Ada boys will be a work in progress

Jeff Cali Sports Editor

Ada December 04, 2008 01:00 pm

— Ready or not, the Ada High boys basketball team gets its 2008-09 season started Friday night when the Tecumseh Savages visit the Cougar Activity Center.
Although new head coach Ron Anderson has had a good chunk of his players in the gym for a good two months, those athletes he has shared with the Cougar football team have just been able to attend practices for a couple of weeks.
In fact, Anderson has only had a full lineup in two preseason scrimmages, including this past Monday’s strong outing against Lindsay.
Considering the Cougars are in a new system with a new coach and just one full-time starter returning (after losing four talented players to graduation), Anderson said it would take some time for his team to start performing at a high level.
“We’re still under construction. We’re going to be a team, probably throughout the year, that’s going to be continually learning and growing. It could be several games into the season before we start figuring things out,” Anderson said. “And while we have a good foundation, we may not begin building our building until well after Christmas. You kind of hope that anyway with any team you have. You don’t want to peak early. We want to be ready in February. That’s when we want to be playing our best.”
Ada’s solid foundation will clearly be anchored by senior post player Colton Richardson, who averaged 13.7 points and 8.2 rebounds per game when surrounding by a cast of Cougars that won 20 games last season. Richardson — who has verbally committed to Oklahoma State University to play football — will be counted on to carry the offensive load this year, and much more.
“Not only will he be our leading scorer ... he’ll probably be our leading rebounder. He’s also a very good passer. The word’s already out. Everyone knows who he is from last year and they’re going to double down on him. What he’s got to do is to have some patience and get the ball to someone who is open. And he can do that. I think he enjoys making good passes as much as he does scoring. I’ve already told him he may be a little too unselfish in some instances,” Anderson said
Richardson’s arrival after his standout football season has already made an impact on the Cougars and has impressed his new coach.
“When he’s in the gym and on the floor, the other kids play so much better. They feel more confident about our ability to be successful. He’s that kind of leader,” Anderson said. “He brings out the best in everybody else. He makes all of our other guys play better. We become a better team all around when he’s there. But we have to be careful. We don’t want to just sit back and watch him.”
Richardson and company had their best scrimmage of the preseason Monday against Lindsay.
“It was good to have a strong showing heading into Friday. I felt really good after that,” Anderson said.
Another player expected to start for the Cougars who joined the team late from football is fellow post player and senior Alex Long. He was a late addition to the Ada gridiron strong but manned his tight end position well for coach Matt Weber’s bunch.
“Alex Long has come in out of football and showed his leadership and strength. It made him stronger and I think he’s quicker and faster,” Anderson said.
Another key player for Ada will be senior guard Caleb Caudle. Both he and Long were able to get some varsity experience a year ago.
“Caleb Caudle is going to have to clearly be that leader on the floor and that coach on the floor and exhibit a lot of discipline for the team,” Anderson said. Caudle and senior Jerrel Booker are likely to split time at point guard, at least in the early going.
“I really put a lot of pressure on my point guards ... because they’re the ones running the team,” he said.
Anderson has also been pleased with junior Kyle Burris during the preseason.
“Kyle Burris has really been playing well lately and knocking shots down and we’re going to need him to do that for us. He might be our purest shooter right now,” Anderson said.
The sophomore combination of Nick Anderson and Brendan Barr should also figure in the mix, along with junior Caleb Roberson.
But Anderson said he could see 10 to 12 Ada players getting varsity playing time before Christmas.
“I could go on and on talking about different players. I think I have 10 to 12 players I can put in at any time and not really drop off. And early on, you may see me play that many players,” Anderson said. “I really like this team from top to bottom. They really do want to learn, and they want to do what you ask them to do.”
Anderson just handout out uniforms this week and he said even after Friday night, other players may earn a shot at a uniform. The competition for playing time is that wide open.
“Half of our team is young and the rest of the team other than one (Richardson) doesn’t have considerable varsity experience. And that’s just something you don’t coach. We’re going to evaluate it week by week,” he said.
The Cougars will face their normal, rugged schedule but Anderson said his troops won’t back down from anyone.
“We’re going to approach every game to win. I don’t think there’s anybody on our schedule we can’t beat,” he said. “I think we’re in a league where we can compete and win some game. Our goal is to be playing our very, very best in February.”
While the Cougar camp is anxious to get the 2008-09 season starter, Anderson won’t be around for the beginning. While coaching the Chickasha girls last year during a regional consolation contest, Anderson was hit with two technical fouls in the final 1:37 of the contest — the final with :03 showing — resulting in an ejection. The Lady Chicks lost that game (by three points) and ended their season. Under Oklahoma Secondary Activities Association rules, if a coach is ejected (given two technical fouls), he is suspended for one game. Since Chickasha didn’t play again, the OSSAA is enforcing Anderson’s suspension Friday night.
“As a member of the OSSAA, I’m obligated to fulfill this suspension. We’ll get through this game and move on. I obviously have the utmost confidence in coach (Eddie) Jacobs and coach (Kyle) Caufield handling things in my absence,” he said.
Anderson will still get ot make his debut at home, next Tuesday vs. Madill. That game was originally scheduled to be on the road, but the Wildcats requested to come to the Cougar Activity Center and Ada officials obliged.

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