Drury Panthers

[crazznewt]

Drury Athletics hosted a "Meet and greet" for the basketball teams Wednesday night to a packed banquet hall in a show of support from the boosters, fans, and corporate sponsors. In addition, the Lady Panthers have had over 700 kids in their camps this month with golf tournaments, auctions, and Panther camps coming up.

[panthersclawz1]

Based on what I've heard in the early going, you can only pencil in three guys in the starting lineup barring some injury before the season starts, those three being Trey Lewis, Preston Cook and Adam Moore. Ideally they'd like to play Cook at shooting guard. The hope is to bring Shelton off the bench as the sixth man for scoring punch against second units, but O'Connell's grasp of the system will determine if that happens. They'd like to start O'Connell but that's tbd. They are still looking for a center to fill the final open roster spot, but it may be too late.

[crazznewt]

Cook will start and play a lot. He's a legit Power 5 athlete.

I'll be surprised if O'Connell starts - he has some things to figure out (namely rebounding and defense). It all depends on what his expectations are and how much he wants to work. Coach Foster is going to have a lot of options this year. Adam Moore is a much better player than O'Connell is right now.

My projected starters, June edition:

G Trey Young
G Logan Applegate
G Quenton Shelton
G Preston Cook (listed as a guard, but could easily play the 4)
F Adam Moore

Second 5

G Elijah Whitley
G Ryce Piper
G Andrew Dalton (another one who is listed as a guard, but could play a forward spot)
F Riley Naegar
F Brady O'Connell

I'm looking for them to press more this year - they have the athleticism and the depth.

O'Connell definitely has to mature in a couple of areas. Hopefully, having the chance to contribute from the start will be a big enough motivator for him. He has shown he has the resolve not to back down despite things not going his way. At the last game he had about three bad plays in a row, including getting his shot blocked and forcing plays out of frustration. The next play looked like he was still forcing the issue as he drove the crowded lane for an impressive dunk that fired his teamates up. I hope that determination combined with his athleticism will drive him to shore up the weakness in his game.

Adam Moore is a good player and I don't see a weakness in his game. He shoots a high percentage and with range, plus He has shown great leadership qualities so far. He needs to let the beard grow back as that was a good look!

[DUPanther]

My thoughts on Sunday night's games at the pro-am which resulted in 4 wins for both Drury programs:
*Kudos to the the men's Coaching staff for what looks like a perfect mix of experience and youth on the roster. All the transfers will start IMO.
*O'Connell and Cook have the athleticism that will contribute to a rebound in attendance numbers. Each had highlight reel dunks last night, including a couple in a crowded lane. Again, they also are very good players.

Cook will start and play a lot. He's a legit Power 5 athlete.

I'll be surprised if O'Connell starts - he has some things to figure out (namely rebounding and defense). It all depends on what his expectations are and how much he wants to work. Coach Foster is going to have a lot of options this year. Adam Moore is a much better player than O'Connell is right now.

My projected starters, June edition:

G Trey Young
G Logan Applegate
G Quenton Shelton
G Preston Cook (listed as a guard, but could easily play the 4)
F Adam Moore

Second 5

G Elijah Whitley
G Ryce Piper
G Andrew Dalton (another one who is listed as a guard, but could play a forward spot)
F Riley Naegar
F Brady O'Connell

I'm looking for them to press more this year - they have the athleticism and the depth.

[crazznewt]

My thoughts on Sunday night's games at the pro-am which resulted in 4 wins for both Drury programs:
*Kudos to the the men's Coaching staff for what looks like a perfect mix of experience and youth on the roster. All the transfers will start IMO.
*O'Connell and Cook have the athleticism that will contribute to a rebound in attendance numbers. Each had highlight reel dunks last night, including a couple in a crowded lane. Again, they also are very good players.

The women played much better than they did last week as everyone contributed:
*The highlight of the whole evening was the dominating play of Aiden Moxness. She used her strength and her 6'4" frame to put the defense wherever she wanted them. She hit a pretty 15' shot, and ran the floor, often beating the defense for open layups. Hopefully, she stays off the injury list because she could be a major weapon for Amy and staff this coming season.
*I've got to mention the play of Kaylee DaMitz. If she gets her hands on the ball, it is hers. She doesn't back down from anyone, from taking the big shot, from the moment. I watched a lot of basketball this past season and truly believe that this girl should have been a first team all league and an all American selection. With Robinson gone, She and Moore will get the recognition they deserve.
Back for more on Tuesday.

[crazznewt]

Former Panther Clay Gayman has committed to play basketball for Grandview University. From having highlight reel performances for a very good D1 Abilene Christian team ("Big Play Clay"), to erroneously assuming D2 was going to be a cakewalk, now to the NAIA level for what looks like a Viking team loaded with high level transfers.

[crazznewt]

Wow. The Panthers new players are as good as advertised as they all are skilled, athletic, competitors. It's obvious the team first mentality will be VASTLY improved.
*Transfer Adam Moore is a highly skilled forward who has great leadership qualities.
*Transfer Brady O'Connell is a very quick left handed forward who finishes drives very impressively.
*Preston Cook will be one of the best athletes in the GLVC. He is not just about the vertical, this guy is quick and skilled.
*This is a loaded freshman class, I hope they all stay 4 years.

The split squad Lady Panthers (without the freshmen and Findley) lost to Pittsburgh State, who were understandably excited to beat Drury. Damitz was the only Lady Panther that was consistent on offense. Looked like the girls did some strength training earlier in the day because the perimeter shooting was poor. I still believe they need another impact player.

[crazznewt]

A couple thoughts on the Lady Panthers who opened play in the pro-am Sunday evening:
*Drury seems to draw more fans to these games than a lot of other teams do to their home games during basketball season.
*Findley is out for this league (minor surgery) and Henderson was not in attendance.
*DaMitz, Moore and Clevenger were solid as usual in both Panther wins.
*Anna Hitt looks quicker than she was last season. She is an elite athlete who is entertaining to watch. The sky is the limit for her as she gets more reps.
*Haylee Mitchell snagged a couple rebounds that looked close to the rim from our angle. She is the only inside player besides Findley who can finish a shot at this time. If her skill level can catch up with her athleticism, she will be elite IMO.
*The newcomers didn't stand out last night. They will get another opportunity Tuesday night as the men and women both have games. This is a great venue for a summer league!

[crazznewt]

Conference rival Lewis Women's Basketball Coach Matt Nelson has resigned his position and is "Stepping away from basketball" to spend more time with his family.

[crazznewt]

New account due to old password never being allowed to be reset.

Kate Gilbert is transferring out of DU. She was on big money for the Lady Panthers. Coach Eagan and crew may land one more impact player before fall to play alongside the core of Findley, DaMitz, Moore and new UAB transfer Caitlyn Daniels. Expect more minutes from Anna Hitt, Clevenger, and Hayley Mitchell this coming season too.

Another returning starter who could be a key contributor is Mia Henderson. As freshmen, Mia played more minutes than Alana Findley. Illness and injury has greatly limited her minutes since. Drury missed her defensive presence and strength on the boards in the five point loss to Grand Valley State.
Allie Clevenger, after playing in 37 games last season, has probably played in more games than any other junior to be in D2 basketball. She has a lot of big game experience already in her career having gone deep in the postseason twice, including the national championship game her freshman season. She was a big scorer in high school and has shown she has the potential to be a double digit scorer this upcoming season.

Look for Molly Miller's Grand Canyon team to have their best season ever as she
has used the transfer portal to greatly bolster her roster. They have won 40 games the last two seasons, finishing second in their conference

Rival Truman State has added 2 transfers: a pass first point guard who puts up big assist numbers, and a big rebounding forward who can shoot the three. They will team with Weltha and Belanger making the Bulldogs look remarkably similar to their team from two season ago.

The college pro-am starts Sunday in Strafford. Good, something to look forward to besides Branson and racing for me!

[crazznewt]

The Panthers could boast the biggest lineup in the GLVC next season with 6'4 Preston Cook at SG, 6'7 Brady McConnell at SF, 6'6 Quincy transfer Adam Moore at PF and a 6'10 stretch five they are still after at C. But it's the smallest player in the lineup who may provide the most highlights. 5'10 freshman guard Trey Lewis is said to be referred to by the staff as the "D2 Steph Curry" with the ability to shoot comfortably from 35-40 feet outside the arc.

Looks like Preston Cook started as a walk on at Auburn, then played his way into a scholarship. Doesn't look like he played much, but highlights show he has a good skill set and elbows on the rim leaping ability.


Trey Lewis has a change of pace dribble that is hard to guard. Also appears to be strong despite his size.
https://youtu.be/IPz9HBKplzk

[panthersclawz1]

The Panthers could boast the biggest lineup in the GLVC next season with 6'4 Preston Cook at SG, 6'7 Brady McConnell at SF, 6'6 Quincy transfer Adam Moore at PF and a 6'10 stretch five they are still after at C. But it's the smallest player in the lineup who may provide the most highlights. 5'10 freshman guard Trey Lewis is said to be referred to by the staff as the "D2 Steph Curry" with the ability to shoot comfortably from 35-40 feet outside the arc.

[crazznewt]

In addition to the 6 freshmen, 2 of which were ranked in the top 10 players in Iowa, DU has signed a 6’7” transfer from Old Dominion and a 6’4” transfer guard from Auburn.

The 6'7" transfer from Old Dominion is Brady McConnell, whose Dad and a brother played for Duke and another brother plays at Georgia Southern. He was seldom used at OD but appears to have a TON of upside https://youtu.be/c_6f0Zne5AA coming into Drury as a sophomore. I'm wondering if any more players are set to commit?

I have to mention something the Lady Panthers were prolific at late in the season that was so much fun to watch: Fast breaks. Once the ball was secured, either by steal, turnover, rebound, breaking the opponent's press or whatever, the reaction time of players transitioning to the break was split second. This caught some good defensive teams off guard. It looks like Amy will have the players to do this again.

Praying covid and injury are non factors for 2022-2023. ! Time is indeed flying by!

[DUPanther]

Drury fans should be encouraged about next season's basketball rosters. Men's Coach Foster and staff have assembled one of the most impressive freshman classes in Panther history (IMO) that's loaded with athletic All State players who are big time scorers. The six collectively averaged 22.6 points and 6.8 rebounds. News from Drury says more signees are on the way. This approach reminds me of Drury's new AD and inaugural women's coach Nyla Milleson who built the Lady Panther program from scratch, winning 20 games in the program's first season with mostly freshman players.

In addition to the 6 freshmen, 2 of which were ranked in the top 10 players in Iowa, DU has signed a 6’7” transfer from Old Dominion and a 6’4” transfer guard from Auburn.

[crazznewt]

QUOTE=panthersclawz1;n670264]New account due to old password never being allowed to be reset.
Kate Gilbert is transferring out of DU. She was on big money for the Lady Panthers. Coach Eagan and crew may land one more impact player before fall to play alongside the core of Findley, DaMitz, Moore and new UAB transfer Caitlyn Daniels. Expect more minutes from Anna Hitt, Clevenger, and Hayley Mitchell this coming season too.[/QUOTE]

After another season of very high expectations marred by uncontrollable circumstances, the Lady Panthers apparently will be loaded again:

*All league Returners DaMitz, Moore, and Findley absolutely dominated the GLVC Tournament, going head to head with other all league players.

*Anna Hitt could be one of the best defenders in the league next season. She certainly had some highlights on both sides of the ball using her combination of length and athletic ability.

*Hailey Mitchell is the most intriguing to me. Before she got hurt early, I thought she would be a big contributor. All the Lady Panthers have a little more bounce in their step than most, this kid especially does.

The Strafford Pro-Am starts June 5th. Hopefully, we will see players not yet announced by then.