Basketball: Mueller's Growth Stretches Game

Staff Photo CHIP SOUZA Jeremy Mueller, Farmington senior, has moved from point guard to forward this season after growing three inches in the past year. Mueller and the Cardinals will open their new arena on Friday when they host Greenbrier in 5A-West Conference action.
Staff Photo CHIP SOUZA Jeremy Mueller, Farmington senior, has moved from point guard to forward this season after growing three inches in the past year. Mueller and the Cardinals will open their new arena on Friday when they host Greenbrier in 5A-West Conference action.

FARMINGTON -- Jeremy Mueller looked around the palace that will be Farmington's new basketball arena and pointed out all the amenities it will offer.

"Over there is where the students section will be," Mueller said pointing to a section of seats in the corner. "Down there is our weight room and around on the other side is our locker rooms."

At A Glance

Jeremy Mueller

School: Farmington

Class: Senior

Height: 6-4

Notable: Was the team’s point guard last season, but has moved to forward this season after growing about three inches in the past year. … Averaging 15 points per game this season for the Cardinals. … Plans to attend Baylor University.

Farmington (9-4, 0-1) will open its new arena on Friday as it hosts Greenbrier in a 5A-West Conference clash. The Cardinals are in a new conference, and will move to a new arena in the same season.

Mueller is also enjoying something new this season -- three new inches of growth that has seen him sprout to 6-foot-4 and a new position as the Cardinals' forward after playing point guard last season.

"Jeremy started every game for us last year at point," Farmington coach Beau Thompson said. "He wasn't necessarily a point guard, but he was the closest thing we had to it. This season we were lucky to get Matt Wilson and that has allowed us to move Jeremy down to the baseline where they operate the best.

"Having Jeremy at the four presents a lot of matchup problems. He can shoot the three if you leave him out there, or he can drive by you. Jeremy is averaging seven free-three attempts a game this season because of it, and he's a 75-percent free-throw shooter."

Mueller said he added about 10 pounds since last season in anticipation of the move to the low block, and the change in classification from 4A to 5A. The Cardinals had a rough opening to the new league on Friday night, losing 68-48 to Maumelle on the road. Mueller had 10 points in the loss.

Farmington's move to the higher classification will open a whole new set of rivals. The Cardinals move away from their longtime foes like Prairie Grove, Gravette and the rest of the old 4A-1 Conference teams.

"It will be different this year, no doubt," Mueller said. "We were used to playing Prairie Grove and Lincoln. We played those guys every year, so we kind of knew the way they played and the style they played. But now it will be different with 5A because a lot of us are going into it not knowing who the players are, what they're going to run, their style of play. So it will be a lot different."

The move to the post has seen Mueller's scoring average jump to around 15 points per game from around 8 per game as a junior, Thompson said. He is also averaging around 4.5 rebounds per game.

Thompson said the biggest factor in Mueller's increase in scoring has been his ability to get to the free-throw line.

"Jeremy has really worked on his free throws and he's getting a lot of chances because he's able to drive to the basket," Thompson said. "When larger post players come out to guard him, he's able to use his dribble to get by them and he's drawing fouls. If you can get to the free-throw line like he has been doing six to seven times a game, and you're a 70-percent shooter, that is big."

Sophomore Matt Thomas and Mueller have greatly benefited from the play of sophomore Wilson at the point, Thompson said. Last season Thomas also spent time bringing the ball up. This season Mueller and Thomas have been able to focus more on attacking the basket.

The Cardinals are looking forward to playing in the new facility after closing their old gym with a win over Prairie Grove back in December.

"It's pretty incredible," Mueller said. "It will be a little bit different environment, but it's awesome. It will be cool to play in front of a lot more people that will probably come out and watch to see the new arena.

"We're taking bets on who will score the first goal in the new gym."

Sports on 01/11/2015

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