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By TRACY WATSON
MIDDLEBOURNE --First-year Tyler Consolidated boys' basketball coach Steven Nutter takes over a program that advanced to the West Virginia Class A state tournament last year and has three returning starters back to take another whack at it.
Unfortunately for Nutter it is also a program that graduated nine seniors, a lot of which were role players, and has a remaining roster going into this campaign with 14 players that have zero varsity experience.
"I am very excited about this opportunity and expectations are high after last year's success," Nutter said. "We haven't been in the gym long, but we appear to be athletic and you need that when you want to turn defense into offense.
"And while we don't have the same kind of experience this year, we want to exceed those expectations and make another run to Charleston."
For that run to happen the Silver Knights will have to rely on seniors Griffin Phillips (6-foot-1, guard) and Tyler West (6-3, post), along with junior football standout Mark Rucker (6-1, forward). Those three all return and will be counted on for both production and leadership.
"Those three returning kids have all been working so hard and providing amazing leadership in the gym," Nutter said. "They have been helping the younger kids move forward. We have to come together as a team and be one.
"It may be a little difficult early on with the younger kids, but once everything starts clicking I think we will be all right."
The balance of the starting lineup will come from a group of five consisting of senior Nick Gorby (5-7, guard), juniors Gage Huffman (5-10, guard), Zach Placer (5-10, guard) and Landen Kisner (6-3, post) along with sophomore Justin Bowman (6-1, forward).
Filling out the remainder of the roster will be senior Jason Hudnall (5-10, guard), juniors Noah Swiger (5-10, guard), Garrett Littell (6-5, post), Jacob Frum (5-10, guard) and Gavin Morris (5-10, guard) and sophomores Jackson Kibbey (5-10, guard), David Throckmorton (5-10, guard), Isaac Rush (6-5, post) and James Cline (5-10, guard).
"We have spent a lot of time working on drills in practice, trying to build confidence," Nutter said. "The younger kids need daily work on fundamental things, but it is going to be a huge help in the long run.
"Full-court matchups with the opportunity for a lot of transitional basketball is our goal on the court."
Trey Meeks will be Nutter's top assistant coach.