​Eagles boys basketball has new look going into 24-25 season

by Michael Smith
 
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The Grain Valley boys basketball team will have a new look going into the 2024-25 season.
 
The Eagles added 6-foot-7 center Kevin Johnson as a transfer from Kansas City East High School, and their rotation won’t feature anyone shorter than 6-foot-1, so head coach Andy Herbert and his players anticipate that the team’s size and length could cause problems for opposing teams this upcoming season.
 
“I am really excited about our defense,” senior guard Aaron Barr said. “We are really long, which is something we haven’t had in the past. I think we will be able to get 10 steals per game. It’s going to be hard for other teams to score and we’re really good in transition.”
 
Grain Valley is coming off a 14-12 season in which it fell in the first round to Columbia Battle, but it may have the firepower to make a deeper run this time. The Eagles return four rotational players from last season’s team including star junior guard Eli Herbert, who is a 6-foot-3 sharpshooting guard, who can run the point and plays solid defense.
 
He will be joined in the backcourt by Barr, a 6-foot-1 guard who can also handle the ball, run the point, shoot well from behind the 3-point arc and can beat defenders off the dribble with his speed and quickness.
 
Senior forward Evan Colston returns as the team’s starting power forward. He’s a versatile player who rebounds well, can shoot from mid-range and can defend all five positions on the floor.
 
Junior Sam Pendergrass will be Grain Valley’s starting center after he was the backup to Stylz Blackmon a year ago. He’s 6-foot-6 so he has the size and length to be a good rebounder and he can use his frame and strength to score inside against smaller defenders.
 
The Eagles will also have some newcomers filling in some roles left behind by the graduating seniors of the 2024 class. Junior Anthony Juarez will step in as the team’s starting small forward. He’s athletic, can beat defenders off the dribble and he can shoot well in the mid range.
 
“He’ll bring a lot to us,” Andy Herbert said of Juarez. “He’s really stepped up in the offseason and he’s a guy we are going to rely heavily on in a lot of ways.”
 
Johnson will be the backup for Pendergrass off the bench and he will provide high-level rebounding and he, like Pendergrass, can use his size and length to score inside.
 
“Those guys are big and strong,” Eli Herbert said of Pendergrass and Johnson. “They should be able to get every rebound. As long as we focus on blocking out, I think we will be really good at rebounding.”
 
Added Pendergrass: “(Johnson) is going to have a big presence on defense and offense. He’s a tough finisher. He finishes through a lot of contact. He’s a catch and go up kind of guy.”
 
Sophomore guard Hudson Hughes could get some minutes off the bench and senior Tucker Hughes is a swingman who could play at guard and forward of the bench and he’s someone who could knock down some threes for the team.
 
Because the Eagles have so much size and length, it will allow Andy Herbert to utilize zone concepts more often, which will make it more difficult for opponents to score inside and get pass through to the interior.
 
“It’s going to be hard to play above us, you’re going to have to go around us,” Andy Herbert said. “The good teams we’ve had in the past had that length where we could play our zone and make people uncomfortable a little bit.”
 
On offense, the Eagles are well balanced as they have players who can score in the paint, players who can knock down shots from mid-range and a few players who can hit 3-pointers. There are some improvements that need to be made on that end, though, according to Andy Herbert.
 
“We should be to score on the inside and stretch it to the perimeter,” Andy Herbert said. “Our space and pace has to improve. We are moving too fast. We have to slow down and let things develop. Once we kind of get into that groove offensively, we will be in good shape.”
 
Andy Herbert and his players said they don’t have any specific goals this year in terms of winning the Suburban White Conference or winning their district. The goal is simple, the Eagles want to play their best toward the end of the season.
 
“We just want to make sure that we play our best in March,” Eli Herbert said. “If we play our best in March, we will be fine. We’re going to have a lot of fun this year.”

​Grain Valley junior guard Eli Herbert skies for a layup during a drill at the Grain Valley boys basketball team's Friday practice.
Photo credit: Michael Smith

Senior guard Aaron Barr, left, and Eli Herbert will lead be the starting backcourt duo for the Grain Valley boys basketball team this season. Photo credit: Michael Smith

Grain Valley senior Tucker Hughes goes up for a layup during Friday's practice. He will be a backup guard for the Eagles for the 2024-25 season. Photo credit: Michael Smith