Shawnee’s start with full participation was pushed back due to the football team’s long playoff run. The roster wasn’t complete until after Thanksgiving.
Despite a late crush to fill out the team, Shawnee was able to carry over that winning attitude from football.
“That mind-set is very important,” Shawnee head coach Chris McGuire said. “The guys have reached a confidence level where they know if they work hard and do the things they’re asked to do, then they can be successful.”
Experience also helps. The Braves advanced to the Division II district tournament last season and finished second in the Central Buckeye Conference Kenton Trail Division.
Only two seniors graduated from that team, including Justin Williams, Clark County’s Mr. Basketball.
Depth helps, too. Ten players have scored in the first two games.
On the roster are five players 6-foot-4 or taller — Jaylen Price (6-7), P.J. Howell (6-6), John Campbell (6-5), Derek Tincher (6-5), and Michael Hogan (6-4).
“We have more size than we’ve ever had since I’ve been at Shawnee,” McGuire said. “It comes in cycles, and it just happens that this year we’ve got a lot of size.”
That, too, could play to the Braves’ advantage.
“We think that we can pressure a little bit more because we’ve got some length,” McGuire said. “I’m hoping it’s going to help us rebounding-wise. That’s always been an Achilles heel for us, mainly because we’ve got a lot of guards.”
The schedule is about to get tougher for the Braves: They travel to Kenton Ridge today, Dec. 18, to face the defending Kenton Trail champs (2-1), travel to Springfield (3-1) on Saturday, host Tippecanoe (2-0) on Dec. 22 and Urbana (4-1) on Dec. 29.
Contact this reporter at (937) 328-0366 or bplasters@coxohio.com.
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