
guards outside but overall can guard at either the three or the four
positions. Redshirt Junior Bryce Simons, also from Topeka, is looking
to rebound from a knee injury that has kept him sidelined all season and
will continue to keep him sidelined. Once he is healthy he will give
the team even more firepower on the defensive end of the court. He is a
good on-ball defender who uses his leaping ability to secure rebounds on
both ends. On offense he can get to the rim and finish and has shown
the ability throughout his career to hit open shots. The roster is
rounded out with Redshirt Freshman Dalton Abel, a product of Carbondale.
Although he has been the primary candidate for G-Love minutes, he
always plays his ass off when he gets the opportunity.
This team’s identity is centered around their
up-in-your-ass defense that causes teams to play defensive on offense
and causes many points off of turnovers. They have threats to score on
the inside and threats to score from the outside, but what makes them
special is the amount of players who can not only do both, but have a
game that connects the two together. They might not be the favorite to
win it all, but you should believe that they will be a force to be
reckoned with once we reach March. This might be the team Coach Chipman
has been waiting 34 seasons for.
Joshua Jackson
@JoshJackson_TID
No comments:
Post a Comment