Since ditching a knee brace he wore for Ozark’s first 15 games, Jace Whatley has been encouraged by results he posted in the weight room.
“We were testing our vertical (jump) on mats and I had been jumping with the brace. I was jumping 28 (inches) about a month ago,” Whatley said. “Since I've been going without the brace, I jumped a 31 or 32 the other day.”
The Ozark senior center is also looking like his old self again while running on the hardwood.
Whatley repeatedly beat his counterpart from Willard downcourt during his 16-point night Tuesday in Ozark’s 69-58 victory.
“Without (the brace), I can run the court so much faster,” Whatley said. “I can get downcourt, post up on some guards and and get some easy points. I had a guard on my back for half the night tonight and I can easily score on them.”
Whatley has proven to be more athletic and faster than most centers he’s come across since arriving on the varsity scene as a sophomore two years ago. But his athleticism hadn’t been nearly as evident for much of this season, as he wore a brace to protect his right knee following rehab from a partially torn MCL he suffered last football season.
For the third game of Ozark’s trip to the Shawnee Mission West (Kansas) Tournament, Whatley played without the brace for the first time. He hasn’t wore the brace since.
Last week at Glendale, he recorded a double-double.
“I have felt so much more free,” he said. “I'm back to normal. I feel more agile, faster and can jump higher. I like like I'm not weighted down. (The brace) was definitely heavy.”
“He's played really well without (the brace),” coach Mark Schweitzer said. “Anytime you have an injury and have to wear something to protect it, it can't be good for your confidence. The fact he's been able to shed (the brace), you can see him gaining confidence. He’s looking better and better with each game. We've just got to keep it rolling with him.”
Whatley also could feel good about his free throws Tuesday. He was 4-for-5 at the foul line, a marked improvement from free-throw woes that have haunted him whether he’s been wearing a brace or not.
“I had a great night tonight for free throws. But the last few games I hadn't been so lucky,” Whatley said. “One game in Kansas City, I was 3-for-12 and another night I was 2-for-8.
“I've practiced my free throws during practices and on my own. It showed during the game tonight,” he added. “It’s kind of like sprinting. You practice, practice practice and get good at it. Take a week off and I started declining. I've just got to practice every day.”
Whatley and forward Kylan Pickren combined for 18 of Ozark’s 29 points in the fourth quarter. Whatley actually started the hosts' late barrage by banking in a layup at the buzzer for the end of the third quarter.
Pickren had a trio of 3s in the fourth quarter.
Suddenly, a back and forth contest for three quarters saw Ozark hold a double-digit lead.
“Kylan started catching fire with 3 after 3 and before you knew it, we were up by 10,” Whatley said. “It was over by then.”
Pickren scored a season-high 28 points at Glendale. But he didn’t get near as many touches offensively late in the game as Schweitzer would have liked. Pickren’s teammates were much more aware to feed him the ball against Willard.
“The more confidence they have in me the more confident it makes me to knock down shots,” Pickren said. “I’m always confident in myself. But when they look for me, it's a great feeling.”
Ozark broke away following a stern scolding from Schweitzer to his players during a timeout in the final minute of the third quarter.
“That's how he coaches. As you can see, it works,” Pickren said. “We all respond well to it because it's not the first time it’s happened. He does that in practice, That's his personality. No one's scared of it or thinks that he's mad at us. We play off of it. How much he wants to win pushes us. It helps us play harder, gives us energy and helps us get rolling when we're stagnant.”
Ozark wrapped up its win by finishing 12-of-13 on its free throws. Backing up Pickren and Whatley were Phin Scott with 12 points and Hudson Roberts with 11.
“We've been in a lot of close games and haven't performed our best," Schweitzer said. "It was good to see us finally learn from past mistakes and do some things well. I'm very proud of our effort.”
Ozark (6-12 overall and 1-0 in the COC) visits Webb City on Friday, before being at home next week against Branson, Carthage and Neosho.
“The conference championship is still on the table for us. That's what we're playing for,” Schweitzer said. “We’re going to take them one at a time and see how it shakes out. I believe this team is trending up and I believe we will be playing our best basketball when it matters most.”
