BOURBON – Seventh-year Triton boys basketball coach Jason Groves has enjoyed quite a bit of success, and this year, he'll be looking to add to it, albeit with some new faces. Over the course of the past four years, the Trojans have gone 94-12, claiming a Class 1A state championship in 2008, as well as making state finals appearances in 2009 and last March. However, a member of each of those teams was Griffyn Carpenter, who graduated as the program's all-time leading scorer with 1,327 points. As if losing Carpenter wasn't enough, other Trojans to graduate were Jordan Everett (7.9 ppg, 4.1 rpg), Austin Davis (5.3 ppg, 4.9 rpg), Blake Lemler (3.3 ppg, 3.7 rpg) and Dane Kennedy (1.1 ppg). The Trojans also said good-bye to junior Quentyn Carpenter, who has decided to focus solely on golf. "He really developed into one of our better perimeter defenders," Groves said about the loss of Quentyn Carpenter. "He's a good golfer and he wants to focus on that. It's rare to see kids as passionate about anything. So good for him." While Quentyn Carpenter, the younger brother of Griffyn, is advancing his shot at getting a Division I links scholarship, Groves will be attempting to implement new players into new roles as his team begins play Wednesday at home against Oregon-Davis. "We lost six of our top seven players from last year," Groves said. "We have to replace a lot, but we do have a good player to build around." That player is junior Clay Yeo, who verbally committed to Valparaiso University in the summer and averaged 16.4 points, 4.8 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 2.5 steals as a sophomore. In a slight hiccup, Yeo had to have surgery on his knee in August, and was just cleared to practice on Nov. 8, but he seems to be doing better. "You could tell in the first practice that he hadn't played since July," Groves said about Yeo. "But by the next practice, he was right back in the swing of it." Through two seasons, Yeo has scored 660 points, and with his body maturing, Groves is expecting even better things. "He's probably grown half-an-inch and he's definitely gotten stronger," he said. "He's been benching 220 pounds." Along with his physcial traits improving, Yeo will also need to be the guy the other players look too with Griffyn Carpenter gone. "He has to be a leader," Groves said. "As a sophomore, he was asked to score and not do much else. Now, we'll need his rebounds, assists and vocal leadership. He's going to be asked to wear a lot of hats." Yeo will have a lot on his shoulders, but even with so many players gone from last year, the Trojans' cupboard isn't necessarily bare. Returning this season is senior point guard Zak Shively, who saw some time on the court last year, but also missed some time due to IHSAA rules. "He does a lot of good things on the court," Groves said. "He can score off the dribble and he has to be our leader as the point guard. Our coach on the court." Other senior guards on the team will be Nick Nordmann, Jackson Downing and Marc Lindsey, although Lindsey may miss most, if not all, of the year. "He broke his leg during football, so we're hoping to have him back by senior night (Feb. 24)," Groves said about Lindsey. Of the juniors, Groves will have Seth Glingle, Bryson Mosier and Drew Mosson, who's shown athleticism. "He's very athletic and a smart player, being the son of a coach," Groves said about Mosson, whose father Gordon Mosson is an assistant coach with Triton and posted 365 wins as a coach at John Glenn. "He really knows where he needs to be on the court." Triton will also have five sophomores on its roster, including Cody Shively, Darren Harrell, Seth Flenar, Dillon Meadway and Tanner Shepherd. Cody Shively will provide a lot of bulk for the Trojans, but the most intriguing of the sophomores is Shepherd, who moved into the Triton School Corporation after starting for Tippecanoe Valley as a freshman. "We're learning with Tanner," Groves said about the 6-foot-3 Shepherd. "We're getting to know each other, but I like what I've seen. He's athletic and has good skills. He played football and coach (Rodney) Younis said he was one of the best athletes on the team. So, we're happy to have him." Shepherd is a new face to the team, but he won't be alone when it comes to playing a larger role for the Trojans. And according to Groves, that's not a bad thing. "They don't realize we lost six players, but they know they have to work for it," he said about his team. "They know they have to work for success. "They can't rely on the success of (last year's) group," he added. "They need to earn it and create their own identity."
