Page 16 - 2018 TL Basketball Preview

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SUNDAY, OCTOBER 28, 2018 | TRI-LAKES EDITION OF THE ARKANSAS DEMOCRAT-GAZETTE BASKETBALL PREVIEW
LAKE HAMILTON WOLVES
Returning players look to continue Wolves’ success
BY AMBER QUAID
CONTRIBUTING WRITER
Seasoned players return to the Lake
Hamilton Wolves this year and look to be just as competitive as the previous seasons in their 6A Conference.
“This is a very experienced group,” head coach Scotty Pennington said. “They are tough and gritty and have high expectations coming off last season’s success.”
With a 27-5 record last year, the Wolves return with four starters. Mondo Watkins, a “6-foot athletic guard with a 40-inch ver- tical,” the coach said, averaged 14 points, 4 assists, 8 rebounds and 3 steals per game last season. Lane Kersey, a “good shooter who can attack the basket and is good in transi- tion,” Pennington said, averaged 16 points, 3 assists, 5 rebounds and 2 steals per game.
Clyde Hill, “a 6-1, 225-pound forward, is very quick and nimble” the coach said, and averaged 10 points and 8 rebounds per game. Kanaan Williams, “a 6-3 athletic and physical post, is very quick,” Pennington said, and averaged 8 points and 8 rebounds per game.
Other returning players include Malique Hill, a “6-1 shooter whose shot is 45
LAKE HAMILTON WOLVES
This is a very
experienced
group. They are
tough and gritty
and have high
expectations
coming off last
season’s success.”
SCOTTY PENNINGTON
LAKE HAMILTON WOLVES COACH
for his players and knows they are up for the challenges they face, especially with Watkins, Kersey, Hill and Erickson getting college in- terest for basketball, and Williams, who will be signing for a football scholarship.
LAKE HAMILTON LADY WOLVES
NOV. 6 ................................. (B) TWO RIVERS NOV. 13 ........................................ (B) KIRBY NOV. 13 .............................. (G) GREENWOOD NOV. 17 ............................ (B) RUSSELLVILLE NOV. 29-DEC. 1 .................. @BRANSON, MO., ................................................ TOURNAMENT DEC. 7 ............................. (B) @JONESBORO DEC. 7 ...................................... (G) LR HALL DEC. 8 .............. (B) @JONESBORO WESTSIDE DEC. 11 .................................. GREENBRIER DEC. 14 ...................................... STAR CITY DEC. 27-29 .......................... LAKE HAMILTON ................................................ TOURNAMENT JAN. 4 ....................................... SHERIDAN*
percent from the 3-point,” and Sabby Vinson, “a 40 percent shooter from the 3-point line” who holds the outside perimeter solid, while Jordan Erickson, a “6-10 post with a great shooting touch who is an extremely smart player” holds the inside, Pennington said.
The combination of these players gave the Wolves a strong team defense, holding last season’s competition to “on average, under 45 points per game,” the coach said, and they
JAN. 8 ................ @HOT SPRINGS LAKESIDE* JAN. 11 ......................................... LR FAIR* JAN. 15 ............................. @HOT SPRINGS* JAN. 18 ................................... EL DORADO* JAN. 22 ................................. @TEXARKANA* JAN. 25 ...................................... @BENTON* JAN. 29 ................................... @SHERIDAN* FEB. 1 ................... HOT SPRINGS LAKESIDE* FEB. 5 ......................................... @LR FAIR* FEB. 8 .................................. HOT SPRINGS* FEB. 12 ................................ @EL DORADO* FEB. 15 ................................... TEXARKANA* FEB. 19 ........................................ BENTON*
*DENOTES CONFERENCE GAMES
“got to the free-throw line more than our op- ponents” making them a very aggressive team that will carry this strength on into the season.
The matchups to look forward to this sea- son, Pennington said, are Jonesboro Westside, Hot Springs and Benton, with the main game to watch on Dec. 7 at Jonesboro.
“We have back-to-back state champions on the road,” the coach said.
Pennington said he has high expectations
Lady Wolves count on unity, leadership to rebuild
BY AMBER QUAID
CONTRIBUTING WRITER
Though the Lake Hamilton Lady
Wolves lost eight seniors and have only one returning starter this sea- son, the team will look to Blake
Condley, who has a 19-14 record from last season and five years as head coach, to guide them.
“We have a totally different team this year,” Condley said. “We have four return- ing players, we graduated eight seniors and moved up eight sophomores to replace them, and we also have two seniors who moved into our district from other schools. Since most of our girls have never played together, team
chemistry and roles for players will be a work in progress early in the season.”
Returning starter Jenny Peake, who had 13 points, 4 rebounds and 3 assists per game last year and was named all-state, is stepping up, Condley said.
Nya Moody, who is “a good defender and rebounder and creates matchup problems with her versatility,” and Aspen Thornton, who “plays with a great pace and can score the ball really well,” are two more standout players who can help the team reach a new level of play and provide stability to the floor to help bring the team together, the coach said.
The Lady Wolves also have “team speed and athleticism that is much better than in the past” on their side, and Condley said he
looks forward to seeing how that will match up against the other 5A teams on the Lady Wolves’ schedule.
“We have a tough schedule this year,” Condley said. “Our first games consist of Bryant, a good 6A opponent; Kirby, who al- ways competes for the state championship in its classification; and Greenwood, a state finalist last year with almost every one of their players coming back.”
The toughest opponents the Lady Wolves will face this season though, Condley said, are Lakeside and Hot Springs because “the kids all know each other very well and have grown up competing with each other. It makes a great atmosphere for basketball games.”
Since most of our
girls have never
played together, team
chemistry and roles
for players will be a
work in progress early
in the season.”
BLAKE CONDLEY
LAKE HAMILTON LADY WOLVES COACH