With many young and unproven players on his team, Houston coach Brent Hall said he can see the upcoming basketball season unfold in a variety of ways.
None — either good or bad — would surprise him.
“I’m confident that we can compete with and beat anyone on our schedule,” said Hall, who begins his second season with the Tigers. “I’ll also say in the same breath that anyone on our schedule can beat us. It’s hard to develop expectations when you contradict yourself like that. We’ll have to see.”
There are plenty of question marks with the 2009-’10 Tigers with only two returning starters and a handful of JV players expected to produce.But the two established players are good ones.
Senior Kyle Poynter averaged 23.6 points per game last season to easily set the program’s single-season scoring record. He’s joined by fellow senior Jesse Setters, the team’s third-leading scorer at just under eight points per game.
Poynter was the driving force behind last year’s team that went 12-15 and lost in the district semifinals. He shot 53.6 percent from the field and led the Tigers in rebounding (8.2), assists (1.5) and blocked shots (1.3).
Hall said Poynter could play as many as four different positions at times this season.
“What we’ve been really stressing to him is that a good player makes their teammates better and the team better,” Hall said.
Sophomore Curry Van Horn steps into the point guard duties and Justin Buchholz, a 6-foot-5 sophomore, will start at center. Cory Scheets and Kaleb Poynter are candidates for the final starting spot.
Kyle Jones and Jake Scheets will provide frontcourt depth. Lucas Cooperman, a transfer from Cabool, Jacob Case and freshman Westin Walker are guards off the bench.
“We’re really unproven and have a lot of question marks,” Hall said. “But they’re definitely athletic enough and capable enough. There’s no reason why they can’t do it.”
Houston’s young players will need to grow up fast to erase a district drought that last year stretched to 25 consecutive years.
MEET THE TIGERS
CURRY VAN HORN
Year: SO
Pos: PG
No: 4
Ht: 5-4
2008-’09 averages
None — played JV
KYLE JONES
Year: SO
Pos: F
No: 5
Ht: 6-3
2008-’09 averages
None — Did not play
JUSTIN BUCHHOLZ
Year: SO
Pos: C
No: 10
Ht: 6-5
2008-’09 averages
None — played JV
KYLE POYNTER
Year: SR
Pos: G/F
No: 15
Ht: 6-4
2008-’09 averages
Pts: 23.6
Reb: 8.2
Ast: 1.5
Stl: 0.2
FG%: 54
FT%: 77
JESSE SETTERS
Year: SR
Pos: G
No: 21
Ht: 6-0
2008-’09 averages
Pts: 7.5
Reb: 2.3
Ast: 0.8
Stl: 0.2
FG%: 39
FT%: 70
WESTIN WALKER
Year: FR
Pos: G
No: 23
Ht: 5-11
2008-’09 averages
None — played MS
KALEB POYNTER
Year: JR
Pos: F
No: 24
Ht: 6-2
2008-’09 averages
None — played JV
CORY SCHEETS
Year: JR
Pos: G
No: 30
Ht: 6-1
2008-’09 averages
None — played JV
JACOB CASE
Year: JR
Pos: G
No: 31
Ht: 5-9
2008-’09 averages
None — played JV
JAKE SCHEETS
Year: SR
Pos: F
No: 33
Ht: 6-1
2008-’09 averages
Pts: 0.9
Reb: 0.2
Ast: 0.0
Stl: 0.0
FG%: 67
FT%: 0
LUCAS COOPERMAN
Year: JR
Pos: G
No: 34
Ht: 5-9
2008-’09 averages
None — transfer from Cabool