High school basketball preview: Maize South Mavericks (+video)
Schedule
December – 4, Andover; 8, at Campus; 11, at Goddard;, 18, at Arkansas City.
January – 5, Andover Central; 12, at Eisenhower; 14, 15 or 16, TBA at Koch Arena; 19, at Newton (G); 22, Hutchinson (G); 21-23, at Valley Center tournament (B); 26, at Newton (B); 26-30, at Pratt tournament (G); 29, Hutchinson (B).
February – 2, Valley Center; 5, Goddard; 9, at Andale; 12, Arkansas City; 16, at Andover Central; 19, at Andover; 23, Eisenhower; 25, at Valley Center.
Boys
Coach: Kip Schultz, seventh season
Last season: 22-3, second in 5A
Top players
Payten Ricks, 6-1, sr., G
Seth Jennings, 6-0, sr., G
Jordan Maxson, 6-1, jr., F
Tyler Caldwell, 6-1, sr., G
The steady improvement in Schultz’s program during the school’s first six seasons was highlighted by the Mavericks playing in the Class 5A title game in March. Maize South lost but its 22-3 record was five wins better than the Mavericks’ first four seasons combined.
With Ricks as the only returning starter and player who saw significant playing time, it’s going to be a different season.
“The makeup and chemistry for this team is going to be 80 percent different,” Schultz said. “We have to create our own identity. We’re changing the whole entire game for us offensively, and we really need to try to identify what we’re going to do to make ourselves contenders.”
Ricks, who signed with Abilene Christian, is back running the point. He can score, and he’s quick to the basket, but Schultz refuses to put the Mavericks’ potential success solely on him.
“I’m definitely not going to say we need him to go get 20 a game,” Schultz said. “... It’s, ‘Do what you’ve always done, and if you feel like you need to make some things happen, do it.’ ”
Schultz will also rely on Caldwell, who saw limited minutes in Maize South’s loaded lineup last season.
“He has skills offensively,” Schultz said. “... We feel he made improvement on his foot speed and his defensive intensity.”
Jennings, who also had limited minutes, is an option to score from the perimeter. He and Ricks could be a wicked 1-2 punch because when Ricks slashes to the basket, he can find Jennings for the open three.
The Mavericks’ inside presence is the biggest concern. Spencer Qualls is out with a shoulder injury that requires surgery, so Maize South will likely top out at 6-foot-3 inside. Ricks can post up, but Maxson could be the key.
“He’s the one kid that I look at and say, if we (go) .500, then he’ll be one of the reasons. He’ll fill the void that we have without one true post,” Schultz said.
Girls
Coach: Sabrina Gallo, second season
Last season: 7-14
Top players
Sierra Mortensen, 5-8, jr., G
Jade Winter, 5-8, jr., G-F
Kerrigan Dixon, 6-1, jr., C
Jaelynn McLaurian, 5-8, jr., G
Ahdaya Myers, 5-7, so., G
There were times last season that Maize South struggled to score, especially during the final eight regular-season games, when they lost seven.
Scoring shouldn’t be a problem anymore.
“Last year we depended solely on Sierra and Sydney (Mortensen),” Gallo said. “This year, at any given time, any girl on the court can step up and score…. We have speed, we’re super athletic, super fast, very aggressive on defense and offensively. Any given night we can have any girl scoring in double figures.”
Maize South is loaded with guards, including Sierra Mortensen as the leading returning scorer (11.2 points). Myers likely will play point guard and freshman Lauren Johnson, a 5-foot-10 forward, could play as part of a five-guard offense.
McLaurian returns to Maize South after a season at Heights but isn’t eligible until January. Jade Winter, Jayda Garrett and Aliyah Myers will also be a part of the uptempo offense.
As for an inside game, it falls on Dixon.
“I’d love for her to be a force to reckon with in the center,” Gallo said. “When she’s in, we’ll go in kind of a little different direction defensively and offensively. When she’s not in the game, it will be a five-guard, motion offense.”
Joanna Chadwick
This story was originally published November 16, 2015 at 8:40 AM with the headline "High school basketball preview: Maize South Mavericks (+video)."