New men’s coach blends experience, new recruits

CNA photo by LARRY PETERSON Spartan men: Members of the Southwestern Community College menÕs basketball team are, front row from left: Boan Weanquoi, Keenan Lindsey, Ryckey Harper, Kristian Williams, Tyler Raasch, Alex Peterson and Mike Ridnour. Back row: Chris Santiago, Chad Boston, Trent Fisher, Drew Godwin, DeÕEverett Williams, Royce Phillips, Wil Wilson and John Van Meer. Not pictured: Jamahl DePriest, head coach Mike Holmes and assistant coach Kyle Fisher.

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When the Southwestern men’s basketball team opens the season Monday night at home against William Penn JV, there will be eight familiar faces in Spartan uniforms. That’s unusual during a coaching switch. Former Ottumwa High School coach Mike Holmes retained eight of nine freshmen from last year’s team, Jerry Drymon’s fourth and final season at the helm. He also brought in eight new recruits for a nice mix of juco experience and promising talent in Holmes’ structured system. Sophomore guard Tyler Raasch of Nodaway Valley said the makeup of the roster is a reflection of the team chemistry from last year’s 17-13 squad. “I think a bunch of our guys got close last year,” Raasch said. “We’re kind of like family here. I knew if they came back, we’d have another fun season.” “Fun,” in Holmes’ philosophy is playing the game the right way. He’s thankful the longer preseason in college allows him more time to instill his defensive system based on man-to-man helping principles, and a read-and-react offense based on cutting and screening. In high school, coaches have 11 days to prepare for the first game. Holmes started official practice on Oct. 1, and before that had four-player workout groups learning his system. “It’s ridiculous what they do to high school coaches,” said Holmes, a native of Des Moines who coached in Indianapolis before a six-year stint at Ottumwa. “They punish the teachers of the game. There is no time.” Goal protection Holmes is teaching the Spartans a man-to-man defense predicated on helping each other to prevent layups, with very little gambling that leaves people out of position. “It’s almost anti-modern day basketball,” said Holmes, assisted by former Washburn University grad assistant Kyle Fisher. “We will commit all four of the other guys to helping, and assuming that we’ll get beat off the dribble. We’re protecting the basket. We will create fewer turnovers, because we’re not going to jump out in the passing lines, and we’re not pressing the ball fullcourt.” The thinking is, if we shoot more layups than you, and we create more free throw opportunities for ourselves with limited turnovers, the odds are in our favor. With a 35-second shot clock, there may be some quick shots taken when open, but generally the Spartans will make the other team work on the defensive end. “We can’t allow them to have easy defensive possessions,” Holmes said. “But with the shot clock, sometimes you have to take quality shots when they are available. There are moments of a game when you get momentum. That’s the time to jump on the momentum and use it, when you might shoot something more quickly. There are also times when you lose the momentum and you need to put the ball on three different sides of the ball.” Patience and teamwork seem to be the bywords of the disciplined approach preached by Holmes. He likes what he’s seen in preseason scrimmages. “A coach is never satisfied, but I think we’re ahead of where I thought we’d be,” Holmes said. Key losses Two key players from last year’s fifth-place conference team are gone. Twin towers Anthony Davis (6-10) and Laurice Ellison (6-9) were the main players inside. Davis is on scholarship at Division I South Dakota State and was first-team all-region. Ellison was on the second all-region team. Ellison went to North Carolina-Pembroke. Royce Phillips, a powerful 6-4, 220-pound forward out of Des Moines, earned all-region honorable mention a year ago. Two freshmen will help fill the void at center. De’Everett Williams is a 6-6, 265-pound force around the basket, while 6-7 Trent Fisher of Johnston is a versatile player adept at more mid-range skills. One of last year’s best all-around players, 6-2 Kristian Williams of Australia, has moved from guard to forward. “He has all the intangibles but not the shooting range, so it made sense,” Holmes said. “Our guys are interchangeable anyway once we get into our cutting offense.” Chris Santiago of New York is a 6-2 sophomore making a similar move although he did show flashes of perimeter offense a year ago. Like Fisher, 6-7 sophomore Drew Godwin of Texas can help at forward and center. The Spartans are stacked at the guard position. Raasch and Ryckey Harper of Raytown, Mo., are two of the top shooters returning from a year ago. Sophomore Jamahl DePriest of Memphis, Tenn., and freshman Boan Weanquoi of Charlotte, N.C., are tough on-ball defenders. SW Iowa guards Two southwest Iowa candidates are freshman Keenan Lindsey of Lewis Central and Alex Peterson of Lenox, who walked on after not participating as a freshman student last year. “We have a lot of guys who do different things well,” Holmes said. “Everything we do is preparation for playing the best teams on our schedule. It all comes out when you start playing in the conference. Realistically, if we get ourselves in the top four, we’ve made progress.” Drymon’s teams went from last place twice to fifth place twice with the first winning records (18-13 and 17-13) since 2001. Iowa Lakes eliminated the Spartans in the quarterfinals of last year’s regional, 79-72. Kirkwood won the regional and ended up third in the nation. The Eagles, Ellsworth and DMACC are again considered top contenders. Cody Pearson of Creston is a walk-on player at DMACC, and Adam Riley of Creston is a freshman on the Grand View JV team that plays at Southwestern next Thursday. SWCC Men’s Roster Key: No., Name, Class, Ht., Hometown. 10 Wil Wilson F 6-4 So. Dakota Dunes, S.D.; 12 Keenan Lindsey Fr. 6-0 G Council Bluffs; 13 Chad Boston Fr. 6-3 F Des Moines; 14 Alex Peterson Fr. 5-9 G Lenox; 15 Chris Santiago So. 6-2 F Bronx, N.Y.; 20 Mike Ridnour Fr. 5-8 G Clarinda; 22 Tyler Raasch So. 6-1 G Bridgewater; 23 Ryckey Harper So. 6-1 G Raytown, Mo.; 24 Jamahl DePriest So. 6-1 G Memphis, Tenn. 25 John Van Meer Fr. 6-3 F Saydel; 33 De’Everett Williams Fr. 6-6 C Houston, Texas; 34 Boan Weanquoi Fr. 5-10 G Charlotte, N.C.; 40 Kristian Williams So. 6-2 F Melbourne, Australia; 42 Royce Phillips So. 6-4 F Des Moines; 44 Drew Godwin So. 6-7 C Talco, Texas; 53 Trent Fisher F 6-7 C Johnston. Coaches: Mike Holmes, head coach; Kyle Fisher, assistant coach; Drew Dobbs, Kylea Lynam, Taylor Monthei, administrative assistants. SWCC Men’s Schedule (Home — Bold) Nov. 3 — William Penn JV, 8 p.m. Nov. 6 — Grand View JV, 7 p.m. Nov. 9 — at Graceland JV, 4 p.m. Nov. 14 — at NCMC Classic, Trenton, Mo. Nov. 15 — at NCMC Classic, Trenton, Mo. Nov. 18 — at Iowa Western, Council Bluffs, 7 p.m. Nov. 25 — North Central (Mo.), 8 p.m. Dec. 2 — William Jewell JV, 7 p.m. Dec. 5-6 — at Southeast CC Tournament, Beatrice, Neb. Dec. 10 — at Indian Hills, Centerville, 7 p.m. Dec. 12 — Buena Vista JV, 7 p.m. Dec. 14 — Southeastern CC, 2 p.m. Jan. 3 — at Clinton CC, 4 p.m. Jan. 7 — Graceland JV, 8 p.m. Jan. 10 — NIACC, 4 p.m. Jan. 14 — at Kirkwood, Cedar Rapids, 7:30 p.m. Jan. 17 — Iowa Lakes, 4 p.m. Jan. 21 — at Iowa Central, Fort Dodge, 7:30 p.m. Jan. 24 — at Ellsworth, Iowa Falls, 3 p.m. Jan. 28 — at DMACC, Boone, 7:30 p.m. Jan. 31 — Clinton CC, 4 p.m. Feb. 4 — at Marshalltown CC, 7 p.m. Feb. 7 — at NIACC, Mason City, 4 p.m. Feb. 11 — Kirkwood, 8 p.m. Feb. 14 — at Iowa Lakes, Estherville, 4 p.m. Feb. 18 — Iowa Central, 8 p.m. Feb. 21 — Ellsworth, 4 p.m. Feb. 24 — DMACC, 8 p.m. Feb. 28 — at Regional XI Tournament March 1, 4 — at Region XI Semifinal, final —————— Larry Peterson can be reached at 782-2141, ext. 232 or lpeterson@crestonnews.com