Team Preview: Bethany (4A)
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Bethany posted a successful post-season that placed the Bronchos in the State Tournament for the first time in 11 years (not to mention a win against top-ranked Kingfisher). A mix of returners and newcomers, coach Quinn Wooldridge said, will lead…
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Continue ReadingBethany posted a successful post-season that placed the Bronchos in the State Tournament for the first time in 11 years (not to mention a win against top-ranked Kingfisher).
A mix of returners and newcomers, coach Quinn Wooldridge said, will lead the way for Bethany during the 2020-2021 season.
Production starts with the interior tandem of 6-foot-8-inch Michal Wooldridge Michal Wooldridge 6'8" | C Bethany | 2022 State OK and 6-foot-7-inch Payton Tolle. Coach Wooldridge said that the Bronchos will affect a new scheme with more allowance for post-centric play.
“The previous two years, with all the perimeter depth we had, those two guys kind of tag-teamed each other,” Wooldridge said. “This year. . . that’s two of our three best players, so those guys have to play together.
“At the 4A level, I don’t know that anybody will have two of them that size, especially two of them that can actually play” Wooldridge said.
Michal Wooldridge Michal Wooldridge 6'8" | C Bethany | 2022 State OK will play the five-spot for the Bronchos, coach Wooldridge said.
“Mike, the best description for the way he’ll play with us is kind of like a sawed-off Gasol brother,” Wooldridge said. “He’ll play a lot at the elbow, we’ll post him a lot.”
Tolle, a Wichita-State baseball signee, also received high praise from coach Wooldridge.
“[Tolle] is a big, strong kid that’s a pretty good rebounder and defender,” Wooldridge said, “and he’s pretty mobile and athletic for his size, too.”
The Bronchos also return the talents of Luke O’Neal Luke O’Neal 6'2" | SF Bethany | 2021 State OK , a utility player who can fill many roles, Wooldridge said.
“[O’Neal], he’s really worked on his body, gotten a lot stronger,” Wooldridge said, “he was a four, basically, last year, and this year, due to losing some perimeter guys, he’s going to be a full-time perimeter guy and will run the point for us some too.
“He can guard the one-through-five at the 4A level defensively,” Wooldridge said.
Fellow senior David Castillo David Castillo 6'1" | SG Bethany | 2021 State OK , who plays with O’Neal for H&H Elite, is out for the Bronchos with a torn ACL that he suffered in a scrimmage, and his timeline is unclear at this point, Wooldridge said.
After those four, Wooldridge will be fielding players with little-or-no minutes.
“We were so deep as a 4A team these last two years. . . what that did was keep some of our underclassman guys from getting any varsity experience,” Wooldridge said. “They’re going to be playing in the 8 o’clock game instead of the 5:30 game now.”
Junior forward Cameron Wright, who stands about 6-foot-3-inches, will be one of those players.
“[Cameron] is pretty athletic and can block shots and rebound and kind of a developing 3-point shooter,” Wooldridge said. “He’s gonna get a chance to get some opportunities out there.”
Six-foot-2-inch perimeter player Woods Harrell could also have expanded minutes, Wooldridge said. A senior, Daniel Ramos, will also be expected to step up for the Bronchos as a forward.
“[Ramos] has got a great scoring touch and just knack for scoring around the basket even against bigger guys,” Wooldridge said.
Wooldridge said the aforementioned lack of experience will be one of the greatest obstacles facing Bethany.
“We’re still in the position to have a really good team and make a great run at things, we’re just built so much differently than we’ve been the last couple of years,” Wooldridge said, “We’ve still got a good group of guys that are back, that are experienced, we’re just having to find some other guys that can step in and fill roles that were vacated.”