By Matt Kellam
Heading into last season, expectations were high for the Shippensburg Greyhounds boys basketball team. And why not? They had all five starters coming back to a team that made it to the PIAA 5A quarterfinals in 2019.
But the preseason and new COVID restrictions that limited the number of teams in the playoffs were not kind to the Greyhounds. Both junior Jeremy Thomas and senior Colin Taylor battled injuries that limited their playing time. Despite that, Shippensburg made it to the District 3 semifinals, losing to eventual champion Lower Dauphin, 59-57, and finished with a 14-3 mark overall, 11-2 in the Mid Penn Colonial.
Greyhound fans have a good reason to expect much from the team again this year.
“We have some athletes,” said Shippensburg head coach Ray Staver, who is back for his 30th season at the helm.
The senior-laden starting five includes point guard Jayden Statum, 6-foot-6 Anthony Smith, and 6-4 Thomas.
The offense starts with Statum, who was named PennLive’s Mid Penn Player of the Year in 2020-21.
“Teams find it hard to match up with his quickness,” commented Staver.
Statum comes into the season with 1,136 career points and needs just 123 more to be the school’s all-time leading scorer.
Smith, a University of Minnesota football recruit, will patrol the middle.
“Anthony is just a force,” said Staver of Smith, who has been a varsity player since his freshman year.
And after an injury-shortened junior year, Thomas will once again put up 3-pointers from the wing.
“J.T. has looked good in practice,” Staver added. “He’s going to surprise a lot of people this year.”
In addition to that core group of starters, Staver can call on several returning players, including seniors Carter Funk and Tyler Hall, and juniors Erby Weller, Spencer Eddy, Traevon Kater, and Graison Michaljuk.
Looking at the Mid Penn Colonial, Staver sees competition coming from cross-county rival Waynesboro, coached by Tom Hoffman. “They had the best JV player in the division last year,” said Staver. “They’re always tough. Boiling Springs will be tough as well. Any team with Trey Martin is good.”
Long-time rival Northern, which beat Ship twice last year, lost not only star Nate McGill to graduation, but coach Kyle McGill resigned at the end of the season to be able to watch his sons play in college.
Coach Staver pointed out, “They might have lost some good players, but the players they have are used to success.”
Notes: Shippensburg opens the season Friday night at 6pm in the Gettysburg Tournament against last year’s District 3, 2A winner, Lancaster Mennonite. Gettysburg takes on New Oxford in the night cap. The winners play Saturday night at 7:30 for the championship. This years Shippensburg Christmas tournament will only have three teams. The Greyhounds will play Susquehanna Township at home on the 28th, Township plays at Central Dauphin East on the 29th, and East will travel to Shippensburg on the 30th.