Page 3 - Tri Lakes Basketball Preview 2015

TRI-LAKES EDITION OF THE ARKANSAS DEMOCRAT-GAZETTE BASKETBALL PREVIEW |
SUNDAY, OCTOBER 25, 2015
3TT
MALVERN LEOPARDS
MALVERN GIRLS continued from 2TT Team strengths: Malvern will be one of the
deeper teams in Class 3A, and that should bode well late in games. “We have nine to 10 players who will see extended minutes,” Martin said. “We have some really good perimeter players who can shoot the 3 really well, but we have others that will contribute. Sierra Smith is a very athletic and versatile sophomore. Jackie Vaden (a senior) started some last year and is an excellent defender. Jacoya Hodges (a junior) is a good shooter and rebounder. And then we’ve got newcomers in juniors Mani Williams and Kylah Clark, who are heads-up players who understand how to play.” Martin also spoke highly of sophomores Amarrie Harper and Alayna Fields, both of whom he feels bring speed and athleticism to the team.”
Team weaknesses: Lack of size and inexpe- rience inside are two things that could handicap Malvern.
Games to watch: The Lady Leopards will be involved in early nonconference tournaments that will give them an idea of just how good they’ll be when matched up against other top teams in their class.
Toughest opponents: League favorites Nash- ville and Fountain Lake return all their starters and have loads of experience on their respective rosters.
FILE PHOTO
Koree Walsh is a returning starter for the Lady Leopards.
college coaches could flock down to see the Lady Leopards.
In a nutshell: Malvern wants to reclaim its throne, and for that to happen, the Lady Leopards will have to go through the Riverviews, Prairie Groves and CACs of the state to get there. Martin, though, believes his team is up for the challenge. “Our goal every year is to be in the state tourna- ment,” he said. “The leadership from our seniors and the amount of contributions we get from the younger players will determine how the season plays out.”
MALVERN BOYS continued from 2TT return, including seniors Darien Smith (6-2),
Djmore Moore (5-7), Harold Brownlee (6-2) and Jordan Hughes (6-2). Juniors B.J. Lacy (6- 6) and Chase Goshien (6-3) are also back.
Best inside players: Smith, Brownlee and Lacy are all solid along the Leopards’ front line. Jones may also see some time inside depending on the matchup.
Best outside players: Jones is one of the more athletic players in the state and can use his length to cause problems defensively on the perimeter. Offensively, he played all five positions occasionally for McClellan and av- eraged more than 20 points and 10 rebounds per game. Hughes, Goshien and Moore are also effective on the outside on both ends of the floor.
How will you match/exceed/fall short of your success from last year? Hamburg’s 68-48 victory over Malvern in regionals knocked the Leopards out of the running to gain a bid into the state tournament. This year, Meseke has experience on his side, and that alone may be enough to get Malvern back to the postseason.
Team strength: Experience, with six
seniors on the roster, not to mention a few highly skilled juniors who saw a great deal of time a year ago
Team weakness: Consistent shooting was a problem for the Leopards last season, but the addition of Jones should help Malvern improve in that area.
Games to watch: With all of the athleti- cism around the league, most games will be entertaining to watch. Arkadelphia and Nash- ville will certainly give fans a reason to attend whenever the teams travel to Malvern, which will also be playing in a new gymnasium.
Toughest Opponents: Arkadelphia and Nashville
College prospects: Jones has already com- mitted, but Hughes and Goshien are also re- ceiving interest.
In a nutshell: The ultimate goal for most teams is to win a state championship, but for some, that objective isn’t as realistic. In Mal- vern’s case, winning a title is feasible. The Leop- ards entered last year’s regional tournament as a No. 3 seed behind Arkadelphia and Bauxite, but there is no reason to believe that Meseke’s team can’t be better. Having one of the state’s top players on the roster doesn’t hurt, either.
College prospects: As the season wears on,
MALVERN LEOPARDS
NOV. 24 ...................................... JESSIEVILLE DEC. 8 .............................................. @HOPE DEC. 14 ........................... @FOUNTAIN LAKE* DEC. 18 .................................ARKADELPHIA* DEC. 21 ............................. ENGLAND (GIRLS) DEC. 22 ........................... MAGNOLIA (GIRLS) JAN. 5 .........................................ASHDOWN* JAN. 8 ......................................... @BAUXITE* JAN. 12 .....................................@WALDRON* JAN. 15 ................................... @NASHVILLE*
JAN. 19 ............................................. MENA*
NOV. 17 ................................. @CADDO HILLS NOV. 19 ...................................@SPRING HILL NOV. 24 ................................. FOUNTAIN LAKE NOV. 30 ............. MAGNET COVE TOURNAMENT DEC. 8 ........................................ OUACHITA* DEC. 11 .................................... @ENGLAND* DEC. 17 ........................................... POYEN* JAN. 2 ......... @MURFREESBORO TOURNAMENT JAN. 5 .................. @CUTTER MORNING STAR* JAN. 8 ....................................... MOUNT IDA* JAN. 12 ............................@MOUNTAIN PINE*
JAN. 15 ........................................ENGLAND* JAN. 19 .....................................@OUACHITA* JAN. 22 ......................... @TEXARKANA (BOYS) JAN. 22 ......................................... @POYEN* JAN. 26 .................................... CADDO HILLS JAN. 28 .................................. @MOUNT IDA* FEB. 2 .................... CUTTER MORNING STAR* FEB. 5 ................................ MOUNTAIN PINE* FEB. 9 .......................................@SPARKMAN FEB. 12 ..................................... @BISMARCK
*DENOTES CONFERENCE GAMES
MAGNET COVE PANTHERS
JAN. 22
JAN. 26
JAN. 29
FEB. 2 ......................................... @BAUXITE* FEB. 5 ......................................... WALDRON* FEB. 9 ........................................NASHVILLE* FEB. 12 ...........................................@MENA*
............................... FOUNTAIN LAKE* ............................... @ARKADELPHIA* .................................... @ASHDOWN*
*DENOTES CONFERENCE GAMES
GO PANTHERS!
MAGNET COVE
MAGNET COVE
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