Whitko Coach Says Team Is Still Improving
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
By Mark [email protected]
Even after a 73-16 season-opening loss at Columbia City, he stayed with that mantra. Whitko has gone from a one-win team last season to six this season. Even the losses aren’t as bad.
“We went from about as bad a team as you can be in high school to a fairly decent team now,” Fleetwood said. “I have no illusions that we’re good, but I do think we’ve become consistently a competitor now, and can play some pretty good basketball.”
At the beginning of the year, Fleetwood was concerned with teaching his team how to pass, dribble and shoot the ball. These days, the turnover and scoring numbers are respectable.
“We’re averaging 11 turnovers a game, and if you’d have told me at the beginning of the season we’d average only 11 turnovers a game, I’d have thought you were crazy. When I first saw us handle the basketball, I was hoping we’d break 20,” said Fleetwood.
“I feel like that’s No. 1, that we at least get shots most of the time. They may not all be great shots, but you can rebound a bad shot. You can’t rebound a turnover. So we’ve given ourselves a chance by not just giving the ball over to the other team for easy layups.
“Secondly, I think it’s because offensively the kids have bought into believing we can score. We’re averaging around 53 points a game, and you take out the Columbia City game that average goes up to 55 points a game. Again, if you’d have told me we’d average 50-plus points a game, I’d have said ‘you’re crazy.’ To be real honest, I was hoping for 40. Last year’s team averaged around 31 or 32 a game. So for us to get more than 50 a game, I feel like we’re really a lot better at that end of the court.
“Now I think we can really compete with most teams we play.”
For Whitko to make noise in the sectional, starting with Wawasee in Ligonier on Tuesday, the Wildcats are going to need continued production from sophomore Nate Walpole and freshman River West. The underclassman duo are scoring about 33 points per game between them.
The Wildcats also get production from juniors Tanner Gaff, Devon Adkins and senior Cole Kessie. The juniors are averaging about five points a game each, while Kessie gets closer to eight points a contest. Continuous improvement is what the head coach asked for, and said he’s getting from his team.
“Nate gives us experience. He was about the only player that came back from last year. He also gives us ball-handling and gives us somebody that makes it easier for everybody else to handle the ball. He makes River better, he makes Cole better, he makes Devon better with the ball in their hands.
“River has gotten better every day. He’s really had a good freshman year. From the first time I saw him I knew he could flat shoot the basketball. He didn’t know how to get open at the beginning of the year; he was used to not being guarded in the eighth grade or in AAU ball. He’s learned how to move without the basketball, he’s learned how to work hard to get open to get his shots. I think he’s gotten better every game this year.”
Kessie and Derek Miller are the only seniors on the Wildcat squad, and four juniors are in the team’s top eight rotation. Fleetwood said he appreciates the attitudes of his upperclassmen in getting back to the school’s winning ways.
“My guys have hung in there all year, and that’s a tribute to them.” Fleetwood said. “Whitko used to be a great basketball school and we want to get that back to the way it used to be. They knew we’d have to work hard to get back on the map, and I’ve been very, very pleased by how these guys have responded and they’ve all tried to do their part.
“That starts with senior and junior leadership and they’ve done a great job of coming in every day and working hard. That went on to sophomores and freshmen. They set a great example to our JV and freshman teams of how we’re going to do things.”
With a win over Wawasee, Whitko would advance to Friday’s 6 p.m. semifinal against Three Rivers conference foe Tippecanoe Valley.[[In-content Ad]]
Even after a 73-16 season-opening loss at Columbia City, he stayed with that mantra. Whitko has gone from a one-win team last season to six this season. Even the losses aren’t as bad.
“We went from about as bad a team as you can be in high school to a fairly decent team now,” Fleetwood said. “I have no illusions that we’re good, but I do think we’ve become consistently a competitor now, and can play some pretty good basketball.”
At the beginning of the year, Fleetwood was concerned with teaching his team how to pass, dribble and shoot the ball. These days, the turnover and scoring numbers are respectable.
“We’re averaging 11 turnovers a game, and if you’d have told me at the beginning of the season we’d average only 11 turnovers a game, I’d have thought you were crazy. When I first saw us handle the basketball, I was hoping we’d break 20,” said Fleetwood.
“I feel like that’s No. 1, that we at least get shots most of the time. They may not all be great shots, but you can rebound a bad shot. You can’t rebound a turnover. So we’ve given ourselves a chance by not just giving the ball over to the other team for easy layups.
“Secondly, I think it’s because offensively the kids have bought into believing we can score. We’re averaging around 53 points a game, and you take out the Columbia City game that average goes up to 55 points a game. Again, if you’d have told me we’d average 50-plus points a game, I’d have said ‘you’re crazy.’ To be real honest, I was hoping for 40. Last year’s team averaged around 31 or 32 a game. So for us to get more than 50 a game, I feel like we’re really a lot better at that end of the court.
“Now I think we can really compete with most teams we play.”
For Whitko to make noise in the sectional, starting with Wawasee in Ligonier on Tuesday, the Wildcats are going to need continued production from sophomore Nate Walpole and freshman River West. The underclassman duo are scoring about 33 points per game between them.
The Wildcats also get production from juniors Tanner Gaff, Devon Adkins and senior Cole Kessie. The juniors are averaging about five points a game each, while Kessie gets closer to eight points a contest. Continuous improvement is what the head coach asked for, and said he’s getting from his team.
“Nate gives us experience. He was about the only player that came back from last year. He also gives us ball-handling and gives us somebody that makes it easier for everybody else to handle the ball. He makes River better, he makes Cole better, he makes Devon better with the ball in their hands.
“River has gotten better every day. He’s really had a good freshman year. From the first time I saw him I knew he could flat shoot the basketball. He didn’t know how to get open at the beginning of the year; he was used to not being guarded in the eighth grade or in AAU ball. He’s learned how to move without the basketball, he’s learned how to work hard to get open to get his shots. I think he’s gotten better every game this year.”
Kessie and Derek Miller are the only seniors on the Wildcat squad, and four juniors are in the team’s top eight rotation. Fleetwood said he appreciates the attitudes of his upperclassmen in getting back to the school’s winning ways.
“My guys have hung in there all year, and that’s a tribute to them.” Fleetwood said. “Whitko used to be a great basketball school and we want to get that back to the way it used to be. They knew we’d have to work hard to get back on the map, and I’ve been very, very pleased by how these guys have responded and they’ve all tried to do their part.
“That starts with senior and junior leadership and they’ve done a great job of coming in every day and working hard. That went on to sophomores and freshmen. They set a great example to our JV and freshman teams of how we’re going to do things.”
With a win over Wawasee, Whitko would advance to Friday’s 6 p.m. semifinal against Three Rivers conference foe Tippecanoe Valley.[[In-content Ad]]
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