Patience pays off as Markus Talley provides steady hand in leading Kernel boys basketball

Jan. 26—MITCHELL — Ryker Kreutzfeldt compares the Mitchell High School boys basketball program to a vehicle, one that takes the whole team to keep it operating as intended.

Navigating is Gavin Soukup. Applying pressure to the gas pedal is Colton Smith. Monitoring the gauges and providing support wherever necessary is an array of role players, including Gavin Hinker, Landen Soulek, Sutton Thompson and Parker Mandel.

But behind the wheel of this Kernel Express is junior Markus Talley, calmly and confidently steering Mitchell to a 10-1 start in his first season running the show as the lead guard.

"It's a new role with all the seniors who left, but it's good to be the point guard," Talley said. "Everyone has their role, and everyone can contribute. I'm just having fun."

Talley's ascendance hasn't always been straightforward.

Two seasons ago, as a freshman, Talley had already earned a spot on the varsity roster. However, he saw limited playing time, appearing in five of 24 games.

"He probably should have played, but there was a little bit of maturing he still needed to do," said Kreutzfeldt, who was in his first season as the Kernels' head coach at the time. "We really try to make guys earn their stripes to get playing time, but he probably could've helped us his freshman year."

"It was kind of difficult (to be patient). I would've liked to play two years ago, but I was just waiting my turn," Talley said. "I was just thinking about staying ready and knew if I got my turn, I would be ready."

To begin the 2022-23 campaign, Talley was looked to as a regular contributor off the varsity bench. But as Kreutzfeldt recalls, the coaching staff challenged Talley to dominate junior varsity games, which he promptly did. After a half-dozen games, Talley was inserted into the starting five, where he stayed the remainder of the season.

On a roster laden with seniors, Talley summoned breakout performances on the biggest stage. During the 2023 Class AA state tournament, he led the Kernels in scoring with 41 points over three games, including a team-high 16 points in the title game.

With his steady improvement as a sophomore punctuated by his state tournament showing, expectations grew entering Talley's junior campaign. True to form, he's delivered on them and then some to help Mitchell take over the No. 1 ranking in Class AA for the first time in 12 years, as the Kernels aim for a fourth consecutive state tournament berth.

"He's been everything on both ends of the floor," Kreutzfeldt said of Talley. "He's really taken a step forward this year offensively and defensively and elevated himself onto the shortlist for best player in the state, in my opinion."

In support of Kreutzfeldt's claim that he's one of the best the state has to offer, Talley is averaging 17 points, six rebounds, four assists and two steals per game. He ranks first or second on the Kernels' roster in each of those categories. Despite having the ball in his control with such frequency, the 6-foot-1 guard, who's a lefty but is equally adept with his right, turns the ball over fewer than two times per game while maintaining an assist-to-turnover ratio upward of 2.5.

On defense, he's accepted a challenge to be a top perimeter defender, guarding the opposition's best player and holding them under their scoring average almost without exception.

With his influence on both ends of the floor, Talley effectively never leaves the court, usually coming off only if he gets into foul trouble or the game is well in hand. He shakes his head and admits it can be tiring, but he also wouldn't have it any other way.

Perhaps the most worrying part for the other Class AA squads: Talley still has a year and a half left to go, and the MHS coaching staff doesn't think he's reached his peak.

"We still feel like there's more in there," Kreutzfeldt said. "I don't think Markus Talley is done getting better yet."

And it's not just Talley's play on the court that stands out. It's his demeanor while he sizes up opponents: Commanding, yet quiet. Confident, but humble.

That quality doesn't go unnoticed, either, as fans are interested to point out to Kreutzfeldt.

"I get so many comments, 'Geez, that Markus, he's good, and he doesn't say a word out there. He just plays,'" Kreutzfeldt said. "He doesn't take himself too seriously, even though he probably could because he's that good."

Even while the attention starts to grow, Talley is staying true to what's got him this far: playing hard and having a good time with friends he's shared the court with since long before they donned varsity basketball jerseys.

"I just like playing with these guys. We've grown up together, so it's fun and a little different than last year," Talley said. "It's just a game at the end of the day, so I'm just trying to have fun."