The Douglas High School boys basketball team will have a lot of new faces on the floor this fall after graduating eight seniors from last season’s squad.
While plenty of the pieces will be different, one constant is senior guard Caden Thacker.
Thacker was a first team all-region selection as a sophomore and junior and will be tasked with being the on-court guidance for a relatively inexperienced Tiger team this winter.
Douglas basketball fans are used to the Tigers’ trying to run the floor, but head coach Corey Thacker says that intensity will be ramped up.
“Really play faster than we have ever played. We are really going to try to dictate tempo. I know we usually try to do that anyway, but this is going to be amped up more than usual,” said Thacker.
Last fall, the Tigers were 8-17 overall.
ROSTER OUTLOOK
Caden Thacker’s quickness will be the main outlet for Douglas’ tempo as the senior has showcased his ability to be an asset in every area of the game over the years.
His ability to create for himself or slash through the paint to find an open teammate has been a lifeline for Douglas.
Thacker averaged 12.1 points per game, 3.3 assists per contest and 1.7 steals per game last season.
Douglas will go as he does this season.
“Yeah, we are going to look to him to be a leader, help us get scoring and help us take care of the ball,” said coach Thacker. “I think one thing he does is he takes care of the ball and keeps his calm.”
Douglas won’t feature a lot of height after having dominant paint players each of the last few seasons.
Evan Tolbert, who is 6’8, will be on the block for the Tigers, but the rest of the roster is 6’2 or shorter.
It’s one of the main reasons why tempo and pace will be pivotal for Douglas.
“We are going to try to play full court for 32 minutes and definitely run other teams out of the gym. We are going to have to make good decisions and they’re going to have to be quick decisions on the offensive and defensive sides,” said Thacker.
Luke Main will be another guard that Douglas can turn to for defensive tenacity and certainly fits with the team’s speed first approach.
Alongside Tolbert on the inside will be seniors Daron Kizer and Jesse Messick.
Other players coming up from the JV ranks that are expected to see minutes are juniors Noah Kizer and Noah Coyne.
“Noah Kizer had a very, very solid JV season and he’s a natural, skilled basketball player. He will be getting some significant minutes,” Thacker said. “Noah Coyne is another one that we will be leaning on to take care of the boards and guard some bigger guys. I think he can handle it.”
Trent Ipsen is another point guard Douglas will be able to turn to, who can effectively handle the ball.
Pushing opponents’ endurance is the main theme of the Tigers’ preseason.
“If we get in half court sets with teams they are going to be bigger than us I think they are going to have the advantage. If we can keep the advantage on our side by speeding up the game, I like our chances,” Thacker said.
(Daron Kizer steps back against Galena last season. Kizer appeared in 25 games, posting two points and two rebounds per contest. / Ron Harpin)
CLASS 4A NORTH
Spanish Springs, Reno and Damonte Ranch are the top three in the eyes of coach Thacker.
“We’re not sleeping on anybody but Spanish Springs is going to be pretty big. Reno has a lot of returners and had a solid JV team last year. You can’t count out Damonte Ranch after winning the northern championship last year. I think those three teams are the early favorites,” Thacker said.
Outside of those three, the North seems to be as competitive as ever with a lot of teams featuring new faces for the 2024-25 campaign.
Douglas kicks off its regular season with a league contest Dec. 3 at McQueen.