When the Higbee boys took the court a year ago, they were without a leader. That resulted in three straight losses in December before the Tigers changed gears to finish with an overall record of 21-8 and a runner-up finish in the Class 1 District 10 Tournament. This year, coach Tanner Burton returns his starting five, which consists of two seniors and three juniors who collectively averaged 10.5 points per game last year.

Last year was also the first without All-State Derek Rockett, who graduated two years ago after scoring more than 2,500 career points. The consensus among many was that Higbee would drop off the Class 1 radar, but the Tigers proved their program had lasting power.

“We won when no one expected us to, and this year we will be expected to win,” Burton said. “I believe the guys will buy into that mantra and sell out to being the best team every time we walk on the floor. I think the sky is the limit for these guys.”

Leading the way is 6’2 senior Danny Janssen, an All-Stater who averaged 19.9 points and 7.7 rebounds last year to go along with a 70.7 free-throw shooting percentage. As dangerous on the perimeter as he is inside, Janssen averaged 34.5 percent from 3-point range last year.

“Danny broke out of the shadows and became a terrible matchup for most teams we faced,” Burton said about his scoring leader last season. “Danny will lead us to more success this season.”

Another 6’2 senior, Celton Crawford, returns after scoring 7.1 points and leading the team in rebounding with 9.3 boards a contest. Coach Burton calls him a swing player who mainly lives in the post. “Celton is gritty and works tirelessly on the defensive end for us. He brings intensity and energy to the game for us. He’s our spark plug and makes sure we are always going in the right direction. He is a great leader for our team.”

Leading a strong pack of juniors is another double-digit scorer. Aaron Welch averaged 11.1 points a game and made nearly a quarter of his 3-point shots last year.

“He became a pest for opposing teams and made highlight reels blocking threes last season,” Burton said.

Starting at point guard this year will be 6’1 junior Cale Nelson, who averaged 8.9 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 4.8 assists off the bench a year ago. “Cale really stepped up and embodied the role of being a point guard, dropping almost five dimes a game. I was proud of his effort and believe he will take it a step further this season,” Burton said.

Rounding out the starting rotation will be junior Hunter Dougherty. The 6’1 post earned significant playing time off the bench a season ago, averaging five points and 4.5 rebounds a night. Coach Burton said he thrives in the paint and doesn’t shy away from contact while delivering a soft touch on the ball.

Those experienced upperclassmen will lead the way with a cadre of sophomores waiting in the wings. First off the bench will likely be Blake Boggs, a 5’10 guard who Burton said stepped up in summer workouts. “Blake showed us last year he could be a threat attacking the rack. I suspect he will be a breakout player for us this season.”

Six-foot Xavier Gabing is another sophomore who will likely see some floor time when the Tigers go seven deep. Burton said he has the skills to contribute at a high level and can cause matchup issues if he plays with confidence.

From there, 5’11 guard Gavin Sneli and 5’10 post Lucas Cody, both sophomores, will fight for playing time.

“These young men stepped up and won 21 games for our fourth consecutive 21-plus win season and played in our fifth consecutive district title game last year,” Burton said.
“After losing 4,000 points in scoring, no one expected that, or for us to have a district player of the year and an All-State player. These kids want to put their own stamp on the basketball program, and I think they will do just that this season.”

Offensively, Burton said his team is well-balanced with kids who can play at all levels. “You will see us adapt to defenses, exploiting them with our offensive shifts. We are adding schemes to ensure we are leveraging our diverse scoring ability. Teams will be focused on Danny, so everyone has to be a threat to stretch out the floor. Returning the entire team means we bring back continuity, and they have a feel for playing with each other. This is huge at any level as they can play with a feel for the game and be loose.”

Burton contends he has four players who can consistently put up 20 or more points, and shooters who can knock down six to eight 3-point shots on any given night.

“When you combine that with the experience we have and that we gained last year, we are set up to thrive,” he said. “We have a comfort level with moving the ball in our offense and how to exploit opposing defenses and mismatches every time we take the floor.”

On the other side of the ball, Higbee’s lanky lineup expects to cause frustration in the opponents in the full and half-court. The Tigers were ranked 12th in points allowed in defense across all Class 1 teams a year ago, running a stingy 1-3-1 zone. “We look to add some trapping looks, pressure, and man-to-man this year,” Burton said. “We are going to push our guys early in the season to see what we can execute at a high level and what can be something we can add. We have good defensive IQ, and the guys should be able to thrive in chaos.”

Burton returns for his 13th season leading a team that has become a Class 1 powerhouse. Over the past five seasons, the Tigers have won 115 games and played in five consecutive district championships. They have also gone 34-2 at home in that span. But Higbee won’t have home-court advantage much this season, with only seven home games on the schedule. And four of those come all in a row in early January.

Instead, Higbee will be traveling not only to CLAA Conference schools, but across the state to shootouts in Moberly, Kansas City, St. Joseph, Tipton, and Harrisburg. The action starts on the road at LaPlata tomorrow (Thursday) with a 6 p.m. tipoff. The Tigers then face state runner-up St. Elizabeth on Saturday in a shootout that Burton organized at Central Christian College of the Bible in Moberly.

Higbee stays on the road until Dec. 15 when the Tigers make their home debut against Bevier. It’s the only home game of the first semester.

Another schedule highlight will be a game at Hy-Vee Arena in Kansas City. The Tigers will take on Lone Jack for the fifth annual 12 Courts of Christmas on Dec. 22. Higbee closes out 2025 on Dec. 30 against Highland at the Peak Sport & Spine Shootout at Moberly Area Community College.

The Tigers open the new year with a long road trip to St. Joseph to face the North Andrew Cardinals at 11:30 a.m. on Jan. 2. The next day, they travel to Tipton to face Weaubleau—the Class 1 runner-up two years ago—in the Latham Bank Shootout.

“We will run a gauntlet traveling the state,” Burton said. The schedule still has one opening, and he hopes to add another high-caliber opponent.