East Hamilton is set up to make an immediate impact on District 5-AAA boys basketball this season.
On Monday, the Hurricanes were projected to challenge rival Ooltewah for the 2013-14 league championship in a media poll conducted at the district media day held at Redemption Point Church on Ooltewah-Ringgold Road.
In that poll the Owls and Hurricanes each received four first-place votes and wound up to finish 1-2, respectively.
For Hurricanes coach Michael Stone, who grew up playing basketball in Chattanooga, playing Class AAA competition after being in District 6-AA since the school’s inception five years ago, is as excited as his players about the upcoming season.
“It’s kind of neat to have grown up and now have the chance to coach against schools that were perennial powers when I was playing,” he said. “To walk into their gyms for a district game with weight behind it is a pretty exciting experience.”
Rounding out the media poll were Walker Valley, Cleveland, Bradley Central, McMinn County and Soddy-Daisy.
The coaches poll had Ooltewah on top followed by Cleveland, Walker Valley, Bradley Central, East Hamilton, McMinn County and Soddy-Daisy.
East Hamilton did not garner a first-place in coaches balloting.
Tre Herndon may have impacted the voting.
Herndon, a Vanderbilt football commitment and one of the state’s top defensive backs who has helped the Hurricanes reach the Class 5A state playoffs, has decided not to play basketball this season.
Stone pointed out Herndon’s decision during his presentation.
“We’ve got a couple of roster changes and the most daunting is that Tre Herndon, a three-year varsity player and two-year starter, won’t be playing this year,” he said. “That’s a big loss. With that reduction in our lineup (plus the losses of four seniors, including Cody Knox and Dominic Powell) we’ve lost about 75 percent of our offense from last year. We also lost about 80 percent of our rebounding.
So, we’re a little bit behind the 8-ball right now. It doesn’t necessarily mean we’re on our heels, but we’ll be a little different than we thought we’d be a month ago.”
What the Hurricanes still have, however, is sophomore Kenny Bunton, the team’s leading returning scorer, and three players that transferred from McCallie and Deantae Jackson, a transfer from Oklahoma.
Bunton is the real buzz-guy.
The 6-foot-5-inch was the team’s third-leading scorer in 2012-13, averaging 10.7 points and 7.0 rebounds as a freshman. There were times Bunton disappear but on other occasions would play like a hardwood phenom.
“We’ll lean heavily on Kenny,” Stone said. “He’s our most touted recruit. This morning Cornell added him as an official recruit. Tennessee, Tennessee Tech, Georgia and UT-Chattanooga have all been in to see him and we’re excited to have him in our program.”
Another rising star is a freshman – Mac Brower, one of the players who joined the Hurricanes after previously having been at McCallie. Bower is a 6-foot point guard.
Stone expects a “significant contribution” from Brower this season.
“If we played today, Mac would be in the starting lineup,” Stone said. “He’s fighting for a starting job and he’ll make a contribution whether his name is called at the beginning of the game or not.”
Brower is also bringing college scouts to the East Hamilton campus.
Jeffery Coleman is another player who left McCallie for the public school sector Hurricanes and that move came “about 10 days ago,” Stone said. Coleman attended East Hamilton Middle School before his brief stay at McCallie.
“He’s practicing in a junior varsity role and the hardship papers have been filed and we’ll see what happens,” Stone said. “We’d love to have him playing for us.”
The third former McCallie player on the Hurricanes roster is junior Tracy Thompson, a 6-5 guard/forward who played in seven games last season, averaging four points and 2.3 rebounds per game.
East Hamilton, which opens the season against Hamilton Heights on Nov. 12, hosts McCallie on Nov. 21.
“That’ll be kind of interesting,” Stone said.
Jackson has raw basketball skills and is “more of a football player” at this stage of his athletic career, Stone said.
“He didn’t play football here because he was still in the moving process during the summer,” Stone said. “He probably would have started at outside linebacker, though. He’s been helping prepare us for the speed and athleticism we’ll see in this district.”
Another football player, tight end Bailey Lenoir, who has committed to UTC, is debating whether to play basketball his senior year.
Stone said senior guard Tyler Lowery, who missed several games last season with an injury, will be sidelined as much as a month after learning Sunday night he had mononucleosis.
Ooltewah
Was Monday a sign of things to come for the Owls?
Veteran coach Jesse Nayadley, who was recently promoted to an athletic director’s position, will coach the Owls this season but a decision on the 2014-15 season will be made next spring.
So, people had to wonder at Monday’s media day whether assistant coach Andre Montgomery, an unpaid Nayadley assistant for five years, was auditioning for to replace Nayadley. Montgomery joined the school as a full-time faculty member two days after Nayadley’s promotion
“I’m filling in for Jesse today because he’s in Knoxville attending an athletic director’s meeting,” said Montgomery, a former high-scoring guard at Notre Dame High and Tennessee Wesleyan College.
Two years ago the Owls finished 27-5 and lost to Memphis Central, 67-54, in the opening round of the state tournament. Last season they went 19-11 and had their season end in the sub-state round with an 84-58 loss to top-ranked Blackman, which got a game-high 24 points from Tennessee signee Darius Thompson.
“We had a good year but lost four seniors,” Montgomery said. “Ben Snider, a pretty good guard, will be our main guy this year. We’ll be young and that’s because we’ve got a lot of juniors and some of them didn’t get a lot of (playing) time last season.”
Against Blackman, Ooltewah got 39 points from players who are not on this year’s roster. Snider had a team-high 16 points.
“There won’t be dynamic changes,” Montgomery said. “Jesse is still the coach, but he always allowed me to have a free rein at practice. It has been business as usual with the kids.”
Montgomery was the head freshman coach and served as Nayadley’s right-hand man at varsity games as well.
The top-seeded Owls were upset by Walker Valley on a mid-court shot by Caio Hysinger at the final buzzer in the district tournament semifinals, but stormed back to reach the Region 3-AAA title game only to lose to Bradley Central.
The Mustangs’ first game is against Sevier County – another Hall of Fame contest – on Nov. 14.
Soddy-Daisy
Reid Daniels is one of two new coaches in the league – Stone has been at East Hamilton for five years – this season and that’s not the only change he envisions for the Trojans.
“We’ve finished last in the district for several years and we’re going to work to change that,” he said.
According to the coachT.com website, the Trojans have lingered in the league cellar for the past three years and they finished next to last in 2009-10, just ahead of 1-10 Rhea County.
“I was an assistant to coach (Kevin) Templeton for six years and had a lot of the kids in my class,” Daniels said, “so I already had a good relationship with them. I’m trying to change the mentality of those kids into being passionate and committed to each other about the program again.”
Two guys Daniels doesn’t have to worry about being “all in” with the program are seniors Tucker Landreth, a guard, and James York, a forward.
“They are key players for us,” Daniels said, “and were all-district players last year. Landreth was on the all-tournament team and York made the all-district (regular season) team.”
Adding depth to this year’s team are players who primarily focus on baseball – senior Christian Amos and junior Andy Wright. They’re probably playing basketball because baseball coach Jared Hensley agreed to help Daniels with the cagers.
Sophomore Tre Carter was expected to join the team Monday after wrapping up his duties with the Trojans’ football team.
As for the team’s style of play this season, Daniels said he’s still trying to figure out exactly what’s best for the Trojans. He said there will be changes on offense and defense.
The Trojans begin their season with a home game against Signal Mountain on Nov. 19.
Bradley Central
Long-time assistant Chuck Clark takes over for veteran head coach Kent Smith, who has taken a leave of absence to deal with continuing knee replacement recovery. Also gone is the heart of Bears basketball the past four years – guard Bryce Copeland.
“This is the second time I’ve addressed you guys,” Clark said. “Once when Kent was sick and then today. I’m taking over this year and he’ll decide in April or May whether he’ll be back.”
Clark said he would be happy with any decision Smith makes in the coming months.
“It may be just for one year and Kent comes back and I’m OK with that,” said Clark, who attended Bradley Central and played basketball for the Bears. “I’m never going to let my ego get in the way of my friendship with Kent.”
Clark didn’t have to wait for time long to face the first adversity with his first squad.
On Friday, point guard Baylor Terrell suffered a knee injury during the Bears’ football game against East Hamilton that could cost him the entire basketball season.
“His folks are trying to get an appointment at the Knoxville Orthopedic Center today or (Tuesday),” the coach said. “One trainer said he’d be out four to six weeks. Another trainer said he’s done. Clearly, our challenge is getting through to the New Year because we’ve still got 13 kids with the football team.
“We’ve got to hold down the fort and keep the ship sailing. We’re a talented team but a lot of that talent is still playing football.”
Without Copeland guiding the Bears, somebody has to take over that role but Clark is still looking for that person to step up, adding that “nobody has grabbed the bull by the horns to be that leader.”
Senior Sam Gregory, a 6-5 transfer who won’t be eligible until Dec. 4, is one player Clark is counting on this season because he’s the team’s only true post player.
And Bradley McCurdy, Logan Cox, Taylor Bentley and Dee Crisp factor into any success the Bears have this season as well.
“McCurdy is a gym rat,” Clark said. “When I got to school this morning at 7:20 he was already in the gym shooting. Bradley has to step his game up and run the point, probably a lot. He also has to mature a lot.”
The Bears open the season with a Hall of Fame game against Cookeville on Nov. 12.
Cleveland
Jason McCowan is starting his seventh season with the Blue Raiders and didn’t hesitate to say that a lot of the team’s hopes are pinned on Kendrick Thompson, a 6-1 senior with loads of talent.
“He’s our best player,” McCowan said. “I’m really pleased to see him progress this far. He’s a kid I’ve butted heads with from the day he stepped in the door. But Kendrick leads us and when teams take him away, the rest of the kids kind of locked up.”
McCowan said the Blue Raiders have to find “the next guy” behind Thompson. That player could be Cantrel Ware, a 5-7 sophomore guard, another second-year player, 6-3 James McRee or Anfernee Scott, a 5-8 senior.
Ooltewah and Cleveland perhaps were the fastest teams, in terms of game tempo, in the district last season. This season McCowan is torn between calling his team fast or slow.
“We’ve got five or six guys that when they play we’re really quick,” he said. “We’ve got five or six other guys and when they’re on the floor we’re slow.”
The Blue Raiders open at Cumberland County in a Hall of Fame game on Nov. 19.
Walker Valley
Bob Williams, who has been coach for 10 years of the school’s 13-year existence, said his Mustangs have had five good days of practice and is putting a lot of weight into having eight seniors on the team.
“We had six seniors last year,” said Williams, who saw the Mustangs’ 2012-13 season end with a 69-57 loss to Ooltewah in the Region 3-AAA tournament. “And we scrimmaged Heritage of Maryville on Saturday and I saw some good things. I think we’ll score better this year.”
One player who came on strong a year ago in the postseason and who could provide the Mustangs with offensive punch this go around is 6-6 senior Lukas Korn.
Korn practically carried Walker Valley in several games, scoring and rebounding in crucial situations to keep the season alive.
“He looks taller than 6-6,” Williams said of Korn. “I’m 6-7 and when he stretches he’s a full hand taller than me. He’s real long and I think still growing.”
Austin Harwood, Brandon Crews and Logan Melton also will play key roles.
“Point guard was our number 1 question mark,” Williams said, “but Logan is our point guard this year. He has taken over and is our leader.”
McMinn County
Heart means something to coach Keith Elliott’s squad.
“We’re going to be awfully small and we’re going to call on our good old Cherokee heart and try to fight in every ballgame,” he said. “Depth last year was a real disadvantage for us, but this year we have a lot of depth.
“I’m hopeful we can throw a lot of people at other teams and try to wear them down.”
Elliott is counting on three key players this year – 5-10 wing Brian Armstrong, 6-2 wing Jaylon Martin and 5-8 point guard Corey Edgeman.
“They are our most athletic kids and I’m hoping they will step up and lead this team,” Elliott said. “I’m still looking for a real scorer and Martin could be that guy, although he’s never had to carry the scoring (burden).”
Two other athletic players are 6-1 Peyton Lawson and 6-2 Robbie Saxton. They are newcomers and it could be a while before their contributions start to pay off, the coach said.
The Cherokees open against Christian Academy of Knoxville on Nov. 12.
(E-mail Larry Fleming at larryfleming44@gmail.com)