Kael Combs' tear continues by putting college coaches in stands, Nixa in control of its destiny

Before Nixa was set to take on Republic in a battle between the two best teams in southwest Missouri, senior star Kael Combs and first-year head coach Brock Blansit sat down and talked about the season so far.

Blansit talked about the decision he made over the summer to move Combs over to point guard when he had been playing a different position for his entire life.

The head coach, who had been a longtime assistant on the Nixa bench before, thought he would excel even after losing an all-state point guard who led the Eagles to a state championship appearance the previous year.

But after the last few weeks, Blansit admitted he didn't think it would work out this well.

"I had a vision for what this would look like," Blansit said. "I can't honestly say I envisioned this for him."

Combs has caught the attention of everyone in the area and Division I college coaches regionally with a recent stretch of outstanding games he's put together. He continued it with a 28-point performance on Tuesday night in a 62-58 win over Republic.

The win put the Eagles at 21-0 this season and they are in control as the likely top seed in the daunting Class 6, District 5 tournament. They are also in the driver's seat to win the Central Ozark Conference by knocking off the Tigers, who came into the game unbeaten in COC play.

"This season is something that I thought definitely could happen," Combs said. "My teammates just keep on fighting and keep on pushing. It was definitely something I knew we could accomplish, but it wasn't something I was thinking about."

Nixa's undefeated start comes a year after it finished as the Class 6 runner-up while having to replace a legendary coach, an all-state point guard and critical role players who helped make the run possible.

The Eagles found their rhythm with a handful of shooters and standouts who have risen to the occasion along the way. A Blue and Gold Tournament title might not have been possible without the play of Josh Peters and Garrett Hines. Noah Engelman does a little bit of everything that's needed and Devon Kemp proved to be heroic at times during Tuesday night's win.

At the same time, Blansit has stepped into the role that he's earned and has his team playing as well as anyone in the state. The Eagles were ranked No. 2 in Class 6 only behind Staley in the most recent Missouri Basketball Coaches Association poll.

"He's one of the best coaches around and maybe even the state," Combs said. "He's patient, he never yells and he's not a coach that instills fear and he earns all of our respect. We want to make a good first impression for him."

Combs' efforts on the court have reflected on Blansit throughout the entire season as he's made the move over to point guard. There is no better athlete in the Ozarks and it's been difficult for every defender in the area to stay in front of him, which allows him to get inside the paint where he can either take it to the basket or kick it out to a wide-open teammate when defenses collapse on him.

His 28-point performance on Tuesday is the latest in a long string of standout performances. He scored 33 in a win over Kickapoo on Feb. 1 and averaged 31.3 points per game throughout a three-day Nixa Invitational Tournament — including a 46-point, 11-rebound, eight-assist, four-steal output in a semifinal win over New Madrid County.

He followed the semifinal win by leading his team from 18 points down to a two-point win in which he hit the championship-game-winning shot at the buzzer against Troy for his 26th point of the game.

"I just think a lot of teams are getting tired," Combs said. "I think I just need to keep on their necks by getting to the basket, shooting 3's and doing whatever it takes. I also have a good supporting cast around me that's keeping me going.

"I'm also picking up interest from colleges so every game is definitely a game where I want to come out and prove myself."

College interest has been aplenty for Combs over this stretch.

After not having much communication with Missouri State coaches since he was offered early in his high school career, Combs said the recruitment from the Bears has been "heavy" over the last few weeks. Bears assistants were present on Tuesday night at Nixa Fieldhouse.

Abilene Christian also entered the conversation after it sent coaches to watch him lead the Eagles over the Tigers. He's also having frequent conversations with Saint Louis, Indiana State, Southeast Missouri State and Northwest Missouri State.

The basketball interest adds to his resume when he's also a three-star wide receiver with offers from Missouri State, Southern Miss, Toledo, Western Michigan, Eastern Michigan and South Dakota.

"It's been a humbling experience," Combs said. "I just want to keep my head down with my brothers around me and keep on playing like how we're supposed to. I put in the work every day so I definitely trusted I'd get back into this. It is definitely really, really cool to see this all play out. I'm just glad I kept my head down, didn't complain or give up or anything like that."

Before Combs makes his collegiate decision, he's focused on leading the Eagles on what he hopes is another deep postseason run. The focus is on a road trip to play a tough Carthage squad while hoping to win out the rest of the COC season.

Then it's on to the most difficult district in southwest Missouri which doesn't feature a single pushover. Kickapoo, Republic, Central, Neosho, Joplin, Carthage and Ozark have all shown they're capable of beating anyone on any given night.

But if Combs continues to play the way he has been, anything is possible for the Eagles.

"This win meant a ton to us," Combs said. "We just want to finish the regular season strong and I think this one helps us out in the long term."

Wyatt D. Wheeler is a reporter and columnist with the Springfield News-Leader. You can contact him at 417-371-6987, by email at wwheeler@news-leader.com or Twitter at @WyattWheeler_NL. He's also the co-host of Sports Talk on Jock Radio weekdays from 4-6 p.m.

This article originally appeared on Springfield News-Leader: Kael Combs updates recruitment after Nixa win over Republic