Boys' basketball notebook: Cascade hums right along with new coach

CASCADE — They still play the 2-3 zone. Boys in this town come out of the womb knowing about that defense.

A few other things have been tinkered with, albeit slightly. The offense is a bit more uptempo, for instance, though a lack of size is the reason for that.

What hasn't changed at Cascade is winning.

The legendary Al Marshall has retired after a state runner-up season in Class 2A. Longtime assistant Jacob Brindle has taken over for him.

But the Cougars hit the holiday break at a familiar 7-0 and ranked sixth.

'It has been a lot of things,' Brindle said. 'Yeah, we're very inexperienced. But a lot of guys have played a lot of basketball. Our sophomores were 20-1 last year, our JV was 9-1.

'We're a third of the way through the season, we're 7-0, a lot of good things are going on. But our guys realize there is a long way to go.'

What makes this story so intriguing isn't just Brindle, an assistant at Cascade for 14 years before being promoted to the top job. He obviously learned a ton from Marshall, who finished as Iowa's third most-winningest coach, 738-327 in 47 years at Cascade and Cascade Aquin.

'I try not to think about how humbling and heavy it is that I'm just the second coach ever at Cascade High School,' he said.

Cascade has been successful despite graduating virtually every key piece from last season's team, including multiple-year all-state center Devin Green. Junior forward Johnny Supple was the leading returning scorer at just 6.3 points per game.

Junior guard Gannon O'Brien and sophomore guard Haris Hoffman got a bit of time for a coach who rolled with his five starters as much as possible. O'Brien leads Cascade in scoring (12.7), Hoffman is second (11.7) and Supple third (10.9).

Junior Brock Simon and senior Dilan Simon round out the starting lineup. They played in a combined 15 games last season.

'The biggest thing is the guys have bought in. They bought in last spring,' Brindle said. 'They are excited about this being their time. I've coached these guys a long time, too. Most of them since third grade, but it's not like the voice is new.'

Brindle said there is plenty of growing yet to do, mentioning he and his guys haven't figured out 'who we are,' yet. They are giving up a paltry 33.7 points per game, so that's one thing they are.

As usual.

'Our core philosophy, how we play, hasn't changed,' Brindle said. 'We want to be hard to score against.'

AROUND THE HOOP

• It was the anatomy of an upset. Cedar Rapids Prairie made 15 of its 26 attempts from 3-point land Tuesday night in its 80-71 upset of Class 4A Iowa City West. Sophomore Keegan Murray hit six treys, Jake Eilers five. Prairie leads 4A in 3-pointers attempted and made. How well does this team shoot? The Hawks have made 89 of 101 free throws in seven games this season (88.1 percent).

• Cedar Rapids Jefferson goes into the holiday break more than halfway to its victory total of last season. The J-Hawks blasted Iowa City High, 76-56, Tuesday night to improve to 6-2. They won 10 games a season ago, after going 1-21 in 2014-15. Four guys have done the vast majority of the scoring: Royshawn Webb (16.3 average), Kane Kramer (15.0), Kyler Bell (11.3) and Willie Guy (10.9). Guy is the son of the former Iowa Hawkeye football player of the same name.

• Hunter Strait has averaged 12.5 points in his two games with Ankeny Centennial. The junior guard transferred there after playing three games to begin this season with Cedar Rapids Washington. Centennial has lost both games with Strait, in overtime to West Des Moines Valley and by a point to Ankeny.

• Class 1A second-ranked North Linn has taken a hit with an injury to junior guard Ryan Miller. Averaging over 20 points per game for the 7-0 Lynx, Miller suffered a broken arm in an 81-67 win Tuesday night over Clinton Prince of Peace and is out indefinitely.

l Comments: (319) 398-8259; jeff.johnson@thegazette.com