Page 2 - TL Basketball Preview Oct 2016

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SUNDAY, OCTOBER 30, 2016 | TRI-LAKES EDITION OF THE ARKANSAS DEMOCRAT-GAZETTE BASKETBALL PREVIEW
BENTON PANTHERS
Panthers geared up for new season
BY SAM PIERCE
STAFF WRITER
The Benton Panthers have been in a bit of a slump the past couple of seasons, merely scraping by with a .500 ball club in recent years. But third-year head coach Dexter Hendrix said this year could be different, thanks to the mentality of his team.
“We are going to be a tough basketball team,” said Hendrix, a Benton alumnus. “De- fensively, we are going to play hard and play the right way.
“I believe we have a blue-collar mentality on both ends of the floor in what we are trying to do this year.”
Hendrix said the motto for this season is, “The players play, and the players win.”
“We are going to be a hard-nosed, tough basketball team and be disciplined on the de- fensive end,” Hendrix said. “We want to be in the right position and really execute.
“We want to play full speed and make sure we are in the right spots.”
Hendrix said he is proud of the progress the team has made in the early goings.
“We are in our 11th day of practice,” Hendrix said. “They are getting excited to beat up on someone else for a change.
“But the guys are staying fresh, and they are anxious for the season to start in a couple of weeks.”
The Panthers finished last season 14-14 and made it to the state tournament, but lost to Siloam Springs in the first round.
“I have really enjoyed working with this team more than any other,” Hendrix said. “They are very low-maintenance, and the chemistry is really high.
“That’s what we are excited about.”
The Panthers have three guys coming back, including seniors Weston Riddick, who aver- aged 10 points last season; Fred Harris, who averaged six points; and Shahaeed Halk, who averaged six points and four rebounds.
“All three of those guys played some big roles for us last year,” Hendrix said. “Those guys kind of lead us, and they have experience.”
Hendrix said his seniors will help “turn the corner” for the Panthers.
“They provide good leadership,” Hendrix said. “They have put a lot on their shoul- ders, and they are working hard and looking
PHOTOS BY WILLIAM HARVEY/TRI-LAKES EDITION
Benton’s Sam Carter eyes the basket during preseason drills.
forward to being the difference for us.” Hendrix said Riddick is probably the team’s
best shooter and “stretches the floor well.” “Fred Harris can really score the basketball from the forward and center spot, and Halk is playing really well above the rim right now,” Hendrix said. “He is very fast and is good from
the midrange.”
Junior Evan Sims and senior Skyler Angelo
are “two guys who have really come along,” Hendrix said.
“They should get more time this year than in the past,” he said.
Hendrix said junior guard Jai Peters is extremely quick and has a “good midrange jump shot.”
The coach said he is also excited about sophomores Sawyer Oulch and Carson Cates. “Carson Cates, Sawyer and Connor are all good shooters,” Hendrix said. “I think they will
be able to help us this year, too.”
“It is so early in the season, I would say most
coaches are really positive right now because we haven’t played yet,” Hendrix said. “Our team is going to have to rely on senior leadership.
“We are going to be a team that plays to- gether and plays hard, and we are going to re- ally strive to play hard-nosed tough basketball and make the right play every time.”
Defensively, the Panthers will play mostly in their half-court defense.
“That’s something we are going to try to put a lot of emphasis on,” Hendrix said. “We
BENTON PANTHERS
NOV. 6 ..................................... (B) @CLINTON NOV. 10 ............ (G) @LITTLE ROCK CHRISTIAN NOV. 15 .......................................(G) SEARCY NOV. 15 ................................(B) LR CATHOLIC NOV. 17 .....................................GREENBRIER NOV. 29 .............................CAMDEN FAIRVIEW DEC. 2 ............................................... BEEBE DEC. 2 .........................................(G) WYNNE DEC. 6 ............................. (G) @LR PARKVIEW DEC. 8-10 ................... BENTON TOURNAMENT JAN. 3 ............................ @WATSON CHAPEL* JAN. 3 ....................................(B) SHERIDAN* JAN. 6 ...................................... WHITE HALL* JAN. 10 .............MILLS UNIVERSITY STUDIES* JAN. 13 .................................. @PINE BLUFF* JAN. 14 ............................. (B) @PINE BLUFF* JAN. 27 ...............................(B) @SHERIDAN* JAN. 27 ..................................@WHITE HALL* JAN. 31 ............................. WATSON CHAPEL* FEB. 3 ....................................... PINE BLUFF* FEB. 4 .................................. (B) PINE BLUFF* FEB. 7 ............ @MILLS UNIVERSITY STUDIES*
*DENOTES CONFERENCE GAMES
are going to make guys score against our half- court defense, but as you know, all five guys on the floor have to work together and buy in to what we are doing.”
He added that Halk, Peters and Angelo are probably the Panthers’ better defenders.
“We will have a lot of good talented players, so those guys will have to slow them down,” Hendrix said. “They put forth a really good defensive effort and guard the basketball well.
“We have to take advantage of their strength and length. ... If all five guys buy in, we feel like we have a shot.”
Hendrix said he thinks his team will “over- achieve this year, due to the work ethic the kids have.”
“They have been a true joy to coach.”
Every team this season will have to find a way to adjust to the new blended conference alignment. Benton shifts from the 7A/6A-South Conference to the new 6A/5A Conference. The new conference includes Little Rock Mills, Little Rock McClellan, Benton, Pine Bluff, Wat- son Chapel, White Hall and Sheridan.
“This is very different, not only for the kids
Skyler Angelo fires a jump shot during practice.
but for the coaches,” Hendrix said. “There is a lot of excitement.
“We really want to play the best basketball that time of the year.”
Once the regular season is through, Benton will then play in a conference tournament and will face teams they haven’t seen all season, such as Lake Hamilton, El Dorado and Texar- kana. How the Panthers do in the conference tournament will determine where they will be seeded in the state tournament, much like in the district and regional tournaments for the smaller schools.
“We will have to scout and prepare in a short amount of time,” Hendrix said.
Benton will host a Maroon-Gray game at 7 p.m. Thursday and will play in a benefit jam- boree in Clinton on Saturday. The Panthers will open the regular season Nov. 8 against eStem, with all games scheduled to begin at 6 p.m.
“We haven’t seen some of these teams in a few years,” Hendrix said. “Our conference is very athletic and really talented — there will be no nights off.
“We have to be on top of our game.”