Page 6 - TR Basketball Preview Oct 2016

6SS
SUNDAY, OCTOBER 30, 2016 | THREE RIVERS EDITION OF THE ARKANSAS DEMOCRAT-GAZETTE BASKETBALL PREVIEW
JACKSONVILLE TITANS
JACKSONVILLE continued from 4SS
the kids want it to be or our fans want it to be.
“They are working hard to be a little bit better. We don’t put a whole lot of emphasis on winning. We just want to get them in college. If they are doing the things they are supposed to do to get to college, a few wins will come along with it.”
Jacksonville is in a brutal conference this year, Joyner said. The Titans will play in a blended conference with Class 5A and 6A schools, then return to the 6A-East for a conference tour- nament to decide which teams will play in the state tournament.
“We’re going to be in an adverse situation anyway because I have a bunch of guards doing on-the-job training,” Joyner said. “You would like for them to have a year of playing real varsity minutes under their belt before we play some of the teams we’re getting ready to play. Their
learning curve has to come quickly. They have to raise their basketball knowledge really quickly to deal with some of the teams we’re going to play.
“If it was a best-case scenario, I’d love for them to have a year. When you have guys coming off not hardly playing any minutes to have to possibly start or play major minutes, the first four or five games are big. We need to really teach them, watch the tape and make them understand some things they are doing and really coach them up. If we don’t coach them up, we’re going to have a long year.”
One player whom Joyner doesn’t have to worry about with experience is four-year starting guard Tyree Appleby, who is the Three Rivers Edition Player to Watch. He is being recruited by several NCAA Division I teams. He was the team’s leading scorer in 2016, averaging 23 points per game. He also averaged 4.5 assists.
Senior Dajaun Ridgeway is also a returning starter for the Titans.
“He and Tyree alternate at point and shooting guard,” Joyner said.
“Junior HarDarrius Martin is in football right now, but we’re going to be counting on him,” Joyner said.
Joyner said will also count on juniors Braylon Hawkins and Caleb Kendrick this season.
“We’re going to rely on Kavion Waller since he’s a senior,” Joyner said. “We really expect Kavion to be up there with Appleby and Ridgeway in deci- sion making. He’s one of the senior guards that has been in the program for four years.”
Junior Chris Williams started some inside for the Titans last season.
“We’re counting on sophomore Joe Phillips to step up and play the four [power forward],” Joyner said. “He was a freshman starting last year.”
Joyner will also count on junior center Christian White, who played at North Pulaski last year.
“He is the tallest kid on the team at 6-4,” Joyner
We don’t put a
whole lot of
emphasis on
winning. We just
want to get them
in college.”
VICTOR JOYNER
JACKSONVILLE TITANS HEAD COACH
said. “He’s real green, but we’re really trying to teach him to get his confidence up and play fast and make good decisions. If we can get Christian caught up, he’ll help out a lot in the middle.”
NOV. 1 ................WEST SIDE GREERS FERRY NOV. 3 .................................... @HILLCREST NOV. 8 ....................................... @FLIPPIN* NOV. 10 ................................(G) @QUITMAN NOV. 11 ..................................... (B) VIOLA* NOV. 15 ...... IZARD COUNTY CONSOLIDATED* NOV. 22 ....................................... COTTER* NOV. 29 .................... @MAMMOTH SPRING* DEC. 6 ...................................... (G) VIOLA* DEC. 9 ......................................NORFORK* DEC. 13 ....@IZARK COUNTY CONSOLIDATED* DEC. 16 ......................................... SALEM* JAN. 3 ....................................... HILLCREST
JAN. 6 ....................................... @COTTER* JAN. 10 ....................... MAMMOTH SPRING* JAN. 13 ........................................FLIPPIN* JAN. 14 ............................. (G) MELBOURNE JAN. 17 ........................................ @VIOLA* JAN. 20 .................................. @NORFORK* JAN. 31 ...................................... @SALEM* FEB. 2 (B) ..................................@QUITMAN FEB. 3 ........................................ CONCORD FEB. 10 ......................................@SHIRLEY
*DENOTES CONFERENCE GAMES
NOV. 11 ...............................(G) @PIGGOTT* NOV. 14 ...................................... TRUMANN NOV. 17 ........................(G) WALNUT RIDGE* NOV. 18 ............... @SOUTHSIDE BATESVILLE NOV. 22 ........................(B) WALNUT RIDGE* DEC. 2 ....................................... PIGGOTT* DEC. 5 ........................................ @HOXIE* DEC. 12 ............................ (B) @HIGHLAND* DEC. 13 ............................ (G) @HIGHLAND* DEC. 16 .......................................... HOXIE* JAN. 3 ...............................@POCAHONTAS* JAN. 5 ....................................... CORNING* JAN. 9 ...........................(B) @MELBOURNE* JAN. 10 .........................(G) @MELBOURNE*
JAN. 12 ..................... (B) @WALNUT RIDGE* JAN. 13 ..................... (G) @WALNUT RIDGE* JAN. 16 .............................. (G) HIGHLAND* JAN. 17 ...............................(B) HIGHLAND* JAN. 20 ...............................(B) @PIGGOTT* JAN. 21 ....................... (G) @IZARD COUNTY
CONSOLIDATED TOURNAMENT JAN. 24 ............................... POCAHONTAS* JAN. 30 ...................... (B) @DONIPHAN, MO. FEB. 2 ............................... (G) @CORNING* FEB. 3 ................................(B) @CORNING* FEB. 7 .................................. MELBOURNE* FEB. 10 ...........................................SALEM *DENOTES CONFERENCE GAMES
CALICO ROCK PIRATES
CAVE CITY CAVEMEN
IZARD COUNTY CONSOLIDATED COUGARS
HOXIE MUSTANGS
NOV. 1 .................................... @BRADFORD NOV. 4 ............................. (B) @TUCKERMAN NOV. 8 .................................@GUY-PERKINS NOV. 10 ...........................(G)@POCAHONTAS NOV. 11 ..............(B) WESTSIDE JONESBORO NOV. 15 ............................ @CALICO ROCK* NOV. 18 .....................................NORFORK* NOV. 21 .................................CEDAR RIDGE NOV. 22 ......................................... @HOXIE NOV. 29 .......................................... VIOLA* DEC. 2 ...................................... @COTTER* DEC. 6 ...................................... @FLIPPIN* DEC. 9 .......................................... SALEM* DEC. 13 ............................... CALICO ROCK*
DEC. 16 .................................. @NORFORK* JAN. 3 ............................... SLOAN-HENDRIX JAN. 6 ......................... MAMMOTH SPRING* JAN. 10 ........................................ @VIOLA* JAN. 13 ....................................... COTTER* JAN. 17 ........................................ FLIPPIN* JAN. 20 ...................................... @SALEM* JAN. 24 .................... @MAMMOTH SPRING* JAN. 27 ................................ (B) HILLCREST FEB. 2 ................................... POCAHONTAS FEB. 7 ..................................(G) HILLCREST FEB. 10 ............................... (G) @ARMOREL
*DENOTES CONFERENCE GAMES
NOV. 17 ...........................@SLOAN-HENDRIX NOV. 22 ........IZARD COUNTY CONSOLIDATED NOV. 28 ....................................@TRUMANN DEC.2 ..................................@HIGHLAND* DEC. 5 .....................................CAVE CITY* DEC. 6 ........................... (G) POCAHONTAS* DEC. 12 ................................ (B) CORNING* DEC. 13 ................................ (G) CORNING* DEC. 16 ................................. @CAVE CITY* DEC. 19 ........................(B) @POCAHONTAS* JAN. 2 ............................. (B) MELBOURNE* JAN. 3 ............................. (G) MELBOURNE* JAN. 5 ............................ (B) POCAHONTAS* JAN. 6 ..........................(G) @POCAHONTAS*
JAN. 9 ....................... (B) @WALNUT RIDGE* JAN. 10 ..................... (G) @WALNUT RIDGE* JAN. 12 ................................. (B) PIGGOTT* JAN. 13 ................................. (G) PIGGOTT* JAN. 16 ............................. (G) @CORNING* JAN. 17 ..............................(B) @CORNING* JAN. 19 ....................................HIGHLAND* JAN. 20 ...............................(B) HIGHLAND* JAN. 23 .........................(G) @MELBOURNE* JAN. 24 .........................(B) @MELBOURNE* JAN. 30 ...............................(G) @PIGGOTT* JAN. 31 ...............................(B) @PIGGOTT* FEB. 7 ...............................WALNUT RIDGE*
*DENOTES CONFERENCE GAMES