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Jerome High School
School Info
Conference: Great Basin (West) Conference
Classification: 4A
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Head Coach: Joe Messick
Years as Head Coach: 8th season
Previous Experience: 8 Years as the Head Coach at Gooding High School
Record Last Year: 13-11
State Titles: 1987
Assistant Coaches:
Jeff Miller, Sam Sharp, Gordon Drew
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Team Preview:
Written by: Sven Alskog
When you play in the same conference as the eventual state champions the challenge is clear. For the Jerome Tigers boys basketball team and their Head Coach Joe Messick, a 13-11 overall record was the result in 2013-2014, one of the better marks in the 4A Great Basin West Conference.
This time around an almost entirely new team will be relied upon looking to help the Tigers continue to be competitive in league play.
Senior guards Jacob Lloyd and Trevor Ostler are the only returning players from last season, meaning the pair will be the primary leaders of what is a relatively young team.
Both Lloyd and Ostler will have plenty of opportunities to handle the ball within an offense that likes to swing the ball around.
“Offensively we will run a variety of sets to our best scoring threats (Those players are still being determined),” said Messick.
“We must shoot the ball well from the perimeter and we must attack the rim when we have opportunities. Sharing the basketball, making the extra pass and taking great shots will be key,” he added.
Jerome will be outsized during the majority of their games this season, something which they will need to find a counter for.
“We have to handle pressure and take care of the basketball. We must create second and third opportunities with hustle plays and rebounding. We must be able to score out of transition. Our lack of size is definitely a concern,” said Messick.
Grabbing rebounds is going to be a primary area of focus for the Tigers.
“We need to really make sure we rebound the basketball,” said Messick. “This is probably our biggest concern with our lack of size.”
“We must be fundamentally sound every time the ball goes up. We have to make sure that we keep opponents in front of us. We can’t allow penetration,” he added.
Jerome will show multiple different looks defensively in an attempt to make things difficult for the opposition. With limited size, keeping the offensive player in front will be another area that Messick and his coaching staff focus on this season.
Aside from Twin Falls at the top, the 4A Great Basin West Conference race should be wide open this season.
“All conference games are going to be a battle; a lot of parity throughout the conference this year,” stated Messick.
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