The Saxony Lutheran boys basketball team doesn't have a single senior on its roster this season, but first-year Crusaders coach Kevin Williams doesn't mind.

He's ecstatic about the young talent -- which includes six juniors and seven sophomores -- he's got to work with this year.

"They're all just gym rats," Williams said. "They all just work out all the time and they live basketball. It's refreshing to get to be at a program where all the kids want to get better every day, they love to be coached, they're coachable, they listen, work hard, so it's really, really a good group of kids."

Williams, who was an all-state basketball player and was a member of Cape Central's 1980 state championship team before continuing his career at Saint Louis, served as an assistant at Southeast Missouri State for three years under Gary Garner as well as the head coach at Caruthersville in 2000.

He takes over a program that went 11-15 and lost to Woodland in the opening round of the Class 3 District 2 tournament last season.

"We've got a number of kids that can do things, and the problem with that is a lot of times everybody wants to be the man," Williams said. "So our focus has really been trying to define roles, trying to let everybody know who the offense needs to be going through and if that doesn't work what the next option is."

The Crusaders will play at a faster tempo with more of a free-flowing offense. Shot selection has been an emphasis so far.

"We have a structured offense, but it's predicated on playing basketball," Williams said. "It's not a patterned offense where this guy runs to this spot and that guy runs to that spot. It's more of you're in this set and now what the defense is giving you you've got to read and react and make a play. I really like that part of it because they're really starting to blossom. We've got good players. We could go out there and just play a four out and one in motion, and they'd still be pretty good."

Williams expects his team to play a "good, hard man to man" for the most part and prides himself and his players on being tough on defense.

"We teach it, we practice it every day," Williams said. "We follow rules and they're fundamentally sound away from the ball, so I think people are really going to have trouble penetrating and getting to the basket against us. We're still trying to get everybody to understand that it's 100 percent every single time out there, but we're playing at a quicker, harder pace than they have in the past."

Players to watch

The Crusaders have their second-leading scorer returning and a newcomer to the varsity level that Williams is optimistic will be impact players for Saxony.

Corie Williams, a 6-foot-2 junior guard, is back after averaging 10 points for Saxony last year.

William Rogers is a 6-3 junior guard who played on the JV squad last season after transferring from Cape Central.

"They can shoot it. They can handle it. They make plays for other people. They can finish at the rim," Williams said.

Williams knocked down 18 3-pointers last season. He shot 43 percent from the field and averaged 5.7 rebounds per game.

"He can make the 3, but he can also get to the rim off the bounce," Williams said.

Both players are capable of running the point, and Williams believes Rogers could provide matchup problems for opponents because he "can take you to the block and just bulldog you if you're not a strong defender. And he's a knockdown shooter from 23, 24 feet."

"I really think William is going to shock people," Williams said. "He sat out last year because he transferred from Cape Central and he played JV, so I don't think he's on a lot of people's radar right now."

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Class 3 District 2

Conference

None

Head coach

Kevin Williams

(1st year)

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ROSTER

No. Player Year Ht.

00 Nathan Schneider 11 6-4

1 Tyler Swanks 10 5-8

2 William Rogers 11 6-3

5 Keevin Dyke 11 6-0

10 Nathan Ruark 10 6-4

12 Karsten Short 11 5-11

15 Graesen Meystedt 10 6-2

23 Paiton Miller 10 5-10

32 Paris Johnson 10 6-0

33 Corie Williams 11 6-2

34 Jalen Williams 10 6-3

35 Ryan Babcock 10 6-3

50 Will Walker 10 6-2

STARTERS GONE

Ryan Palmer

Chase Steffens

Elwood Voss

STARTERS BACK

Corie Williams

Graesen Meystedt

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SCHEDULE

Date Opponent Time

11/30 Rolla "Duke Herbert" Tourn.

12/1 @Crystal City 6:30 p.m.

12/8 Ste. Genevieve 7:30 p.m.

12/11 Oak Ridge 7:30 p.m.

12/15 @Chaffee 7:30 p.m.

12/18 @Perryville 7:30 p.m.

12/22 @Egyptian (Ill.) 7:30 p.m.

12/26 Bloomfield Christmas Tourn.

1/6 St. Pius X 7:30 p.m.

1/8 @Oran 7:30 p.m.

1/11 Chester Invitational Tourn.

1/19 @Cape Central 7:30 p.m.

1/22 Notre Dame 7:30 p.m.

1/26 Kelly 7:30 p.m.

1/29 @Jefferson 7:30 p.m.

2/2 Scott City 7:30 p.m.

2/5 @De Soto 7:30 p.m.

2/9 Crystal City 7:30 p.m.

2/12 @Meadow Heights 7:30 p.m.

2/16 @Bell City 7:30 p.m.

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LAST SEASON

LEADERS

Points: Ryan Palmer (10.7 ppg)

Rebounds: Elwood Voss, Corie Williams (5.7 rpg)

Assists: Chase Steffens (4.7 apg)

RECORD

11-15