Cody Basketball Players Hungry for Competition

WITH THEIR FIRST THREE GAMES JUST AROUND THE CORNER THE CODY BASKETBALL TEAMS HELD A SCRIMMAGE LAST SATURDAY TO FINE TUNE THEIR SKILLS. I WAS ABLE TO CATCH UP WITH SEVERAL CODY ATHLETES AS THEY PREPARE FOR THE RE/MAX PROFESSIONALS GILLETTE BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT.

FOR THE BRONCS, KEY RETURNERS FROM A YEAR AGO INCLUDE COY NOVAKOVICH, DUNCAN RADAKOVICH AND HUNTER HAYS JUST TO NAME A FEW. THIS YEAR’S BRONCS ARE A VETERAN LADEN GROUP WITH SEVEN SENIORS ON THE ROSTER. THOSE SENIORS WILL BE LOOKED UPON TO LEAD THIS TEAM. COY NOVAKOVICH ONE OF THOSE LEADERS AND THE TEAM’S PRIMARY BALL HANDLER TALKS ABOUT HIS ROLE ON THE TEAM AND HOW THEY CAN START THE SEASON OFF RIGHT.

“I DEFINITELY HAVE TO DISTRIBUTE THE BALL TO OPEN GUYS AND I HAVE TO SHOOT THE BALL MORE. I HAVE TO SCORE A LITTLE MORE AND FIND OPEN TEAMMATES.” AS FOR WHAT THEY’RE WORKING ON GOING INTO THIS FIRST WEEKEND IN GILLETTE. “WE DEFINITELY NEED TO PLAY BETTER DEFENSE THAN WE’VE BEEN PLAYING THIS YEAR AND LAST YEAR. NEED TO PLAY WAY BETTER DEFENSE AND WE JUST NEED TO PUSH THE TEMPO A LITTLE MORE. GET SOME MORE EASY BUCKETS.”

ELIJAH LEYVA LED THE TEAM IN SCORING LAST YEAR AVERAGING OVER 20 POINTS PER GAME BUT THE BRONCS LOST HIM TO GRADUATION. THIS YEAR’S TEAM WILL NEED A SCORER TO STEP UP AND HUNTER HAYS TALKS ABOUT WHERE THE SCORING WILL COME FROM THIS YEARS GROUP AND HOW THEY CAN BE SUCCESSFUL.

“I THINK IT’LL BE PRETTY MUCH SCORE BY COMMITTEE. THAT’S HOW WE’VE… WE’VE BEEN PLAYING TOGETHER OUR WHOLE LIVES AND THAT’S HOW IT’S BEEN. SO WE’LL JUST KIND OF HAVE TO MOVE THE BALL AND FIND THE OPEN MAN AND THEN PUT IT IN. WE GOTTA BE REALLY DISCIPLINED, MOVE THE BALL BACK AND FORTH, CAN’T JUST TAKE EARLY SHOTS AND HAVE TURNOVERS. JUST BE REALLY DISCIPLINED.”

AND THE MAN IN THE MIDDLE DUNCAN RADAKOVICH HAS HAD ANOTHER YEAR TO POLISH HIS SKILLS DOWN LOW. DUNCAN IS A BIG BODY AT 6’5 AND SAYS THE CODY BRONCS HAVE SOMETHING TO PROVE.

TO SHOW THAT, GILLETTE’S IN THE EAST, TO SHOW THAT THE EAST THAT CODY ISN’T JUST THE 16TH SMALLEST SCHOOL. I THINK WE CAN HONESTLY BEAT THOSE TEAMS AND STUFF. SO JUST TO SHOW THAT WE ARE A 4A TEAM.”

AS FOR THE FILLIES, KEY RETURNERS FROM A YEAR AGO WILL BE TEAGAN THOMPSON, TORRIE SCHUTZMAN AND BRITTAN BOWER WHO WILL BE LOOKED UPON TO LEAD THIS YOUNG FILLY SQUAD. THEY BOAST SPEED AND ATHLETICISM BUT DON’T SPORT A LOT OF HEIGHT. EARLY SEASON GOALS ARE TO BE COMPETITIVE AND SHOW THEY BELONG IN 4A. TEAGAN THOMPSON IS THE LONE SENIOR ON THE ROSTER AND TALKS ABOUT WHAT THEY NEED TO STRIVE FOR ON THE COURT.

“WE’RE DEFINITELY GOING TO HAVE TO USE OUR SPEED A LOT AND HAVE TO BE QUICKER TO THE BALL AND I THINK ANTICIPATION IS A BIG WORD. JUST TO KNOW WHERE OUR OPPONENTS ARE GOING TO BE, WHERE THEY’RE GOING TO MOVE SO WE CAN GET THOSE READS, GET THE QUICK STEALS AND THEN WE ALL JUST HAVE TO WORK TOGETHER AND REALLY TALK. COMMUNICATION I WOULD ALSO SAY IS ANOTHER HUGE THING THAT WE’LL HAVE TO GRASP AS A TEAM SO THAT WE’RE ABLE TO HELP EACH OTHER OUT SO WE CAN GET THOSE QUICK PICKS AND USE A LOT OF THAT.”

TORRIE SCHUTZMAN RETURNS TO THE TEAM AS THE LEADING POINT GUARD. A VERY EXPERIENCED BALL PLAYER TORRIE CAN PASS THE BALL, SHOOT IT WELL AND MORE IMPORTANTLY RUNS THE OFFENSE. TORRIE DISHES ON HER EXPANDED ROLE AND WHAT TO EXPECT FROM THIS TEAM.

WE’LL JUST BEING IN 4A LIKE LAST YEAR THEY WERE BIGGER, THEY WERE STRONGER, THEY WERE FASTER. WITH OUR OFFENSE, WHEN I’M THE POINT GUARD I NEED TO MAKE SURE I GET THE BALL, JUST EYES UP RIGHT AWAY. LOOK FOR THE OPEN PERSON BECAUSE WITH A PASS YOU’RE GOING TO GET WAY FARTHER DOWN THE COURT FASTER RATHER THAN JUST DRIBBLING ALL THE WAY DOWN. SO FOR ME JUST ALWAYS LOOK UP AND JUST PASS TO THE OPEN PERSON.”

BRITTAN BOWER, ANOTHER RETURNER FOR THIS FILLY SQUAD WILL LOOK TO MAKE A BIG IMPACT ON THE SEASON. BRITTAN, JUST A JUNIOR KNOWS THE EXPECTATIONS THAT COME ALONG WITH PLAYING IN THE 4A AND EXPLAINS THE MIND SET OF THIS TEAM HEADING INTO THE GILLETTE TOURNAMENT.

“I THINK THAT THE BIGGEST FEELING WE HAVE NOW ABOUT THE GILLETTE TOURNAMENT IS EXCITEMENT BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT WE’RE NOT EXACTLY EXPECTED TO BE THE BEST TEAM THERE AND WE’RE GOING TO PLAY SOME TOUGH TEAMS. SO I THINK WE’RE GOING TO BE UNDERESTIMATED A LITTLE BIT AND I THINK IT’S GOING TO BE A GREAT FIRST WEEKEND TO GET OFF TO A GOOD FOOT ON THE SEASON.”

THE CODY BASKETBALL TEAMS WILL USE THIS WEEK TO FINE TUNE ANY LAST ADJUSTMENTS AS THEY GET SET FOR THEIR FIRST GAMES OF THE SEASON. THEY WILL OPEN PLAY AT THE GILLETTE BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT THURSDAY WITH THE GIRLS AT 5:45PM, FOLLOWED BY THE BOYS AT 7:30. KODI AM 1400 AND 96.7 FM IS YOUR HOME FOR CODY BASKETBALL ALL SEASON LONG. STAY TUNED TO THE BIG HORN RADIO NETWORK TOMORROW MORNING FOR A LOOK AT THE POWELL GIRLS BASKETBALL TEAM.