Dynamic Puxico backcourt continuing its development this summer

Puxico High School junior guard Landan Burchard makes a pass against Bell City recently in a series of scrimmages at Delta High School.

Tom Davis ~ Tdavis@semoball.com

DELTA – Often is the case in the off-season that fans can’t get a grasp on how good a team will be during scrimmages or open gyms. That doesn’t apply to the Puxico High School boy’s basketball squad.

The Indians were really, really good last winter, and they will clearly be this coming season again.

“We’re a little more athletic across the board this year,” fourth-year Indian coach Bryant Fernetti said recently. “We can switch a lot more and I think that we are rebounding the ball a lot better this summer so far.”

Puxico has rolled through a lot of its summer schedule, including a series of recent scrimmages against various foes at an event at Delta High School. A couple of key reasons for that success, and this will surprise no one, was the stellar play of junior guards Jett Hancock and Landan Burchard.

“I would say their overall shot selection at times,” Fernetti replied when asked where he is seeking growth from the two athletes. “You can see that they have increased in confidence in themselves.”

Winning 23 games in a season, including a MSHSAA Class 2 District 3 championship, which was the first such title for the program since 2007.

“They need to be solid players all-around,” Fernetti said of the duo. “They need to know when to shoot. Forcing stuff, here and there, can happen, but overall, they need to get where they are more consistent.”

Burchard had a combined 37 points in his team’s final two games of last season, the latter being a Class 2 Quarterfinal two-point loss to South Pemiscot while Hancock had 10 points in each game.

However, Puxico returns five seniors to this year’s group, so those two guards can look to others to help score the ball, as well.

“That is an area where they will figure it out as they go,” Fernetti said. “They are going to see a lot of teams try to face-guard them and do different types of things. When they realize that, somebody is going to be open.”

Senior Indian center Scyler Zimmerman (6-foot-4) had a team-best 18 points against South Pemiscot, and Fernetti also returns guards Mason Parsley, Jerrett Powell, who has bulked up this off-season, forward Kaysen Long, and center Carson Ward.

“(Hancock and Burchard) have done a pretty good job,” Fernetti said of distributing the ball. “They are pretty efficient, overall.

“They do a good job of knowing when they can score and then finding other guys.”