Having just hired a new basketball coach this week, the Wyandotte Bulldogs basketball program is one in transition.
New head coach Marshall Draper inherits some talent, but probably not a talent level that can be compared to the ones featured at Washington, Sumner Academy, Schlagle or Harmon.
Still, there are some productive pieces to the Bulldogs, some of which have been in action this summer.
Leading the way for the Bulldogs is Adrian Goodlow.
Goodlow is one of the five or six preseason candidates to be the 2011-12 Kansas City Kansas Atchison League Player of the Year.
In Terry Moore's shadow, Goodlow's game grew last year.
He often led the Bulldogs in scoring the second half of the season and had his two best games of the season going against former Washington Wildcats guard Tra'Vaughn White and Sumner Academy's Benny Parker.
With Moore gone, Goodlow is what you can call "the man" for the Bulldogs entering the 2011-12 season.
He possesses a very nice jump shot and a soft touch around the rim. He hit the paint hard and is not afraid to drive inside against bigger players. Goodlow can also drop dimes easily.
Goodlow isn't the only piece, however.
Since Draper's hiring was just announced this week, I recently spoke with Derrick Estelle, who was running Wyandotte's summer league practices and games prior to the hiring.
(Full disclosure – Estelle is Goodlow's father.)
"This is a hard-working team so far this summer," Estelle said. "They have heart and is a group that will rarely quit. They're not as talented as other league teams but they won't quit."
Along with Goodlow, Estelle points to forward Shaquille Smith and guards Jamie Nunnally and Elonzo Barnett as guys who could make a different.
Smith features nice size, while Nunnally is one of the top overall athletes in KCK and is expected to compete heavily for the Bulldogs quarterback position.
However, it's Barnett who's made a big impression on Estelle.
"He has unlimited range," Estelle said. "If you leave him open, he'll burn you."
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My take on Wyandotte:
1. For Wyandotte to be competitive in the league, Estelle will have to be right when it comes to them having more heart and determination than opponents. Outside of Goodlow, Wyandotte will likely enter every league game (excluding Atchison) out-talented in three or four positions. Wyandotte will have to outwork teams in the league to finish .500 or better. There is some talent, but I think the league is too good for Wyandotte to be a factor in year one of the Draper Era.
2. Don't underestimate Goodlow's ability like I did early last year. Goodlow can score from anywhere on the court and after another summer, he's likely to get better. He's receiving some Division 1 attention from schools like Tulsa. He'll very likely be on KCKPreps.com's Preseason First Team Kansas City Kansas Atchison League and is one of the top six or seven players in KCK.
3. Barnett indeed has range. During in-game competition, Barnett has drilled threes well behind the three-point line. His shooting display I witnessed earlier this week was incredible. He's someone who I think would be a good idea for teams to focus on.
4. Draper's job will be tough. There's some pieces there, but the gap between Wyandotte and the top league contenders is large in regards to talent. Bulldogs fans, as hard as it is after 10 years of losing, need to be patient in year one and year two. Year three of the Draper Era will be the most important to judge his career on.
