Team Preview:
Written by: Scott Burton
You live by the perimeter, you die by the perimeter. That will most likely be the theme for this year’s Jerome team.
Head coach Joe Messick, in his 9th season, will once again try to put together a competitive team without anything that resembles a post presence. This isn’t anything new for the Tigers and coaching staff has had to deal with this before.
The Tigers graduated their leading scorer, Jacob Lloyd, who averaged nearly 16 points per game and was 1st team all-conference. Jerome hopes that the four returning players with varsity experience, all guards, will step up and fill the scoring void. Senior Dallon Suitter and juniors Logan Geist, Alex Clegg, and Tyler Cook will be asked to lead a balanced scoring attack from the perimeter in hopes of stretching opposing defenses.
Not only must the Tigers play well from the perimeter, they will need to take advantage of other opportunities.
“We must shoot the ball well from the perimeter and we must attack the rim when we have the opportunities. Sharing the basketball, making the extra pass, and taking great shots will be key,” says Messick.
“Attitude + Effort” is the theme this year for the Jerome Tigers and they will need to live up to that creed as nearly every team they play will have a huge size advantage.
Messick says, “We need to really make sure we rebound the basketball. This is probably our biggest concern with our lack of size.”
Another concern for the Tigers this season will be their ability to handle pressure and take care of the basketball. Since Jerome will be a perimeter oriented team, turnovers on the perimeter often lead to easy baskets at the other end.
Therefore, ball security is paramount for this group of gun slingers as they try to shoot themselves to victory this season.
Jerome is one of those teams that can beat anyone if they shoot well but could also drop some games they shouldn’t if they don’t get their shots to fall.
Either way, you can expect Messick’s group to give maximum effort the entire season.
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