St. Joseph Bulldogs

Conference: 2A-5

Coach: Brent Bruich (sixth year at school)

Assistant coach: Chris Kordsmeier

2010-11 record: 18-9 overall (won conference)

Returning starters: Andrew Beck (6-0 junior point guard, 10 points per game, 5 assists per game, 5 rebounds per game)

Best inside players: Andrew Kordsmeier (6-0 junior forward); Cole Schichtl (6-3 junior center); Drake Cooper (6-2 sophomore); Josh Antoine (5-10 junior); Caleb Rice (6-1 senior). Bruich said Kordsmeier was “a great passer” who played outside last year and got some experience. Schichtl is still growing. He and Cooper will provide the Bulldogs with their size. Cooper was one of the best inside players from the St. Joseph junior team, which won the conference and finished 21-2.

Best outside players: Beck will play “all over the place,” Bruich said. Mark Mallett, a 5-10 senior, played quite a bit as a junior. Drew Bates (5-8 junior) got some playing time last year. Kordsmeier is the son of Chris Kordsmeier, the St. Joseph girls coach and boys assistant; Mallett is the son of long-time boys coach Joe Mallett; and Bates is the son of Conway High coach James Bates. “We should be the smartest team and never make mistakes because of all that extra coaching at the house,” Bruich said. Landon Enderlin, a 5-7 sophomore, was a leading player off last year’s junior high team.

How will you match/exceed/fall short of your success from last year? Bruich’s first St. Joseph team failed to reach the state tournament, but the Bulldogs went on a four-year run from there that resulted in a quarterfinal finish, semifinal, championship and semifinal before they missed state last year. “We want to go to the state tournament,” Bruich said. “Last year was the first time in a long time that neither our boys or girls team went. Our league and region are so tough. But these boys are pretty sharp, pretty smart, and they’ve got really good chemistry. They get along well.”

Strengths of the team: Chemistry and basketball smarts. “They play well together, and they know the program,” Bruich said.

Weaknesses of the team: Inexperience, but that should improve as the season goes along. “A couple of years ago, we got to the semifinals, but we didn’t have the depth and didn’t have a lot of room to improve,” Bruich said. “This bunch should get better.”

Games to watch: Bruich said all the Bulldogs’ conference games should provide tests. “Conway Christian is really good,” he said. “Poyen returns four starters. Magnet Cove has five back. Abundant Life, England and Mountain Pine should also be good.”

Toughest opponent: Bruich said besides the conference opponents, the Bulldogs would be tested in their invitational, which will include Vilonia, Mayflower, Pottsville, Hector, Clinton, Atkins, Brinkley and Lisa Academy. All but Lisa Academy are bigger schools.

College prospects: To be determined. “There’s some potential,” Bruich said. “It will depend on how they develop and how hard they work.”

In a nutshell: “We’re young, but I think we’re hungry,” the coach said. “They get along, and they should be fun to watch. I know they’re fun to coach. We’ve had a blast.”

Upcoming Events