The Fayette Falcons open the 2023-24 basketball season without their leading scorer from a year ago but return three starters and an experienced bench.

Coach Jon Bishop is back for his sixth year as head coach, hoping to lead the Falcons to their first winning season since 2021. Fayette posted a 7-19 record last year and finished 8-16 the year before.

Fayette graduated four starting seniors from last year, including scoring leader Chase Allen-Jackman, starting post player Malakai Graves, and guards Ben Wells and Carmello Hockaday.

Senior shooting guard Tristan Swanson was a part-time starter as a junior last year and will likely become a permanent member of the starting five.

Fellow sharpshooter Kevin De La Torre, now a junior, will also get the starting nod.

But Bishop said he doesn’t want to be a team that relies only on 3-point shooting. “We don’t want to be just a 3-point team or a layup team. It seems that’s the way the game is changing. We want to be able to post some guys up. We want to work on the mid-range. That’s one thing that Kevin has bought into in practice. It’s not all about the 3-point shot. We want to add that extra dimension to our game.”

Junior guard Kaleb Friebe, who hones his skills on a competitive travel team in the offseason, is another returning starter. Bishop called Friebe an intelligent, enthusiastic player whose outside shooting is improving. He will likely bring the ball down the court for Fayette this season.

“He brings a ton of energy and enthusiasm,” Bishop said. “He’s a very smart player. It’s a rare occasion when you have to explain something to him. He does it, and he does it well. His shot really improved at the end of last year. We will definitely rely on him this season. If we can get him going, I think he’s going to be a huge bonus for us.”

A key returner this year will undoubtedly be Payton Oeth. The 6’3 sophomore earned starting time during the second half of his freshman season. He’s big, strong, raw, and athletic, and started to develop into a legitimate basketball player late last season.

“He’s got that raw athletic ability, and he had a good season in football. I think that always helps,” Bishop said. “I think he’s got a really good mindset. He’s a great kid and a very coachable kid. I think his shot has improved a little bit. Peyton is a player that we will look for probably on most possessions. When he’s on the floor, he definitely presents some matchup problems for other teams. I think that’s definitely one of the things we’ve got going for us.”

Junior Micah Estes, fresh off a strong season as running back on the football team, will have to change gears from running through linemen to finessing his shot as a likely starter this season.

Bishop also expects substantial contributions from some underclassmen on the bench. He pointed to junior Thomas Elliott, who he said has shown significant improvement. 

Regarding bench players vying for varsity minutes, Bishop said his team has become very competitive. “Any time you have that, it’s a good thing,” he said. “There are definitely some question marks going on right now.”

Fayette’s fluid in-and-out style offense will feed off its defense. While many teams have adopted the philosophy of playing a full-court press for 32 minutes in the hopes of scoring transition layups and wearing down their opponents, Bishop said his team will primarily debut a half-court defense.

“I think that’s going to be our strongest point,” Bishop said. “Close out and box out, and really help off on defense, and really make sure we’re denying passing lanes.”

Bishop also said he isn’t dedicated to just playing man-to-man or zone. The scheme will change game to game and maybe even possession to possession.

“We’ve always been an everything-and-the-kitchen-sink type of team,” Bishop said. “We’ll run whatever we think will give us the most success.”

Fayette will debut against a familiar foe next week. Seeded seventh, the Falcons take on second-seeded Harrisburg at 6 p.m. on Tuesday in the first round of the storied Glasgow Invitational Tournament.

“It’s going to be tough,” Bishop said. “Harrisburg was solid last year. I think they’re going to try and prove something. They’re coming back to the Glasgow tournament after taking a break for a while. They’re a good program that plays up. They’ve got another deep team this year. I think the seating played out to what it is going to be.”

An upset would likely pit Fayette against a strong Glasgow team in the semifinals. A loss would mean Fayette would likely face former conference foe Slater. 

Fayette upset Slater in the opening round of the tournament last year.

“I think we overachieved a little bit last year by winning our first game as a sixth seed,” Bishop recalled. “We’re going to look to try and do that again.”

Fayette has a long history against Harrisburg. The Bulldogs hold a 20-7 record over the Falcons since 2008 and have beaten Fayette five straight times.

Fayette opens the regular season with a gauntlet of four straight road games, beginning with a bout at New Franklin on Dec. 5. The Bulldogs haven’t lost much from last year’s state-ranked team and could make a big run into the Class 2 postseason this year.

Three days later, the Falcons head to Class 3 Brookfield. Fayette then travels to conference rival Harrisburg and then to Pilot Grove.

The Falcons finally open their home campaign against Lewis & Clark Conference opponent Scotland County on Monday, Dec. 18.

This marks Fayette’s final year as a member of the Lewis & Clark Conference. Fayette has been a part of the L&C since it was established 50 years ago.

Fayette and fellow L&C member Harrisburg voted to leave the conference to help form the Central State 8 with six other teams starting next year.

Bishop said moving to a new conference is new and refreshing. “I think it’s fitting that we will go with Harrisburg, and we look forward to the challenge.”

While some may miss those storied conference rivalries, Fayette will likely keep some of those games on its schedule in the future. And teams such as Westran and Marceline are long-time stalwarts in the Glasgow Tournament.

The Missouri State High School Activities Association announced new class and district assignments on Friday. Fayette will remain in Class 2 District 7, which includes powerhouse teams New Franklin and defending state champion Salisbury. Glasgow, a Class 1 final four team last season, moved up to Class 2 and will compete in District 7 as well, taking the place of Harrisburg, which moved east to District 5. 

Westran is also among those tough District 7 teams, and Bishop said he thinks the Hornets could sneak away with the title. “It doesn’t make it easy. I don’t know that it creates an easy path for us,” Bishop said. “It’s a whole new season when you get to districts. Things change, and you figure out another way to compete at a different level.”

Coach Bishop said a primary focus for his team this year will be playing together better. “I believe in what we’ve got. I believe in the product we’re putting out right now. We’re getting a lot of hard work out of our young guys. I think the bigger thing is making sure we keep a positive attitude. It’s a long season, and we’ve got to stay focused.”