44TH DISTRICT BOYS HOOPS PREVIEW: Madison Central Indians

Nov. 24—Madison Central coach Allen Feldhaus Jr., knew his team's starting line-up would look dramatically different this season.

He didn't realize, though, just how much things had changed until the Indians (19-15) took the court for their first game last summer.

"I just said, 'Wow. This was our JV team last year,'" Feldhaus said.

The Indians lost four seniors to graduation.

And they combined to score almost 1,900 points and pull down more than 700 rebounds as Central claimed another 44th District Tournament title.

"We lost 97 percent of our scoring," Feldhaus said.

Central returns just one starter — senior Eli Steele — and will look to a group of players with very limited varsity experience to step into the line-up.

"The preseason has been great," Feldhaus said. "We may not be very talented. We may not be very big, but we've got a great group of kids. It's been a fun bunch. They all have great attitudes."

Steele is — undoubtedly — the leader of that group.

He broke into the rotation as a sophomore and then played in all 34 games last season. The forward averaged just four points a game, but also provided a solid defensive presence while almost never leaving the court.

"You know what you are going to get from Eli on both ends of the floor. He's smart. He is tough," Feldhaus said of Steele.

The senior displayed that toughness during football season.

The quarterback suffered a badly broken arm in a game with Johnson Central on Aug. 18, then returned to the field less than two months later.

"He is 100 percent. He is ready to go," Feldhaus said of Steele.

The Indians have two other seniors on the roster — neither of which have any real varsity experience.

Jacob Landsaw appeared in only 12 games last season. The undersized guard is a good shooter and brings some grit to Central's starting line-up.

"He can be nasty at times, but when you are that little — you better be," Feldhaus said of Landsaw.

Tye Thomas played in nine games last season, scoring just eight points. The 6-foot-6 senior center, though, gives the Indians a dynamic — especially on offensive — they haven't had in recent years.

"Tye is comfortable with his back to the basket and is a good passer. He can do some good things," Feldhaus said. "I think he will surprise some people and he is going to keep getting better."

Luke Asher also got just a few varsity minutes last season. The 6-foot-4 sophomore is strong, tough and can play center or forward.

"That gives us some size. We hope we can play them together," Feldhaus said of Thomas and Asher.

Cody Morrison (20 games in 2022-23, 2.3 points a game) got the opportunity to really showcase his skills this summer. The junior wing led the team in scoring, solidifying his spot in the starting line-up.

"He is our most athletic player," Feldhaus said of Morrison. "He can get the basket off the drive. He is explosive."

Landon Ray also had an impressive offseason.

The junior ran the point for the JV last season and Feldhaus is confident he is ready to take over that role at the varsity level.

"He got better as the summer went along. He is going to do what you tell him to do — with no questions asked," Feldhaus said of Ray. "We like that about him."

In addition to Asher, the Indians have five other sophomores — Joe Powers, Jayden Bingham, Cam Steele, Will Richardson and Maddox Hamilton — who will press for playing time. They were all part of a freshman team which went 24-3 last season.

"We will give them all a try," Feldhaus said of the sophomores.

In the past couple of years, the Indians haven't gotten — or expected — much production from anyone outside of the starting line-up.

That won't be the case this season.

"We are going to have some depth," Feldhaus said. "There's really not much difference 1 through 12 (on the roster)."

It may take the Indians a while to figure out a new rotation.

And while they do, they may struggle — especially with a schedule that features plenty of Top 25 opponents.

"This team will improve more than any I've ever had just because we don't have any experience," Feldhaus said. "It takes a while to get comfortable playing varsity basketball when you are used to playing on the freshmen and JV teams. They are the kind of kids who will keep fighting. So, as a coaching staff, we need to be patient."