Gray a guest speaker at Four-State basketball event

Nevada Tigers varsity basketball head coach, Shaun Gray (left), discusses Nevada's 2016-17 season outlook at Old Chicago in Joplin on Saturday. Pictured with Gray, are Tiger varsity players (from left) Patrick Ferry, Dalton Gayman and Clay Gayman. (Photo by Matt Resnick/Daily Mail)

Nevada Tigers head boys varsity coach, Shaun Gray, was a guest-speaker at Saturday's 4-State Basketball Coaches Association Tip-Off Club luncheon.

Basketball coaches from high schools such as Webb City, Joplin, Neosho, Carthage, and Pittsburg (Kan.) were also present for the event, which took place in the banquet room at Old Chicago in Joplin.

The initial intent of the event was to promote the launching of the new 4-state basketball website. However, it was announced at the beginning of the gathering that the website launch had been delayed.

At the event, various coaches discussed their desire to bring basketball back into the spotlight, specifically in Joplin and other areas of southwest Missouri.

Several coaches indicated that the success of Joplin-area football teams over the past 15 years or so, has shoved area basketball out of the spotlight.

"The mission of the 4-State Area Coaches Association is to promote high school basketball in our area," said Jason Horn, Webb City head boys basketball coach and president of the association.

"We want to help promote area athletes and to give area coaches a voice in hopes of making the level of play continue to grow, and to get us where other parts of the state are envious of what we have."

The four-state area is comprised of Missouri, Kansas, Arkansas, and Oklahoma.

According to Horn, the website, upon launch, will include player stats, feature stories, and comprehensive coverage of member teams.

In Gray's opening remarks, he addressed local media coverage.

"We're lucky in Nevada," the third year Nevada High School head hoops coach said. "We get covered probably as well by our local media as anybody."

Gray continued, "We're pretty grateful for that. But even though we have that, we know that (the 4-states website) will help the overall brand of basketball (in southwest Missouri)."

Gray spoke glowingly of the Nevada Daily Mail and KNEM-KNMO Radio.

"We want what we have in Nevada to be what we can get for everybody here in the Joplin area," he said.

Gray then introduced four NHS varsity players who were present, and also discussed the 2016-17 outlook for Nevada Tiger basketball, who won its season opener 60-53 Tuesday night over St. Pius.