ST. JOSEPH, Mo. — Heading into the 2023-24 season, Head Coach
Will Martin has a talented group of guards on his roster. Now it comes down to putting all the talent together.
POSITION OUTLOOK
The Griffons have many returners who have made huge contributions to the team offensively. Seven guards return for MWSU, while two newcomers enter the fray. There are several returning players who bring consistency and leadership on the court like junior
Julius Dixon, who was top-20 in scoring and top-10 in 3-pointers per game in the MIAA in 2022. Similarly, junior
Taye Fields was top-10 in the conference for assists. Junior
Zion Swader also brings a strong veteran presence and leadership traits.
Martin praises the growth of his group of guards both on and off the court coming into this 2023-24 season.
"You want to see is not just the experience on the court, but maturity in terms of leadership," Martin said. "I've seen so much leadership from all of our guards. They have the ball in their hands a lot. They have to command attention, and they have to run the show on the floor. Guards have to be the mind of the head coach. I've seen maturity in all areas when it comes to our guards."
#0 - JULIUS DIXON - REDSHIRT JUNIOR
2022 Stats (team rank)
Games played/starts: 30/29
Minutes played: 974
Points: 407 (1st)
PPG: 13.6 (1st)
FGM: 139 (1st)
FG%: 43.0
3PM: 67 (1st)
3PT%: 36.2
FTM: 62 (2nd)
FT%: 84.9
Rebounds: 132 (3rd)
RPG: 4.4
Assists: 20 (7th)
Steals: 27 (T-2nd)
Blocks: 7 (T-4th)
Hometown: Fayetteville, Tenn.
High school: Fayetteville HS
Height: 6-7
Year at MWSU: 2nd
Coach Martin word association:
Electric
An All-MIAA Honorable Mention in just his first season at Missouri Western, Dixon brought energy in all aspects of the game. Leading the team with 13.6 points per game, Dixon scored 10 or more points in 28 games last season, setting the tone each night when it came to scoring. Dixon's highest-scoring game was on March 1 in the quarterfinal round of the MIAA Tournament against Washburn, dropping 20 on the Ichabods in a 69-63 win.
"The kid finds ways to impact the game offensively, no matter what the flow of the game is," Martin said. "If we're playing a tough physical team, he's going to find ways to score. If we're playing a quicker, faster up-tempo team, he's going to find ways to score. Now that we've opened up his mid-range game, he's actually an extremely efficient mid-range shooter, and then it forces defenses to keep him honest on shooting from the perimeter and his drives, which opens up not just opportunities for Julius but for our entire team."
#1 - JOSH BOOK - REDSHIRT FRESHMAN
DNP in 2022-23
Hometown: Christchurch, New Zealand
High school: Christ's College
Height: 6-4
Year at MWSU: 2nd
Coach Martin word association:
Stealth
After taking a redshirt in 2022-23,
Josh Book is ready to be released on the Division II scene. Book scored 14 points off the bench in an exhibition earlier on Oct. 25 vs. Benedictine at the MWSU Fieldhouse. With a year of collegiate training under Book's belt, Martin can't wait to see what he'll do next no matter who he's up against.
"He has deceiving quickness," Martin said. "He has the ability to shoot obviously, but he's one of the better players that I've coached in terms of how early he's figured out angles on the court. Even if he's matched up against someone who might be physically more able than him, someone who might have a little more length, a little more quickness, a little more strength, Josh is going to find angles because he's an extremely intelligent player. He's a crafty player."
#2- ZION SWADER - JUNIOR
2022 Stats (team rank)
Games played/starts: 30/24
Minutes played: 694
Points: 212 (5th)
PPG: 7.1 (T-5th)
FGM: 71 (5th)
FG%: 46.7
3PM: 28 (3rd)
3PT%: 42.4
FTM: 42 (5th)
FT%: 66.7
Rebounds: 60 (5th)
RPG: 2.0 (5tn)
Assists: 40 (4th)
Steals: 27 (T-2nd)
Blocks: 1 (8th)
Hometown: Murfreesboro, Tenn.
High school: Siegel HS
Height: 6-0
Year at MWSU: 3rd
Coach Martin word association:
General
An X-factor for the Griffon offense, Swader enters his junior season at MWSU. His signature moment from last season came in the first game of the season against Minnesota Crookston, scoring a career-high 22 points on 5-of-5 shooting from downtown to help the Griffons to an overtime win. Second on the team with 27 steals, fans can expect to see Swader command the offense in transition and on fast breaks.
"He is the general on the floor," Martin said. He is
the point guard. We are going to give our kids an extreme amount of freedom this year to run our actions but to make their own reads. We trust them that they're going to get into our actions. When he's on the floor, and also when he's off the floor, he has to be that general. He's got to have a high level of talk. He is a very athletic individual and he plays fast. When you look at his numbers, he's an extremely efficient player. When you have those God-given abilities, he can put his chin at the rim, and he can stay in front of anybody in this league, anybody in the country."
#3 - REESE GLOVER - SENIOR
2022 Stats (team rank)
Games played/starts: 30/4
Minutes played: 639
Points: 214 (4th)
PPG: 7.1 (T-5th)
FGM: 67 (6th)
FG%: 38.5
3PM: 63 (2nd)
3PT%: 40.1
FTM: 17 (7th)
FT%: 100
Rebounds: 40 (8th)
RPG: 1.3 (9tn)
Assists: 32 (5th)
Steals: 18 (4th)
Blocks: 3 (T-6th)
Hometown: Franklin, Tenn. Franklin HS
High school: Franklin HS
Height: 5-10
Year at MWSU: 5th
Coach Martin word association:
Leader
Here's a Griff who doesn't need much of an introduction. An All-MIAA Honorable Mention in 2020-21 during Griffon MBB's run to the NCAA Tournament,
Reese Glover is the program's all-time 3-point leader with 258 in his career. He broke Cole Clearman's record of 233 on Jan. 12 against Newman, and with one year left as a Griffon, the sky is the limit.
With Glover's accolades secure and his legacy cemented, Martin has one final personal goal for his senior.
"He knew coming into this year that for us to have success, he was going to have to be a leader on and off the floor," Martin said. "He was going to have to be vocal. He is going to have to get out of his comfort zone and push himself and his teammates to new levels. That's not always the easiest thing to do. In the past, we would call him "Agent Zero" or an assassin from behind the arc, which he is. The word that defines him this year, which will impact winning more than him making threes, is that he's a true leader."
#5 - CAMDEN BENNETT - FRESHMAN
Hometown: St. Joseph, Mo.
High school: Lafayette HS
Height: 6-3
Year at MWSU: 1st
Coach Martin word association:
The Hulk
The younger brother of
Caleb Bennett,
Camden Bennett arrives at MWSU after wrapping up a legendary career at Lafayette High School. In the last four years, he became a
two-time St. Joseph News-Press NOW Boys Basketball Player of the Year, earning three All-MEC selections and two all-state nods so far in his prolific career. After averaging 20 PPG and six rebounds per game in 2022-23, Bennett has a chance to boost his St. Joseph basketball legacy as a Griffon.
"He's someone who has an extreme passion and love for this community and the school because he grew up here. He came in and already had it and so I think that's exciting for our community. I don't think that he's worried about any of the headlines, I don't think that he's worried about any of the expectations that may be placed on him. He wants to write his own story here. He's somebody that can really help us because of his size, he has the ability to switch. He's so physical, which I think makes you different on the floor anytime you have a guard out there who can also switch onto a forward or a big man."
#10 - ASHTON SMITH - FRESHMAN
Hometown: Plantation, Fla.
High school: Sagemont Prep
Height: 6-0
Year at MWSU: 1st
Coach Martin word association:
Hooper
A second-team all-state player who led his team to the Class 2A state championship and a 54-10 record over the last two seasons,
Ashton Smith comes to MWSU as a proven winner. Scoring 12.2 points per game, he finished third in all of Florida with 7.3 assists per contest, helping him earn first all-county honors. This eventually earned him a spot in the
King of the Bluegrass Holiday Classic, where he made the all-tournament team.
"He bleeds basketball," Martin said. He loves the game. He's always watching the game and always wants to learn more. He has a kid-like passion for the game. While there's for sure an intentionality and a full focus that's required to become a good basketball player, but I never have a negative connotation towards him because those guys are always the ones that have a childlike passion and a childlike love and a childlike approach to the game."
#13- TAYE FIELDS - JUNIOR
2023 Stats (team rank)
Games played/starts: 30/30
Minutes played: 909
Points: 321 (2nd)
PPG: 10.7 (3rd)
FGM: 118 (2nd)
FG%: 47.4
3PM: 11 (5th)
3PT%: 31.4
FTM: 74 (1st)
FT%: 73.3
Rebounds: 242 (1sr)
RPG: 8.1 (1st)
Assists: 96 (1st)
Steals: 28 (1st)
Blocks: 14 (1st)
Hometown: Opelika, Ala.
High school: Lee HS
Height: 6-4
Year at MWSU: 3rd
Coach Martin word association:
Dog
When asked about junior
Taye Fields, Martin made it clear that he does not say "dog" lightly.
"That dude is a
dog. A lot of people say they're dogs, and really, they're little pups."
A returning All-MIAA Honorable Mention, Fields fueled this team's rebound game last season, snagging 8.1 per game, the second-best average in program history and third-best average in the MIAA. He was the only Griffon to start all 30 games last season, collecting six double-doubles in the process. A marque moment for Fields occurred on Dec. 3, 2022, in a 79-65 win over Missouri Southern.
Fields notched 13 points and 17 rebounds against the Lions, the third most in team history.
"That kid gets offensive rebounds that make no sense," Martin said. "You watch the film, and he's got three guys boxing them out, and somehow, he finds a way to get the ball toward himself. He is a dog man. He is by far one of the most intelligent players that I've ever been around. When you add intelligence to that toughness factor of him being a true dog that makes him who he is, he's invaluable to this program, as a player and as a leader."
#15 - JUSTIN BUBAK - JUNIOR
2023 Stats
Games played/starts: 1/0
Minutes played: 3
Hometown: Lincoln, Neb.
High school: Lincoln Christian HS
Height: 6-4
Year at MWSU: 4th
Coach Martin word association:
Toughness
While
Justin Bubak only saw three minutes last season, he still gained plenty of experience in 2021-22. In Bubak's redshirt freshman season, he played in 28 games, averaging 4.8 PPG with a clip of 39.8% from the field. As he works back to the court, no one is rooting for Bubak more than his coach is.
"It's toughness, and it's mental, psychological, physical toughness, " Martin said about Bubak. "That kid has been through a lot, and he brings the same energy, intensity and focus every single day.
Whether he's out with an injury or he's full go, it doesn't matter. He is a consistent, everyday guy, which is very rare in today's world. There's no one who deserves success more than
Justin Bubak."
#22 - MATTHEW SCHNEIDER - REDSHIRT FRESHMAN
DNP IN 2022-23
Hometown: Murfreesboro, Tenn.
High school: Siegel HS
Height: 6-5
Year at MWSU: 2nd
Coach Martin word association:
Madman
Another redshirt freshman joining Book,
Matthew Schneider is a man on a mission this season. The second-year Griff scored 10 points in 15 minutes in MWSU's exhibition vs. Benedictine, knowing down 2-of-2 shots from downtown. Snagging two steals as well, Schneider was locked in at the free-throw line, going 4-for-4 that night.
"He's a madman," Martin said. "I knew that when I recruited him. This is a kid who broke his nose in the state tournament, came out for 30 seconds, checked himself back in and played a full game. I think he had 20 rebounds that game. He's running laps around guys, and not because he's more physically gifted, but because psychologically, he just goes to a different place. he's going to do whatever it takes to allow this team to have success. If that means he's got to jump through the bleachers, he's going to jump through the bleachers. If that means he needs to take six to 10 shots a game because we need the offensive production, that's what he's going to do."
POSITION PROLOGUE
With solid veteran leadership guiding this group, the sky's the limit for Martin and his players. The group is led by two All-MIAA players with a handful of newcomers who can contribute at any given time, giving the Griffs a deep bench.
"You got to be tough in this league," Martin said. "We have intentionally recruited athletes that are also skilled in that matter, but if you don't have the mental fortitude to get through a conference season in this league if you don't have that toughness... that's what we're going to need from this group. If they shoot 40% from three, great. If they push the ball in transition and create advantages for us early, great. All that stuff is great in their expectations. but toughness is what we're going to need to have success and to take this as far as we want to take it."
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