2017-2018 Preview: Bottom 3 teams in the (Big 7 Gold) Suburban Conference
With Basketball season slowly approaching, we thought it would be a good time to go ahead and draw up a little preseason preview for the teams in the Big 7 Gold Conference. Listed below will be a prediction of the bottom 3 teams in the conference. There are lot of teams that have the potential to fight for the top spot this year, and it’s going to be a tight race.
5) Raymore-Peculiar
I would say that if there was a sleeper team in the conference this year, it would be Ray-Pec. Last year probably wasn’t the year they were expecting dropping 11 of 12 in the conference and although they had some close games, they just couldn’t pull it together in the end. With another year under their belt, look forward to a bounce back year with a record around .500 in conference. A few of the young bucks are now becoming upperclassman, and it should show this season. Senior Wesley McCullough who has already committed to the University of Sioux Falls will be the heart and soul of the team. At 6’7” and a knockdown shooter from anywhere on the court, he will be highly relied on by his teammates to lead them this season. Junior Point Guard Chris McKinzy will also be looked at as a leader. He’s a very quick guard who can knock down the open shot and get basket when needed. Sophomore Big Man Kian Scroggins will fill in nicely and should be one of those guys who averages around 8 points and 10 rebounds a game.
6) Lee’s Summit
After more of a rebuilding year in the 2016-2017 season, Lee’s Summit will look to put that behind them and move forward. There were times last year when Lee’s Summit looked like the young team that they were, but you saw flashes of how good they could have been. Putting a full game together was a part of their problem last year, but expect a much wiser and more well put together team this year. Coach Little knew that it wasn’t going to be an easy season, and neither will this year, but with the work they are putting in, it should be a good one. Senior Star Somaj Brewer will look to lead the team this year. He’s a very quick and lengthy guard that looks to score, but with his size, he is capable of battling down low and grabbing tough boards as well. Senior Will Eames is a pretty solid big man who likes to take his game outside. With a great stroke from deep, he is threat and looks to give other bigs matchup problems. Davion Davis should be able to help underneath as well with his great length and athletic ability. Also, look for guards like Jaden Moore and Seth Romi to knock down 3’s and to find open teammates for scoring opportunities.
7) Blue Springs South
Blue Springs South was in the middle of the pack last year, but had some issues with the top tier teams. Losing a few key players from last year’s team, especially All-League guard Camron Roustic, will more than likely cause a bump in the road for the Jaguars. This doesn’t mean that they won’t win games, but it will sure make them a lot harder not having the super quick scoring guard. With that being said, they will still be returning a few players from last year that will look to have a big impact on this year’s season. Ethan Swanegan, a Division I football player, but also one who excels on the basketball court. Swanegan is 6’5” and can play anywhere on the court. He has a smooth stroke from 3, but he is also talented enough to move his game down to the post area. Seniors Jared Ravencamp and Dorian Wright are both solid guards who will add great leadership. These two also can be one of the better backcourts in the league. Look for a few younger guys to step up and maybe a senior like Jack Gillig who can shoot well, especially when he is on, to find a spot in the lineup.