Morgan County boys’ basketball is off to an exciting start under Cody Anderson in his second year.
Despite losing eight seniors, with five now playing at the college level, the ‘Dogs still return a talented roster; however, they’re very young entering their 2023-24 campaign with Anderson at the helm.
Anderson is still excited about who is returning, but now, the 29-year-old head coach is working on developing his players while also trying to teach them how to overcome adversity.
“We’ve got a very, very young group, but a talented group,” Anderson said. “One that I think has been on a journey this summer and this fall, so far. (They’re) trying to figure out that character does matter. We’ve had some great moments and we’ve had some frustrating moments that are all going to lead us to our path. We talk a lot about how a car can drive off the road just like it can drive on the road. It’s a lot smoother on the road, but you can get to a place that’s off the road, too.”
Morgan County returns sophomores Jacoby Simmons and Zeki Locus, both of whom played valuable minutes last season as freshmen. Simmons and Locus are already off to a hot start this year.
Per Anderson, Simmons will be the team’s leader and captain this season as a sophomore.
“It’s funny when I say ‘veterans returning’ because there’s not many, but Jacoby Simmons is going to be our captain and leader. He’s earned that,” Anderson said. “He’s just a sophomore but got a lot of experience on the varsity team and has done a great job of being a congruent leader. He does a great job of understanding that what he does in the classroom is just as important as what he does in practice.”
In the sophomore class, the ‘Dogs will also rely on Kendall Bryant. The 6-foot-4, 190-pound power forward will contribute down low. Jamir Pittman is another sophomore who will help out.
As far as upperclassmen, seniors Jamarius Benford and Ryan Moore, as well as junior Jaylen Elder, are returning for Anderson. These three will add depth to a roster full of younger guys.
Moore is one of two transfers, with the other being fellow senior Jamauri Evans. Moore comes from Newton, where he played on a roster full of Division I athletes for former Morgan County head coach Charlemagne Gibbons. Evans transferred in from Hancock Central to play for the ‘Dogs.
“They’re both going to help us out tremendously,” Anderson said of Moore and Evans. “Their talent will combine with Zeki (Locus), Jacoby (Simmons), and those other guys coming back for us.”
Morgan went 10-16 overall and 4-6 in region play, missing the playoffs for a fourth consecutive year. Even with a roster full of inexperience and youth, Anderson has high expectations for his guys.
First, they are vying for a region championship and then looking to get back to the Class 3A playoffs.
“Region-wise, every year begins with Cross Creek. They’ve got another great team. We expect them to be good. After that, everybody from spots two through six is going to be fighting,” Anderson said. “For us, it’s what kind of habits are we going to build from now until when region play starts to solidify separation. Because right now, there’s not a whole lot of separation in the region (after Cross Creek). There will be come January, so for us, it’s about fighting through it all.”