Prep basketball preview: 2007 Cinderella is young in 2008

** Editor’s note: This is part of a series of stories previewing the 2007-08 4A prep basketball season. See future editions of the Frontiersman for profiles of the Colony, Houston and Wasilla boys and girls basketball squads.

PALMER — Last season, the Palmer Moose were the Cinderella story of the Northern Lights Conference Tournament.

The Moose entered the tourney as an afterthought, and left with a one-way ticket to the state tourney.

To make a second straight trip to the state tournament, the Moose may have to follow the same pattern they did last year — mainly survive some early tests and weather a few storms.

Palmer returns only two full-time varsity players from a squad that finished third in the 2006-07 NLC tourney.

Seniors T.J. Fullmer and Mitch Bergeron are the veterans head coach Greg Fullmer is asking to lead the Moose into the 2007-08 campaign.

“This is probably the youngest team I’ve ever coached,” said Greg Fullmer, who is entering his 27th season as a basketball coach.

T.J. Fullmer is the lone starter returning, and the anchor of Palmer’s back court.

A 20-point per game scorer a year ago, the senior will start the season as the Moose point guard. As Palmer develops its other points guards, Greg Fullmer said, the Moose coaching staff hopes to move T.J. Fullmer to the two-guard spot, a more natural position for the shooter.

Greg Fullmer, T.J.’s dad, said his son, a starter since his sophomore year, “can shoot the heck out of the ball.” But it’s Palmer’s goal to make T.J. Fullmer more of an all-around threat.

“Our goal for him is to get his teammates involved more,” Greg Fullmer said. “A really good ball player makes their teammates better.”

The elder Fullmer feels he has a few point guards in the making that have potential to make an impact as the season progresses.

“We’ve got some other guys we really like,” Fullmer said.

Senior Jake Parisien — one of the top cross country runners in the state — is returning to the program after a year hiatus. The Moose also have junior guard Shaq Odom, who played mainly on the junior varsity squad last season.

Gone from the back court is Scott Cottrell, the spark plug of the 2006-07 squad. Cottrell is one of five seniors who are gone. The biggest hole left by graduation is undoubtedly in the front court.

Gone are forwards Nate Svedin and Quinton Fiscus, two players who were always among Palmer’s leaders in both scoring and rebounding.

“We’ll miss Nate Svedin and Quinton,” Fullmer said. “Our rebounding will be effected by that.”

At 6-foot-5, Bergeron will be asked to be a presence on the boards, and the Moose also have a bit of size with juniors Bryce Jacobson (6-4) and Jake Hillis (6-5).

“We’re not small, but we’re not the biggest team in town. We’re kind of lanky,” Fullmer said. “The kids are built like basketball players.”

With the pieces Palmer currently has, Fullmer expects to have a guard-heavy squad.

“We’ll have four guards on the floor most of the time, a lot of the time five,” Fullmer said. “We’re going to have to play great (defense), more up tempo.”

The Moose also have some pretty athletic newcomers to the squad. Fullmer is excited about a players such as senior Justin Draughon and junior Mitch Swetzof, who were both standouts on a Moose football squad that advanced to the state title game in October.

Fullmer has a young team that works hard and hustles. But what stands out most, Fullmer said, is just the fact he’s coaching a really good group of kids.

“I really like this group of kids,” Fullmer said. “They’re just happy, go-lucky.”

Palmer starts the season with the annual Palmer Elks Showdown at PHS. In the tourney this season are Houston, Bartlett and Chugiak.

In early January, the Moose head south to compete in a 16-team tournament hosted by Gilbert High School in Mesa, Ariz.

Contact Frontiersman sports editor Jeremiah Bartz at sports@frontiersman.com.