2023 Douglas Tigers Boys Basketball Season Preview
By: J. Ray Dockter
2022 record: 17-12 overall, 11-5 league
Head coach: Corey Thacker, 17th season as head coach at Douglas
Key Losses: Jac Reid, Aden Flory, Theo Reid, Thomas McDowell, and Jack Tolbert
Overview: Entering the playoffs as the four-seed, the Tigers got hot at the exact right moment last season, making it to the Northern region championship game and ultimately playing in the State Tournament.
In what seems to be a yearly occurance for the Tigers, they will not be rebuilding, they will be reloading to make another run at the Regional Championship this season after graduating six seniors who were big contributors to their success the last few seasons.
The Tigers will continue to be one of the top teams in the region thanks in part to their athleticism, size, and toughness.
They will need to figure out in the early season who their guy is... my money is on Junior PG Caden Thacker who is entering his third season on Varsity. He'll be flanked by three seniors (Trace Estes, Kyle Koontz and Cole Smalley) who have toughness thanks to their many successes on the gridiron this past fall.
The Tigers return eight players from last season's team and will be led by their nine seniors (including Jett Lehmann and Jeremiah Pitts).
I expect the Tigers to finish in the top half of the Northern 4A this season.
Without further ado, here is Coach Thacker's answers to our questions we asked him last month.
What can we expect from your team this season?
Offense - We want to play at a fast pace while executing to get great shots. We want to share the ball with balanced scoring every game.
Defense - Our team wants to be very active and aggressive to dictate the tempo of our opponent and finish every possession.
Style of Play - We want to play smart, make great decisions and control tempo.
What is the key to your team's success this season?
Building our team together with defense and working hard toward our goal each and every day is the key to our success this year.
What is the best part of coaching high school athletics?
The best part about coaching high school athletics is watching the growth of each student/athlete as a basketball player and as a young man each and every year. Seeing the past players come back and continuing to support our program as adults is amazing.
Who do you feel are the team's to beat in the Northern 4A?
There is a lot of parity in the North this year. There are a lot of good teams with great coaching that makes our league fun to be a part of.
Projected Starting Five (Stats are reflective of last season): Junior Caden Thacker (10 PPG, 2.8 RPG and 2 APG), Senior Jett Lehmann (4 PPG, and 2.2 RPG), Senior Jeremiah Pitts (3.5 PPG), Senior Trace Estes (2 PPG and 1.4 RPG), and Seniors Kyle Koontz/Cole Smalley.
Douglas' League Schedule
12/14 at Reno
12/16 vs. Bishop Manogue
1/4 at Galena
1/6 vs. Spanish Springs
1/9 at Damonte Ranch
1/12 at Carson
1/16 at McQueen
1/19 vs. Reed
1/23 vs. Reno
1/25 at Bishop Manogue
1/30 vs. Galena
2/6 vs. Damonte Ranch
2/9 vs. Carson
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