Character one of the keys for Arcola boys basketball
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By Mike Monahan
ARCOLA – When Mitch Pollock, the new Arcola boys basketball coach, was a senior, he was coached by Cyrus Ferguson, who was 22 at the time. So, Pollack knows what it was like to be a player on a team coached by someone not much older. Pollack takes over for Greg Gisinger, who moved to the girls basketball coach.
“What I have noticed the most is that junior high games are so much shorter,” said Pollock, who coached the junior high boys in the 2024-25 season. “ I have only coached two high school games so far and they are much longer. It plays a factor in subbing. In junior high it is like you want to get kids in, but by the time you put them in those minutes go by fast. I think more strategy with rotations from the junior high to the high school game. Obviously the intensity–I wanted to make the jump up. Tuesday night in our game-just that gym-the atmosphere, it’s like even your biggest junior high games just didn’t have that buzz that the high school game does. That is why I love it and why I wanted to get into it. “
Pollock welcomes 25 players, including Brody Phillips, an honorable mention all-Lincoln Prairie Conference player, who averaged 10.2 points, 3.3 rebounds and 1.7 assists and a steal per game for the 24-8 team that finished 9-2 in the LPC, good for third place. Phillips earned the Defensive Player of the Year as well. Phillips was also 86-of-120 from the free throw line (.717, which led the team. He also is the top returning rebounder and tops in assists at 99 and 51 per game respectively as well as steals at 30.
Other returning lettermen are Canton Wesch, Evan Rardin, Haris Mayhal, Eddie Garcia, Remi Roberts-McGeehon, Joey Hout and Sawyer Maxwell for a total of eight.
As for strengths Pollock said, “I hope our character is one of our biggest strengths. I feel like they know enough about the game of basketball, but if we can keep our character in line and stay together as a family I think that is going to –in high school basketball that really solves a lot of problems.”
Expect Pollock to have his team play man-to-man defense.
“That is what I feel like I can coach the best,” said Pollock, who played at Tri-County and then Millikin University. “We could play different aspects so the man-to-man will change depending on the personnel and who we play.”
Last season Arcola averaged 52.4 points per game and allowed 37.2 per contest.
“We definitely have depth at the guard position and it feels like that is really going to help us,” said Pollock. “ This year we just really preach being really good on the ball defense. Our first two games we have done okay at it and I think we will continue to get better at it. I’m just really hitting on guys and making them uncomfortable with the ball. Be able to rotate a lot of guards and pick up full court man to man. I think that has been good. Friday with the shot clock (35 second shot clock is used in some tournaments with IHSA approval) I thought we did some full court and kind of stalled their offense a little bit. You make them use a lot of that 10 second to get the ball up the floor and then you leave them 25 on offense. That kind of played into our advantage a little bit. Every time it is going to be different. Every team will have a different strategy.”
Wesch is the top returning player in three-point baskets as he made 39.
“I feel like anymore it is not just coaching the game,” said Pollock. “It is like scheduling and a bunch of communication. There are a lot more moving parts than just coaching-like practices and games. I feel like it has been a good transition. I feel like the boys have responded well. It has been a big transition for these guys too and I feel like they have responded well.”
As for the offense Pollock said the team has a lot of unique personnel.
“On a game to game basis we could probably hit all of those things (outside to inside, fastbreak, drive). I think we have some shooters and some guys that can get downhill,” said Pollock. “I think that has probably been the biggest question as a coach. What can I do as a coach to get these guys successful on offense. I think we are just spacing them out and letting them play. Let the athletes run downhill and the shooters shoot.”
Against Central A&M Pollock said they had 16 turnovers, including six in the fourth quarter.
“We have been working on finishing games, “ said Pollock. “Early in the season the guys will be a little more tired as the games get further down to the end. We just have really got to execute when we are tired. That is an early point of emphasis for us.”
The team has assistants Robert Beauchamp, Mike Shaffer and Larry Eastin.
‘I feel that we keep relaying to our team and I told Jack Bullock of “A Baseline View” our motto this year is “How far we go depends on how far we go together.” I feel like that is the biggest thing for us. One game at a time. Every game is going to matter who we are playing is going to take a different shape. We just have to come in with the mindset no matter what the records are, take one game at a time and play together. I think this group can handle that. They play really well together and I think we are going to do a good job on defense and muddy the game up. Just whatever we have got to do to get another one in the win column.”