B-ball squad begins work with new coach
Upperclassman Owen O’Dell and his Excelsior Springs varsity boys basketball teammates are spending their offseason getting to know Doug Burnett, their new coach.A graduate of Park Hill South High School, Burnett has held various head and assistant coaching jobs. His most recent stint was at Penney of Hamilton, where he led the Hornets to a third-place finish in the Class 2 state tournament last season – the school’s first top-four finish at state in boys basketball in 45 years.Burnett’s coaching approach differs from that of Burnett’s predecessor, Ian Burch, O’Dell said Monday after Excelsior Springs’ two summer-league games at Lawson.“He does more live stuff – like, getting us up and down, keeping us active,” said O’Dell, who recently finished his junior year.Burnett also makes sure O’Dell and his fellow Tigers are “consistently shooting around,” and tweaks their passing and s...