Arcola boys have eight players back from 27-7 Sweet 16 season
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By Mike Monahan
ARCOLA – Last season was a special one for the Arcola boys basketball team as they reached the Sweet 16 for just the third time in program history. The Purple Riders finished 27-7 with the 27 wins tying for the most wins in a season with the 1957-58 team.
A total of eight players are back from last season and Arcola lost just seven players and one was Jackson Miller, a first team all-Lincoln Prairie Conference player, who finished with over 1,000 points for his career. Gerardo Alanis, a three-year starter at point guard and a second team all-LPC player also graduated. Alanis led the team in steals and assists at 1.9 and 5.4 per game. Miller was second on the team in scoring last year at 14.1 points per game for the LPC undefeated regular season champions. Other 2024 grads are Oden Barron, Tyson Lewis, Wayne Humprey, Ryan Lindstrom, and Adrian Vasquez.
“We don’t want to talk about last year too much,” said Arcola coach Greg Gisinger. “We know that our guys put their own mark on Arcola’s basketball history and for the season. We lost some key guys from last year; guys that I have the utmost respect for. I love them like sons, but we also have some key guys back.”
Returning letter winners include first team all-LPC player Braden Phillips, a 6-4, 185 pound senior who averaged a team-high 14.3 points and eight rebounds per game and led in blocks at 0.7. Others returning are Remi Roberts-McGeehon (who is out with a broken collarbone), Tanner Thomas, DJ Stevens, Alan Guevara, Brevyn Whisman, Canton Wesch and Brody Phillips.
“We have three guys that started almost every game last year (Braden Phillips, Thomas and Brody Phillips),” said Gisinger. “Braden will be a three-year starter for us this year. Thomas missed his sophomore season due to injury, but this will be his third year starting and Brody started almost every game last year. Obviously we need some guys to step up and see how they do when it is crunch time.”
Losing Alanis is huge.
“He was a great leader for us, a great defender and basketball handler and a true point guard as far as he would look to others to score before he would,” said Gisinger. “Tanner Thomas started freshman year at point guard and he is ready to do it and Brody Phillips is an upcoming point guard for us in the future and Canton Wesch has been a point guard at the junior varsity level for us the last couple of years. So, really we have a lineup of three true point guards on the floor. Tanner is probably more of a scoring point guard, Canton is more of a traditional point guard and Brody is probably a mix of the two. I have been blessed my whole career to have good point guards and hopefully that will continue. We are really hard on our point guards. We really demand a lot. It has been a really good transition in practice so far. We will see how it translates in games.”
Gisinger said the team better be strong on defense.
“That is the staple of our program,” said Gisinger. “I think most schools that play Arcola are like they are in for a hard night on their offensive end. We got some size with Braden Phillips and Breyvn Whisman at 6-4, 6-3 respectively. Braden was third team all state last year. I expect us to be explosive in transition and good defensively and rebounding the ball and taking care of it; being fundamentally sound. When we make shots we are going to be really good, when we don’t we are going to have to make sure we get the ball inside to Braden and Tanner and shut the opponents down defensively. I hope we can continue what we have started here in a good tradition of defense and fundamental basketball. Hopefully people will come and watch us and respect the hard work the kids are putting in.”
Three starters are back in Brody Phillips, Braden Phillips and Thomas. Players are fighting for the other two spots.
“We have got some guys that are making my job difficult,” said Gisinger. “Wesch, Whisman, Guevara, Aiden Myers, Stevens, Haris Mayhall. All guys that are really pushing for those 4-5, 6-7-8 spots. “They have done a really good job in practice. I am going to have to make som hard decisions. Some guys are not going to get what they want., but that is the important part of being a good teammate. You can do everything right, come to practice every day and work your tail off and then the coach tells you are not going to play varsity. You have to live with it because you have to be a good teammate. That is why we stress relationships. I am excited to see what our next week of practice holds. Then we have four games in the first week. So, we will really get tested. We will evaluate it after the first five games, but I like where we are at right now.”
Last season Arcola averaged 57.9 points per game and allowed 41.2.
Gisinger said offensively they are trying to get Braden Phillips space inside to work and Tanner space to drive and post up as well.
“We are trying to isolate two of our better players, “said Gsinger. “Then we are trying to find our identity defensively and offensively right now. We hope to set the tone of toughness and grit and teamwork and re-introducing offensive and defensive concepts and if we can do that it will make us tough together.”
Gisinger is in his 7th year at Arcola and 12th year overall.
“Every year you have to replace guys that you really depended on for leadership and to do certain things on the court,” said Gisinger. “We had a really good group of seniors last year, who had been through some tough times together. It was great to see them come through and have a really great season last year. I feel like our leadership, especially with Thomas and Braden Philllips, has been phenomenal so far. Wesch and Brody Phillips are starting to take some leadership responsibility in our program. It is something we work on a lot. We are trying to jell together like we did last year.”
Arcola opens the season Monday at Urbana University High and has its home opener Tuesday against Salt Fork.
“As of Nov. 20 I am very, very happy with where we are at as a team right now and excited,” said Gisinger. “We are proud of what we grow and develop internally here at Arcola.”
Head coach: Greg Gisinger 7th year 96-68 (.585 at Arcola); Overall: 12th year 177-133 (.571)
Assistant coaches: Adam Myers, Mike Shaffer and Robert Beauchamp
Arcola boys basketball schedule 2024-25
(All game start at 6 p.m. with the junior varsity followed by the varsity unless noted)
Monday at Urbana University High, Tuesday SALT FORK, Dec. 6 at Decatur St. Teresa, Dec. 10 vs. W/SS at Stewardson-Strasburg (7:30 p.m. varsity only), Dec. 16 JUDAH CHRISTIAN, Dec. 17 CERRO GORDO/BEMENT*, Dec. 20 NEOGA, Dec. 26, 27, 28 at Dieterich Holiday Tournament, TBA
Jan. 7 at Tuscola, Jan. 10 at Argenta-Oreana*, Jan. 14 CUMBERLAND*, Jan. 17 at Arthur Lovington Atwood Hammond*, Jan. 18 at Central A&M, Jan. 21 SULLIVAN*, Jan. 24, 25, 28, 29, 31 LINCOLN PRAIRIE CONFERENCE TOURNAMENT, TBD
Feb. 4 at Heritage*, Feb. 7 BLUE RIDGE*, Feb. 10 at Arthur Christian, Feb. 11 at Decatur Unity Christian*, Feb. 14 VILLA GROVE*, Feb. 18 at Okaw Valley*, Feb. 24 Class 1A regional tournament, TBA
*-Lincoln Prairie Conference game