Page 18 - 2018 TL Basketball Preview

18TT
SUNDAY, OCTOBER 28, 2018 | TRI-LAKES EDITION OF THE ARKANSAS DEMOCRAT-GAZETTE BASKETBALL PREVIEW
HOT SPRINGS TROJANS
New Trojans coach expecting big things this season
BY MARK BUFFALO
STAFF WRITER
New Hot Springs Trojans coach Antoni
Lasker is excited about the opportu- nity he has.
Lasker, who was an assistant the previous two years, takes over for Rodney Echols, who is now the athletic director for
the Hot Springs School District.
“I plan to continue the success that Hot
Springs has had the previous six years,” Lasker said. “Coach Echols has done an amazing job with these young men and this program. Now it’s time to take this thing to another level.”
A year ago, the Trojans had another out- standing season, finishing 24-12 overall and 15-2 in league play. They advanced to the semi- finals of the Class 5A State Tournament, where they lost to Little Rock Parkview 51-37. Hot Springs beat Greenbrier 61-49 in the first round and Blytheville 40-32 in the quarterfinals.
“The plan is to always exceed what we did the year before,” Lasker said. “We have ramped up our players’ workload this preseason in order to maximize their effectiveness during the season.”
The Trojans return four starters off last year’s squad. They include sophomore point guard Jaydyn Walker, junior forward Santiair
We can go 10 deep. We can play a variety of styles, either slow-pace or uptempo.”
ANTONI LASKER
HOT SPRINGS TROJANS COACH
Thomas, senior guard Eddie Miles and senior forward Ramello Cason.
Walker averaged 9 points, 3 rebounds and 5 assists per game last season. Thomas aver- aged 12 points and 6 rebounds. Miles averaged 7 points, 4 rebounds and 3 assists, and Cason averaged 3 points and 4 rebounds.
Lasker said Thomas is his best inside player.
“He finished around the basket very well,” Lasker said. “He’s a tenacious rebounder and great overall defender and has great leadership.”
Lasker said Walker is his best outside player. “Jaydyn controls our team and runs the show
HOT SPRINGS TROJANS
HOT SPRINGS LADY TROJANS
BY MARK BUFFALO
STAFF WRITER
The Hot Springs Lady Trojans are com-
ing off their second state champion- ship in four years, having won the Class 5A state title a year ago.
Hot Springs finished 31-3, beating Watson Chapel 50-47 in the state-title game in March. The Lady Trojans also won the 2015 state title.
Hot Springs coach Josh Smith is entering his fourth year as Lady Trojans coach.
The Lady Trojans lost their two best play- ers to graduation a year ago in Imani Honey and Ariana Guinn.
“We are an inexperienced group this season,”
Smith said, “but we’re hard-nosed and will get better with growth this season.”
Hot Springs returns only one starter in senior Jaidan Thomas. She averaged 7 points and 7 rebounds per game last season.
Smith said Thomas and sophomore Jurnee Hicks are the best inside players. The best out- side players are sophomore Jaylia Reed, and seniors Keindia Nevels and Kiah Beauford.
Smith listed his team’s strengths as speed and post play.
After winning the state title a year ago, Hot Springs will continue to have its cham- pionship mentality, Smith said.
“We’re coming in with the same mentality on the defensive end,” he said. “We consider
this a reloading and not rebuilding, although we lost our two top guards.”
Hot Springs is playing in the 5A-South this season. Teams include Texarkana, Benton, El Dorado, Little Rock Fair, Lake Hamilton, Hot Springs Lakeside and Sheridan.
Smith said games with Hot Springs Lake- side and Lake Hamilton and tournaments in Fayetteville, Benton and Hot Springs will be games to watch. He said his toughest chal- lenges will be against Greenwood, Conway and Lake Hamilton.
College prospects include Thomas, Nevels, Reed, Beauford and Hicks, Smith said.
The Lady Trojans will open the season Nov. 27 at Hope.
We are an
inexperienced
group this season,
but we’re hard-
nosed and will get
better with growth
this season.”
JOSH SMITH
HOT SPRINGS LADY TROJANS COACH
NOV. 27 ............................................ @HOPE DEC. 6-8 ............................... @FAYETTEVILLE ................................................ TOURNAMENT DEC. 13-15 ............. @BENTON TOURNAMENT DEC. 18 .................................... PINE BLUFF DEC. 27-29 ................. @PARIS TOURNAMENT JAN. 4 ........................................... LR FAIR* JAN. 8 .................................... @ARKANSAS* JAN. 11 ................................ @EL DORADO* JAN. 15 ............................. LAKE HAMILTON* JAN. 18 ...................................... @BENTON*
for us and has great leadership,” Lasker said. Depth is a strength for the Trojans this year,
the coach said.
“We can go 10 deep,” Lasker said. “We can play
a variety of styles, either slow-pace or uptempo.” The one weakness that Lasker mentioned is having six of his top players playing for the
Trojans football team.
“Having about six guys that we will depend
upon this year currently in football is tough,” Lasker said. “We will overcome that by getting them in as soon as football season is over and working their tails off.”
The Trojans will be in the 5A-South this season with Hot Springs Lakeside, Texarkana,
JAN. 22 ..................................... SHERIDAN* JAN. 25 .............. @HOT SPRINGS LAKESIDE* JAN. 29 ....................................... @LR FAIR* FEB. 1 ..................................... TEXARKANA* FEB. 5 ..................................... EL DORADO* FEB. 8 ............................ @LAKE HAMILTON* FEB. 12 ........................................ BENTON* FEB. 15 ................................... @SHERIDAN* FEB. 19 ................. HOT SPRINGS LAKESIDE*
*DENOTES CONFERENCE GAMES
Benton, El Dorado, Little Rock Fair, Lake Hamilton and Sheridan.
Lasker said games against Lake Hamilton on Jan. 15 and Feb. 8 and Pine Bluff on Dec. 18 will be ones to watch.
“For Lake Hamilton, both teams are com- ing off conference championships, and it’s a city rivalry,” Lasker said. “For Pine Bluff, they always have a good team that makes the state tournament year after year. We will also play Little Rock Central. This will be a test for our guys against basketball players from central Arkansas.”
HOT SPRINGS BOYS continued on 19TT
Lady Trojans reloading after winning state title