A trip to the state tournament was the No. 1 goal of the Leavenworth boys’ basketball team at the outset of the season in November, but having checked that off the list hasn’t satisfied the Pioneers. The boys say they’re looking to keep the streak alive, and they’ll start that task tomorrow when they take on Maize in the first round.
“We don’t know much about them, but we’re focused,” senior Nino Williams said. “We’ve been practicing hard and playing hard and we’re just going into state ready to play anybody. We’re preparing for it like any other game.”
The hype of being one of the final eight teams left in the running for a 6A state title hasn’t fazed the blue and white either, as the team says they’ve put in the work to be prepared for this moment.
“I feel great,” fellow senior Sam Brundy said. “I’m ready to play, I think the team is ready. We’re mentally prepared, we’re practicing hard and we’re going to have a good game.”
Head coach Larry Hogan, who’s no stranger to the state tournament in his 27 years as the Pioneers’ head coach, said his boys will need to continue to be at the top of their game to extend their season.
“We’ve played four pretty good basketball games. ... Saturday (in the substate championship) was one of the best high school games you could’ve seen. Hopefully we’ll keep up that intensity,” Hogan said. “The thing about going to state is you’re either going to play someone who’s hot, play someone who’s good or play someone who’s good and hot. The competition is extremely high.”
The Pioneers have done plenty to make themselves successful this season, racking up a 16-6 season record that includes a first-place effort at the Citizens National Bank Tournament, third at the Liberty Tournament and the title at their substate tournament. In their 16 victories, including eight straight to start the year, Leavenworth beat opponents by an average of 13.625 points per game. Hogan and Williams say that the Pioneers will just continue to play like they have all season.
“In the playoffs, substate, we ‘D’ed up and we were disciplined and we played good as a team,” the Kansas State University commit said. “We just need to keep playing defense and keep playing as a team and we can go a long way at state.”
“Quite truthfully, I expected to go to the state tournament,” Hogan said. “I think we have a good enough team to get it done. It didn’t happy how I thought it would, but they showed a lot of resilience and overcame a lot of obstacles. That speaks well of them.”
Only one of Leavenworth’s six losses, their first to Liberty (Mo.) on Jan. 20, came with their full roster. Injuries hit the Pioneers hard mid-season, with starters Sam Banach, Alec Zeck and Williams each out for periods during late January and early February.
“We’re still getting healthy and that makes a big difference with our depth and what we’re able to do,” Hogan said.
The Pioneers will once again face a bigger opponent when they take the floor against Maize. Hogan said Leavenworth will need to hit the boards hard to hang with the Eagles, who have five players on the roster taller than 6-foot-4.
“They’re big and strong and their front-line depth is outstanding,” the Pioneers’ coach said. “We’re going to have to get on the boards and be extremely tough on the boards. That’s where they’ll try to pound us again. We’ll also try to cause some problems for them out on the floor with our defensive pressure on their guards.”
Leavenworth will tip off against Maize at 8:15 tomorrow at White Auditorium in Emporia.
Know the opponent
Maize Eagles (17-5)
- The only common opponent between the Pioneers and Eagles was Free State. Leavenworth bested Free State 59-39 on Dec. 18, 2009 and Maize beat the Firebirds 55-49 on Jan. 21.
- Maize has faced two of the seven other state qualifiers. The beat Manhattan (12-10) 56-54 in their season-opener on Dec. 4, 2009 and lost to Blue Valley Northwest (15-7) 55-41 on Jan. 22. Leavenworth has played just one of the seven other state qualifiers, Shawnee Mission South who they lost to by a score of 67-60 on Feb. 12.
-The Eagles’ five losses have come against four opponents. The lost on Dec. 19, 2009 to Lee’s Summit North 72-56, lost to Blue Valley Northwest 55-41 on Jan. 22, and lost to Salina Central 57-52 on Feb. 26. Maize lost to McPherson twice, 60-55 on Jan. 23 and 75-60 on Feb. 5.
- Maize has three players who average in double figures (stats through 18 games). Ryan Schultz, a 6-foot-5 senior forward, leads the way with 13.5 ppg and 9.44 rpg. Luke Langley averages 11.5 ppg and Ryan McCarthy averages 11.17 ppg. Langley is a 6-foot guard and McCarthy is a 6-foot-2 guard.
