2011-12 Basketball Preview: El Dorado Wildcats
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Boys
Coach
Gary Melcher
133-156 in 14 seasons
Probable starters
F Alex Brown 6-3 Sr.
F Trevor Crain 6-1 Jr.
G Travis House 6-1 So.
G Michael Riedl 5-11 Jr.
Top Reserves
G Sam Haines 5-11 Jr.
G Aaron Riffel 5-11 Jr.
G Jared Erpelding 5-11 Sr.
F Jared Haury 6-4 So.
F Collin Just 6-3 Jr.
F Kevin Wilson 6-2 Jr.
BREAKDOWN
El Dorado (4-17 last season) will find out if depth translates into success. Melcher thinks early on that he could go 10 players deep in a rotation.
That should help competition in practice, as well as hide the fact that the Wildcats might not have a go-to scorer.
“I really don’t think we can count on one guy to be a dominating scorer,” Melcher said. “I think we could have up to five guys who could lead our team any night.”
Riedl is a returning captain with a floor-burn mentality, while Brown has good size and good scoring touch inside.
Girls
Coach
Kevin Wishart
13-47 in three seasons
Probable starters
G Andrea Valadez 5-7 Jr.
G Hannah Helferich 5-5 Jr.
F Whitney Luck 5-8 Jr.
F Kristen Walker 5-6 Jr.
Top Reserves
F Erin Hildreth 5-6 So.
G Morgan Limon 5-5 Jr.
F Sydney Saltsman 5-6 Jr.
BREAKDOWN
Some of the numbers aren’t promising — no returning starters, no returning seniors from a four-win team. Lots of inexperience, positions to be won.But Wishart keeps his optimism because of the number of players (27) who showed up for the opening day of practice. Valadez and Helferich, two guards who saw significant varsity minutes handling the ball, will be the players the Wildcats build around.
El Dorado will be undersized, though, against AV-CTL Division III rivals. The Wildcats will rely on Luck, who has good technique inside but will be shorter than most opposing post players.
— Kirk Seminoff
The Schedule
December
5—at Chapman (G); vs. Baldwin at Chapman (B); 9—vs. Rossville at Chapman (G); at Chapman (B); 10—at Abilene; 13—at Buhler; 16—Mulvane.
January
3—Augusta; 6—Rose Hill; 10—at Winfield; 13—at Andale; 17—Wellington (G); 19-21—El Dorado tournament (B); 24—Wellington (B); 26-28—El Dorado tournament (G); 31—at Collegiate.
February
3—Maize South; 10—Buhler; 14—at Mulvane; 17—at Rose Hill; 21—at Augusta; 23—Winfield.