None of the basketball players at Prairie were born when James Moses starred for the University of Iowa basketball team 20 years ago.

If they know about his tip-in that beat Indiana in overtime in 1991, it’s from history books or from watching Big Ten classics on TV.

They probably don’t know he was Iowa’s co-MVP in 1991 and that he’s the 14th-leading scorer in school history. But know this: Their new head coach is determined to lead Prairie out of the wilderness of boys’ basketball.

The Prairie Hawks have struggled in recent years, losing games and losing players to rival schools. Moses plans to change that.

“Hopefully news travels fast, and those players that may look elsewhere, hopefully they’ll see there’s a style of basketball that I think they will appreciate,” he said.

Part of that style will be borrowed from the pages of Dr. Tom Davis, his coach at the University of Iowa who led the Hawkeyes to nine NCAA tournaments in 13 years during his tenure in Iowa City.

“We’re definitely going to have some Tom Davis influence in what we do at Prairie,” Moses declared. “Let’s just say Tom Davis has definitely been an influence on me.”

Moses plans to play an up-tempo game, with multiple presses and multiple substitutions, just like Dr. Tom. “We’re going to cover the whole court,” he promised.

Moses, 41, is an Iowan now. He came to the UI from California and stayed. His stepdaughter, Jade Rogers, plays basketball for the Iowa women’s basketball team and he works during the day as a probation agent for the Iowa Department of Corrections.

“I feel very blessed,” he said. “Iowa has been very good to me. I’ve made Iowa my home.”

Moses served eight years as an assistant boys’ basketball coach at Washington High School, spent one year as an assistant at Mount Mercy last season and has coached AAU teams. This is his first shot at being a head coach for a high school team.

“Personally I feel honored to have the opportunity to be able to coach at Prairie,” he said. “It says a lot about the administration and the Prairie community that wanted me to be a part of their growth. I appreciate the support and I’m looking forward to seeing what I can do.”

Prairie struggled through a 4-17 campaign last season with a young club, but they gained valuable experience and eight lettermen return. The top returning scorers are Matt MacDougall (9.4 points), Brandon Lafferty (8.0), Matt Jantzen (6.7) and Jace Hanna (5.7), followed by Jerome Frazier, Chaz Boots, Blaine Hilgenkamp and Curtis Kelly.

“I think we’ll be competitive,” Moses said. “I think people lose sight that we do have some experience.

“Each year is a new year. Everybody starts off 0-and-0,” he said. “These kids, with hopefully my influence, we get a chance to start our own journey. A new era is taking place, and we’re just looking forward to the opportunity totry to be as prepared as we possibly can.”

ROSTER

Seniors (8)

Jerome Frazier (5-8), Luke Hanna (5-8), Blaine Hilgenkamp (5-11), Preston Bradford (6-1), Matthew Jantzen (6-3), Brandon Lafferty (6-3), Chaz Boots (6-1), Curtis Kelley (6-3).

Juniors (7)

Jacob Aune (6-2), Brooks Kehoe (6-1), Austin Dellamuth (5-11), Matthew MacDougall (6-3), Carson Goodale (5-11), Garrett Rasmussen (6-3), Trenton Schulte (6-0).

Sophomores (2)

Jace Hanna (6-1), Thomas Eilers (6-3).

SCHEDULE

Tuesday, Nov. 30 — at Davenport West, 7:30 p.m.

Friday, Dec. 3 — at North Scott, 7:30 p.m.

Saturday, Dec. 4 — Muscatine, 6:30 p.m.

Tuesday, Dec. 7 — at Mount Pleasant, 7:45 p.m.

Friday, Dec. 10 — at Washington, 7:30 p.m.

Tuesday, Dec. 14 — Waterloo West, 7:30 p.m.

Friday, Dec. 17 — at Linn-Mar, 7:30 p.m.

Tuesday, Jan. 4 — at Waterloo East, 7:30 p.m.

Friday, Jan. 7 — Iowa City High, 7:30 p.m.

Tuesday, Jan. 11 — at Dubuque Senior, 7:30 p.m.

Friday, Jan. 14 — at Xavier, 7:30 p.m.

Friday, Jan. 21 — Iowa City West, 7:30 p.m.

Saturday, Jan. 22 — at Mount Vernon, 6:30 p.m.

Tuesday, Jan. 25 — at Kennedy, 7:30 p.m.

Friday, Jan. 28 — Linn-Mar, 7:30 p.m.

Tuesday, Feb. 1 — Dubuque Hempstead, 7:30 p.m.

Friday, Feb. 4 — at Iowa City High, 7:30 p.m.

Tuesday, Feb. 8 — Dubuque Wahlert, 7:30 p.m.

Friday, Feb. 11 — Xavier, 6 p.m.

Tuesday, Feb. 15 — at Cedar Falls, 7:30 p.m.

Thursday, Feb. 17 — Jefferson, 7:30 p.m.

Feb. 21, 25, March 1 — Substate

March 7-13 — State, Des Moines