The Whiteland boys basketball team enjoyed a breakthrough in head coach Matt Wadsworth’s fourth year, winning the Johnson County championship and going 17-6 for the program’s first winning season since 2008-09.
Building on that success could be tricky with seven seniors — including top scorers Tom Purdie and Terr’e Moss — having moved on, but Wadsworth seems undeterred. He’d like the Warriors to get used to winning, and with the addition of some junior varsity players already accustomed to it, the coach is optimistic.
“We’ve got some JV guys that have won a lot of games over the last two years,” Wadsworth said, “so we’re pretty excited about what we’ve got.”
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Click here to purchase photos from this galleryThe cupboard isn’t totally bare in terms of returning talent, either.
Steering the ship will be 6-foot-6 senior Michael Valle’, who leads all returning Warriors in points, rebounds, assists, steals and blocked shots. His presence gives Whiteland a strong foundation from which to build.
“His vocal leadership is very important for us,” Wadsworth said. “In practice, he’s being more vocal on the floor than he’s ever been, and having had three years of varsity experience, that’s important, because I feel like he can become a coach on the floor for us.”
Brennan Neal averaged 7.1 points per game as a freshman, and he’s likely to play a bigger role in his second season, as are senior Aaron Gross and junior Riley Higdon, both of whom were backup guards a year ago.
Wadsworth also has big plans for newcomers Chase Bennett, Carter Crowe, Cole Ferguson and Noah Hale, all of whom have excelled at the JV level.
With those eight forming the nucleus, Whiteland will continue to try playing primarily an up-tempo game offensively. The team averaged 63.8 points last season and exploded for 94 in a win over Shelbyville, the Warriors’ highest output in a regulation game since November of 2000.
The team’s ability to score in different ways should pay dividends.
“Depending on what defenses give us on the offensive end,” Wadsworth said, “we’ve got the ability to change our style of play, whether it’s to pound the ball inside more or attacking with the drive.”
Where Wadsworth would like to see bigger strides made, though, is on defense. Whiteland allowed 58.7 points per night a year ago, and the coach would like to see that number drop to about 53.
If that happens, then the Warriors should be able to overcome many of the problems that youth can create and keep themselves north of the .500 mark.
“Right now, our greatest weakness is our inexperience,” Wadsworth said, “but at the same time, I’m confident in these guys’ work ethic and the time they’ve put in in the offseason to improve.”
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Date;Opponent;Time
Nov. 22;at Mt. Vernon (Fortville);7:30 p.m.
Nov. 29;at Perry Meridian;7:30 p.m.
Dec. 2;Plainfield;7:30 p.m.
Dec. 9;at Roncalli;7:30 p.m.
Dec. 10;Seymour;7:30 p.m.
Dec. 16;Center Grove;7:30 p.m.
Dec. 28;at Scottsburg;7:30 p.m.
Dec. 30;Bloomington North;7:30 p.m.
Jan. 6;at Greenwood;7:30 p.m.
Jan. 10-14;Johnson County tournament at Whiteland;TBA
Jan. 20;Franklin;7:30 p.m.
Jan. 27;at Mooresville;7:30 p.m.
Jan. 28;Columbus North;7:30 p.m.
Feb. 2;at Indian Creek;7:30 p.m.
Feb. 4;Bedford North Lawrence;2:30 p.m.
Feb. 10;Decatur Central;7:30 p.m.
Feb. 11;at Shelbyville;7:30 p.m.
Feb. 17;at Martinsville;7:30 p.m.
Feb. 18;New Palestine;7:30 p.m.
Feb. 24;at Beech Grove;7:30 p.m.
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Coach: Matt Wadsworth
Last year: 17-6 overall, 4-2 Mid-State Conference; won Johnson County championship; lost to Center Grove in first round of Martinsville Sectional
Who’s back: Aaron Gross, Sr. G/F (2.8 ppg, 2.2 rpg); Riley Higdon, Jr. G (0.5 ppg); Brennan Neal, So. G (7.1 ppg, 60% FG); Mike Valle, Sr. F (11.5 ppg, 4.5 rpg, 2.2 apg, 25 steals, 23 blocks)
Who’s gone: Tom Purdie, Terr’e Moss, Will Higdon, Aaron Eblen, Garrett Herald, Austin Neal, Ben Robison
New kids on the block: Chase Bennett, Jr.; Carter Crowe, So.; Cole Ferguson, Jr.; Noah Hale, So.
Outlook: Replacing seven seniors, including the top two scorers, will be a tall order, but Wadsworth is confident in the reinforcements coming up from a very successful junior varsity squad. Four-year starter Valle figures to be the focal point, and Neal made big contributions last winter as a freshman. The Warriors could go through some growing pains early, but they’re still hopeful that they can defend their county title and contend for league and sectional crowns as well.
Wadsworth says: "I like our team chemistry a lot. I feel like they do a really good job of playing off of each other’s strengths and weaknesses. They do a great job of driving and kicking the basketball, and they do a good job of cutting and filling spots.
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