Woodland Boys Basketball Preview

Conference: Stoddard County

Coach: Logan Nutt, 1st year

District: Class 3 District 2

Schedule:

Date Day of Week Opponent Location Time

December 1-5, 2014 Monday-Friday Woodland Invitational Tournament Woodland TBA

December 9, 2014 Tuesday Leopold Away 6 p.m.

December 12, 2014 Friday Chaffee Home 6 p.m.

December 16, 2014 Tuesday Bernie Home 6 p.m.

December 19, 2014 Friday Kelly Away 6 p.m.

December 26-30, 2014 Friday-Tuesday Southeast Missourian Christmas Tournament Show-Me Center TBA

January 2, 2015 Friday Oran Away 6 p.m.

January 6, 2015 Tuesday Richland (Essex) Away 6 p.m.

January 9, 2015 Friday Dexter Away 6 p.m.

January 13, 2015 Tuesday Jackson Home 6 p.m.

January 16, 2015 Friday Meadow Heights Home 6 p.m.

January 20, 2015 Tuesday Bell City Away 6 p.m.

January 23, 2015 Friday Bloomfield Home 6 p.m.

January 26-30, 2015 Monday-Friday SCAA Conference Tournament Bloomfield TBA

February 3, 2015 Tuesday Delta Away 6 p.m.

February 5, 2015 Thursday Clearwater Home 6 p.m.

February 10, 2015 Tuesday Advance Away 6 p.m.

February 13, 2015 Friday Zalma Away 6 p.m.

February 17, 2015 Tuesday Puxico Away 6 p.m.

Roster:

No. Player Year Height

3 Evan Grindstaff 12 5-11

10 Ben Grindstaff 12 5-10

12 Jake Long 11 6-2

14 Garret Reynolds 12 5-11

20 Cole Schlief 11 5-10

21 Bruester Young 10 6-1

22 Zach Myers 11 5-9

23 Caleb Stewart 11 5-9

24 Tyler Womack 10 5-8

30 Zach Beel 11 6-6

32 Devon Gramlisch 12 6-3

45 J.D. Jenkins 11 5-9

50 Landon Johnson 12 5-10

54 Michael McCormick 10 6-5

Returning starters: Garret Reynolds, Devon Gramlisch, Landon Johnson, Evan Grindstaff

Last year's record: 11-13

Postseason result: Lost to West County 75-70 in district quarterfinal

Last year's leaders:

Points: Garret Reynolds (21.4 ppg)

Rebounds: Devon Gramlisch (8.3 rpg)

Assists: Reynolds (2.7 apg)

Team outlook

There may be a new coach at Woodland for the sixth time in as many seasons, but the Cardinals' top players from an improved team a season ago return.

Logan Nutt, son of Southeast Missouri State men's basketball coach Dickey Nutt, is comfortable with his first head coaching position, and has learned a lot about his players throughout the summer and the first few weeks of practice that has him excited for the season.

"I know I'm a young guy in my first year, but they've been very respectful. That's the first thing [I've learned about them]," Nutt said. "They're good kids, and then after that they're quick learners. They're smart. I feel like we can get through drills quicker than normally. They catch onto offensive and defensive strategy quick, and they're also for the majority of the part, so far -- we've still got a little ways to go -- they're hard workers."

Senior guard Garret Reynolds returns after a junior season where he averaged 21.4 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 2.7 assists per game, and the all-SCAA and All-Missourian player will be a key to Woodland's success this season.

"Garret Reynolds is a great leader, and I say that because he's a good person," Nutt said, "and of course he's skilled and he gets a lot of points, but besides that he is the ultimate workhorse. He works hard all day long and he leads by example."

Nutt said seniors Evan Grindstaff, Landon Johnson and Devon Gramlisch will also play critical roles this season as well as a new addition in 6-foot-6 junior Zach Beel, who played at Leopold the last two years and averaged 14.3 points, nine rebounds and 2.5 blocks per game.

"We have Evan Grindstaff, who I believe has come a long ways as a shooter and as the true point guard. I like to call him the quarterback of our team. He just holds us all together," Nutt said. "Landon Johnson will be great for us. He'll be a great role player. He's the guy that does all the dirty work. He's taking charges, he's blocking out -- he does the little things very, very well. Our final senior, Devon Gramlisch. He brings that experience, he brings some offensive skill. I think he'll be good for us. ... [Beel] plays hard, he's a little rough and he's skilled enough that he can help us win games."

Nutt's principles for the offense are fairly simple: remain spread out on the floor, share the ball and shoot when you're open.

The Cardinals aren't settling on one defensive scheme this season, but will try to play up-tempo and Nutt said his team will "more than likely" press at least once in a game to see how their opponent handles it.

"We kind of practice on switching up defenses every now and then, and no matter what it is -- if it's man to man or zone, or a press -- we like to be aggressive," Nutt said. "We try to make it very uncomfortable on the offense. Our goal is to make the other team's offense miserable. We've got a long ways to go, but that's what we're working on."

Woodland will debut under its first-year coach at its own tournament the first week in December.

"Our ultimate goal every day is to give 100 percent effort and 100 percent attitude," Nutt said. "We want to be the best that we can be, forget everybody else,and wins and losses will all take care of itself."

District breakdown

Nutt already has taken a look at what's in store for his team when the Class 3 District 2 tournament rolls around, and knows that the addition of Charleston, which took the place of St. Pius X of Festus after it moved to district 3, doesn't make a shot at the title any easier.

"I know everybody will be keeping an eye on Charleston," Nutt said. "Obviously our goal is to win district. We want to win first, and we'll be prepared for every team. We know that we have to respect every team as well.

Looking back

Woodland showed some improvement in one season under coach Scot Davis, and now Nutt hopes he can continue to build on that. The Cardinals nearly pulled off an upset in the first round of the Class 3 District 2 tournament, but fell by five to eventual district runner-up West County, and reached the SCAA Conference Tournament championship for the first time since 1993.

"I know they got a taste of success last year. They got close in everything, and they had a few wins," Nutt said. "I got the luxury of coaching them during the summer a tad, and I got to know them a little bit. ... From the summer and to this point they've really impressed me with their ways to work hard and catch on really quick to all of our offensive and defensive rules, team rules, everything. They catch on really quick. And I feel like we could do a little work if we just put the effort in."