When people talk about the 2022-23 Reeths-Puffer boys basketball team, the conversation quickly turns to Jaxson Whitaker and Travis Ambrose, the two legit college prospects who had breakout years as sophomores last season.
But a slightly different version of the Rockets will take the court for the first few weeks of the new season, because Ambrose has been temporarily sidelined after having surgery to correct a double hernia in mid-November.
He’s expected back in the lineup relatively soon and hopes to return by the time the holiday tournaments roll around.
Jaxson Whitaker
While R-P head coach Nate Aardema would obviously prefer to have Ambrose in the lineup, he knows his team has the talent and depth to play well until he returns.
The Rockets return three starters from last season’s squad, which finished 13-8 overall and 9-5 in the O-K Green conference – Whitaker, Ambrose and guard Kyle Schlaff.
They also return a lot of players who gained a ton of varsity experience last season, and have several newcomers who will add even more depth, so Ambrose's absence should not be a catastrophe in the opening weeks.
Aardema expects to be able to go four deep on the bench on a regular basis, which means there’s a lot to like on the R-P roster.
Travis Ambrose
“I think we have nine guys who can be in the game and help us in a variety of ways,” said Aardema, whose team will open the season next Tuesday with a non-conference game at Allendale. “A lot of years you might have eight guys who will get a lot of playing time. We return a lot of guys who had significant minutes last year, plus some exciting new guys.”
The Rockets recently tested themselves in a multi-team scrimmage in Grand Rapids against several quality teams and came away with a 2-1 record after playing Chandler Park, Grand Ledge and Detroit Loyola.
“We were competitive and looked really good at times,” Aardema said. “We saw some really encouraging things.”
The offensive attack, at least in the early weeks, will largely be centered around Whitaker, a 6-4 scoring machine who is known for his outside shooting, but can really produce from anywhere. Last year he led the team by averaging 15.9 points per game.
Kyle Schlaff
“He’s really good,” Aardema said. “He was already the best shooter I’ve ever coached, and he’s gotten stronger and quicker and faster. In the scrimmage he dunked in traffic a few times, which is something he wasn’t able to do last year.”
When he returns, Ambrose, a 6-8 giant who dominates inside, will be the other major piece of the puzzle after averaging 15.2 points and 10.9 rebounds per game last season.
There are lots of other players who will have important roles, starting with Schlaff, a 6-0 senior and the third returning starter. Last season he averaged around six points per game with 3.4 rebounds and 2 assists, and Aardema sees him taking some big steps forward this year.
“He plays point guard sometimes and shooting guard sometimes, and he earns the ultimate compliment from opponents when they say, ‘Man that kid plays hard,’” Aardema said. “Last year we asked him to handle the ball, guard the opponents’ best perimeter shooter, rebound and do all the gritty stuff, and he ate that up.”
Antrel Jones
The Rockets will also benefit from the presence of 6-4 junior forward Antrel Jones and 6-1 senior guard Clyde Bartee, who were the first guys off the bench last season.
Bailey Swain, a 6-1 senior guard, improved a lot over the summer and should see his share of court time this year. EJ Jones, a 5-11 senior guard, will also figure into the rotation after missing much of last season due to injury.
Aardema said Tyviea Williams, a 5-10 senior guard, is a stronger and more confident player this season who will also have a significant role.
Two newcomers could be very big contributors.
One is Tayte Vanderleest, a 6-4 senior forward who is best known for his work as a standout wide receiver for the R-P football team. He didn't play basketball last season but decided to come out again for his senior year and is showing a lot of skill, according to Aardema.
Clyde Bartee
“He’s a phenomenal athlete and a better basketball player than he realized,” Aardema said. “He tried out last year and made the team, then he and I had several conversations, and his priority is to be a college football player, so he decided to spent last winter doing football stuff.
“He gives us another dynamic athlete. He’s a power forward type of kid. He has a soft shooting touch and he’s a really good passer. We’ve been really impressed.”
Also new to the lineup is 6-4 sophomore guard Brayden Mitchelson, who led the junior varsity team in scoring as a freshman last season.
“His brother (Coby Mitchelson) started for us last year,” Aardema said. “I think he’s going to be a really good player.”
Tayte Vanderleest
Other players who will contribute in one manner or another are 5-10 junior guard Dre Williams, 6-0 senior guard Cade Borgeson and 6-4 junior forward Chase Smith.
“Quite honestly, the biggest challenge is going to be figuring out how all the pieces fit together,” Aardema said. “It’s an open competition right now. In years past I would give each player a piece of paper defining what their role will be, but I haven’t done that yet this year.
"We have some spots that are super competitive, and we don’t want the guys to settle in just yet. It might be kind of a fluid thing. We have one open starting spot until Travis comes back and several guys competing for it.”