KIDWELL -- Tyler Consolidated Head Coach Steven Nutter has some holes to fill on his 2021 boys' basketball team. He lost six seniors, including three that helped make up more 65 percent of the Silver Knights' scoring last season.
Mark Rucker, now playing football at West Virginia University, Gage Huffman and Zach Placer all graduated. Now Nutter turns to a pair of returning starters and six other players he hopes will fill some of the open holes.
Senior Justin Bowman, a 6-2 forward and three-year starter, will lead the way. Junior Caleb Strode, a 6-1 forward and two-year starter, will be one of the other cornerstones of this year's squad.
Other players left to battle for the remaining three starting spots -- any of whom may fill them on any given night -- include seniors Trey Landis (6-1, forward), David Throckmorton (5-9, guard), James Cline (5-11, guard) and Jackson Kibby (5-10, guard) along with junior Haygen Baker (5-4, guard) and sophomores Brody Seckman (5-9, guard), Connor Bailey (5-6, guard) and Carson Gorby (5-8, guard).
"We lost some pretty good kids from last year, but on the other hand we only went six deep last year and this year we will play as many as 10 kids a game," Nutter said. "There is a lot of youth and inexperience, but at the same time the attitudes and effort has been off the charts."
"Bowman and Strode have really stepped up and are going to be leaders and both are kids that have had big games in the past," he added.
"Bowman is really going to have to become the man and be ready to score for us. We were 6-18 last year, but we have some kids back that know how to play."
The remainder of the Tyler Consolidated roster will consist of seniors Jeff Todd (5-10, guard), Isaac Rush (6-2, pivot) and Riley Leek (6-4, center); junior Zach Morris (6-4, center) and sophomores Charles Brown (6-1, center), Garon Broughman (5-11, forward), Justin Barker (5-9, guard) and Mason Nichols (5-10, guard).
There is some height on the bench in Leek and Morris. However Leek returns after missing a couple of years due to an accident and is still not fully recovered. Nutter said Morris has never played organized basketball.
"Our goal is going to be to try and win our sectional," Nutter said.
"I believe we play one of the more difficult Class A schedules in the state, but again the goal is to get better as we go and be ready when the tournament rolls around."