How ambitious underclassmen are fueling Hickman High School basketball's early success

After a win at the Norm Stewart Classic over the weekend, Hickman boys basketball faced a quick turnaround and took on Capital City at home Monday night.

Hickman earned an 81-71 victory over the Cavaliers to improve to 6-1 this season.

“We did some OK things, but I'm afraid that (our performance) exposes us a little bit on defense,” said Hickman coach Cray Logan, assessing his Kewpies' play in the win. “That's something we gotta go back to the drawing board again.”

Fortunately, Logan has a team ready and willing to put in the work.

Hickman's strong start to the season is a product of the culture and work ethic that continues to flourish in the group of underclassmen players on its roster.

The Kewpies have a core of young players who have moved into varsity roles after Hickman graduated a large group of players from last season. As a group of former Kewps watched from the stands Monday, Logan praised what they did for the program.

More: Norm Stewart Classic 2021: Rock Bridge downs Helias; both Hickman squads win

“Big respect and thank you to the (graduated) seniors who came back," Logan said. "They're the guys who established the culture we have right now, so they're a big reason why we're winning as we are.”

Current senior Henry Wilson leads this year's team, helping guide a batch of underclassmen who have gone above and beyond to improve.

“We've got a slew of sophomores. We've got a couple of juniors right now, Jordan Richardson and Corey Costner, who are just doing a tremendous job of being great leaders on and off the court,” Logan said. “It starts in practice with them. They talk in practice, they demand a certain culture and certain energy, and those sophomores reciprocate it. That's why we're getting success right now.”

The trio of sophomores contributing to the Kewpies' success are Langston Stroupe, Rodney McNeil and Isaiah Bonaparte. Stroupe led all scorers against Capital City, dropping 24 points, including 16 in the first quarter alone.

McNeil picked up the scoring in the second half, getting 14 points in the process. He also dominated the boards, pulling in key rebounds when the Kewpies needed them.

“Langston Stroupe and Rodney McNeil did a tremendous job just coming in and doing what we're asking them to do,” Logan said. “Then a little bit more on the offensive end for Rodney, being able to take us to the basket that easy and that strong every time. Makes it really easy for us to win games.”

Bonaparte rounds out the trio and will add his scoring touch to the mix as well. He added three points and handled the offense when Wilson was taking a breather.

“He didn't have his best game. Today I think he was pressing a little bit,” Logan said. “But as teams start to realize who our scorers are, they're going to attract more to those guys. And whenever that happens, we gotta realize somebody else is open. It is something we just gotta go back and look at on film, realize where he (Bonaparte) can do better. He's the type of learner where he is eager to figure those kinds of things out.”

Wilson was second in scoring for Hickman with 15 points, and Richardson added 11.

Despite the victory over a Central Missouri Activities Conference opponent and the Kewpies' great start this year, Logan felt his team gave up too much defensively. He wants to keep his team hungry all season, always looking for an edge.

Hickman is scheduled to host Jackson at 1 p.m. Saturday.

Contact the Tribune's sports desk at CKwiecinsk@gannett.com or 435-414-3261.

This article originally appeared on Columbia Daily Tribune: Hickman basketball's ambitious underclassmen fuel early success