Red Bud returns some key pieces from last year’s squad that finished 14-15 overall and second in the always tough Cahokia Conference Mississippi Division.
Leading the Musketeers this season is senior guard Adam Kunkel (5’10).
“Adam is an all-conference player, a three-year returning starter and our leading scorer at 15 points per game last season,” said Red Bud coach Dave Gillingham. “He should surpass the 1,000 point mark this year, if he stays healthy. He has superb quickness and explosiveness which allows him to get to the basket but he is also a perimeter threat.”
However, the Musketeers will have to battle through the season without one of their top performers as senior Jake Hoffman (6’2) will most likely miss the entire year due to a knee injury suffered during the football season.
“Jake is an all-conference player who led us in rebounding, assists and was second in scoring last year,” said Gillingham. “Jake had a nice summer and we really expected him to have a big season, he had an improved work ethic and a solid understanding of what we needed him to do. This is a tough loss for us and I really feel for that young man, as I know he loves basketball. As he begins his rehab and recovery, we’ll persevere together. I hope he’ll continue to play a role for this season as a leader for our team.”
Other key contributors Gilligham will be counting on include seniors Kollin Liefer (5’10), Tyler Magruder (5’9) and Andrew Schlueter (6’0).
“Kollin developed into a solid ball handler and passer, who I have confidence in managing court situations,” added Gillingham. “He is a smart kid who really enjoys the game, probably the most unselfish player on the team and a good on-ball defender. Tyler has great quickness and acceleration which allows him to really pressure the ball and push it in transition on offense. When he has his feet set and in rhythm, he is a deadly three-point shooter. Andrew Schlueter is a great teammate who brings good effort every day and will give us some depth and muscle inside as he has really gotten stronger through the football weightlifting program.”
The Musketeers also have a number of juniors that will see plenty of varsity minutes including Jacob Kueker (6’4), Alex Phegley (6’1), Garrett Salger (5’11), Jordan Schneider (5’11), Travis Schwartz (5’11) and Ben Hugele (6’1).
“Jacob Kueker logged a lot of minutes last year and basically scratched the surface of his potential,” said Gillingham. “He runs the floor well and is a nice mid-range and 3-point shooter with good ball-handling skills for his size. Alex Phegley is a hard-working, intense, physical competitor who got some quality minutes for us last year. He must rebound and defend the post which he does well despite being undersized, will lead us in hustle points. Garrett Salger has great athleticism which allows him to make plays. He has great basketball IQ and court savvy and can play several positions.
Jordan Schneider can be an impact player on both ends of the court when he is locked in. He can really get to the rim and finish as well as anybody on our team. Travis Schwartz was one of our most dedicated players in the off-season. As he gains strength and confidence, he can attack more and be a valuable contributor. Ben Hugele is a nice raw athlete with some strength and quickness. He will provide us some depth once he gets comfortable with our philosophy. We also have some sophomores who we are excited about, a few who could see varsity action this year including Kenny Wilson (6’1) and Greg Godier (5’10).
The battle in the Cahokia Conference Mississippi Division appears to be a tight one once again this year.
“Until someone knocks them off their perch, Breese Central is still the team to beat in the Cahokia Conference, although the gap probably isn’t as wide as it was last year,” added Gillingham. “Columbia and Wesclin will be quality teams and have a lot of kids returning including good post players. It appears the rest of us may be a notch below these three but this league always has its share of battles and surprises. With our lack of size, rebounding is always a concern. This is where I think we’ll miss Jake the most, as he is strong and has great hands to secure the ball.
Offensively, as usual we will look to push the ball at every opportunity and spread the floor in the half court to create possible advantages on the perimeter. Defensively we will still play some zone but with this bunch we should be able to play some man-to-man and I’m excited about that. I think we have some quickness and depth if we can stay healthy and we might use that to really pressure and deny at times.”
The Musketeers open up play this season at the Trico Pioneer Invitational Tournament November 29 through December 4.
Red Bud Musketeers Schedule
11/29-12/4 A Trico Invitational
12/10 H Breese Central
12/17 H Wesclin
12/21 A Columbia
12/27-28 A Pinckneyville Tournament
1/4 H Freeburg
1/7 A Carlyle
1/8 A Sparta
1/11 A Steeleville
1/14 A Breese Central
1/15 H Valmeyer
1/18-22 A Sparta Tournament
1/25 H Metro-East Lutheran
1/28 A Wesclin
2/1 H Columbia
2/4 A Freeburg
2/11 A Okawville
2/15 H New Athens
2/18 H Carlyle
