Team Preview: Bixby (6A)

<p>Bixby returns a few of its key players from last season.</p> <p>Having one of the best football teams in the nation can be a struggle to a basketball coach.</p> <p>Bixby’s Sam Fairchild has had to prepare without the services of the third piece of his big three, sophomore guard (and wide receiver), [player_tooltip player_id="967380" first="Luke" last="Hasz"].</p> <p>"When your basketball program is trying to gain some ground, and your football program is the best in the country, it’s tough," Fairchild laughed.</p> <p>Hasz is a sharp, explosive guard with aspirations to earn Division-I offers for both sports, Fairchild said -- a rare feat that Hasz may be one of few with the talents to achieve.</p> <p>"Luke is one of the best athletes in the state," Fairchild said.</p> <p>Rounding out the aforementioned big three are the talents of senior guard-forward [player_tooltip player_id="1015793" first="Xavier" last="Glenn"] and sophomore shooting guard [player_tooltip player_id="967379" first="Parker" last="Friedrichsen"].</p> [caption id="attachment_1092636" align="alignleft" width="300"]<a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2020/11/Parker-Friedrichsen.jpg"><img class="wp-image-1092636 size-medium" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2020/11/Parker-Friedrichsen-300x205.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="205" /></a> [player_tooltip player_id="967379" first="Parker" last="Friedrichsen"] (Joshua Cleary/Prep Hoops).[/caption] <p>Glenn, a William Woods University signee, has been a three-year starter for the Spartans and led the way in scoring with over 18 points-a-night as a junior. Fairchild said he may be Bixby’s bet returning athlete.</p> <p>"[Glenn] is a good player, great mid-range game, gets to the rim well," Fairchild said. "He’s got a chance to be an elite player in the Frontier Conference."</p> <p>Friedrichsen is the second-leading scorer returning to Bixby, and he has gained about two inches and 15-to-20 points, according to Fairchild. The sharpshooter is heralded as not only one of the top shooters in Oklahoma, but is in the conversation for most notable shooters in the country in his class.</p> <p>Fairchild said he may be the hardest-working athlete in the state.</p> <p>"[Friedrichsen] has definitely matured, and we’re looking for a really good season from him," Fairchild said. "He’s one of the best shooters in the state, and I think who’s watched him will back that up."</p> <p>Another significant contributor to the Spartans will be [player_tooltip player_id="1015839" first="Braden" last="Weaver"], a senior guard who started as a sophomore but took an off-the-bench role as a junior. Fairchild said Weaver has "massively improved."</p> [caption id="attachment_1092638" align="alignright" width="300"]<a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2020/11/xavier-glenn.jpg"><img class="size-medium wp-image-1092638" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2020/11/xavier-glenn-300x225.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="225" /></a> [player_tooltip player_id="1015793" first="Xavier" last="Glenn"] (Joshua Cleary/Prep Hoops).[/caption] <p>"I don’t know that I’ve ever had a kid improve in one-year’s time more than Braden," Fairchild said. "Confidence level, physique changed, attitude changed, and his ability to put the ball in the net has really changed."</p> <p>Senior guard Connor Loney also returns for the Spartans after starting off-and-on as a junior.</p> <p>"[Loney] is kind of our trash man, doesn’t necessarily look the part but always has good numbers and always gives us something," Fairchild said.</p> <p>Forward Davonte Owens, who last played as a sophomore at Tulsa Rogers, will be joining the program for the first time.</p> <p>"[Owens] should be able to help us as a new guy coming in," Fairchild said.</p> <p>Six-foot-8-inch forward DC Harris will also help the Spartans at forward. Tristan Madden and <span style="font-size: 1rem;">Macquelin Ware, both of whom did not play much in 2020, will play more expanded roles this season, Fairchild said.</span></p> <p>A key to the Spartans’ success this season, Fairchild said, will be to face fewer obstacles related to injuries or illness-related absences.</p> [caption id="attachment_1092644" align="alignleft" width="300"]<a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2020/11/braden-weaver.jpg"><img class="size-medium wp-image-1092644" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2020/11/braden-weaver-300x235.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="235" /></a> [player_tooltip player_id="1015839" first="Braden" last="Weaver"] (Joshua Cleary/Prep Hoops).[/caption] <p>"Last year was one of those years that we never had all of our best five players healthy at the same time," Fairchild said. "Luke got hurt. . . Xavier missed a couple of games with an ankle injury, then he caught the flu twice. . . </p> <p>"Hopefully this year we can stay away from that," Fairchild said.</p> <p>Fairchild also said that playing athletes he knows can benefit the team will be a central focus, as well.</p> <p>"Last year, we were trying a lot of things with players that we didn’t get a reward from. . . we had some good-looking kids that we invested time and energy in that just didn’t pan out," Fairchild said. "This year we’re trying to invest our time and energy into the ones that we know can make it.</p> <p>"If we can stay healthy, I think we’ve got a real shot this year to kind of turn the corner with the program, Fairchild said, "and come playoff time, be in the picture.</p>