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'PLAYOFF-CALIBER'
Harrelson is convinced this year's squad, with its mix of talent, experience and mental toughness, is a legitimate playoff contender. Whether or not the team can grab a spot in the postseason in what should be a solid District 25-4A will come down to three things. "We need to box people out and get defensive rebounds, take care of the ball and make our free throws," Harrelson said. "If we do those three things all year, we'll compete with everyone we play and should be able to beat everyone we play." The Badgers will get their first opportunity to execute in those three areas tonight when the boys travel to Belton for an 8 p.m. season opener for both teams. Last year's squad finished 9-21 overall and 1-13 in district play. "Last year, we were in a lot of games, but we couldn't finish," the coach said. "Either we couldn't get a box out or we'd turn the ball over at a crucial time, and we'd let a game get away from us."
Tyner, a 5'11" senior guard, averaged 8.7 points and 3.7 assists per game as a junior. He led the team with 1.9 steals per game, but he also committed 5.8 turnovers per contest. Harrelson will rely heavily on Tyner as the team's primary ballhandler. "So far this year, what I've seen from Clay is a kid who is showing his drive to be successful as a player," the coach said. "If he continues to do that, I think he'll get an opportunity to play at the next level." Hopson, a 6'4" junior, and Cofield, a 6'5" senior, will be asked to provide both offense and defense inside. Hopson led the team in scoring last year with 13.3 points per game and was second to Cofield with 1.3 blocks per game. Cofield averaged 7.2 points and 1.7 blocks. The tandem combined for 12.4 rebounds per game.
"Heath Cofield was really, really tough and made some huge blocks for us," Harrelson said. "Heath Hopson was an animal." Carnes, a 5'9" junior, will be relied upon to complement the inside game with his outside shooting. He took just 10 shots last year but showed the ability to get hot on Tuesday. "Jordy played well all night, and he really stepped up and scored well for us against Killeen," Harrelson said. Scott, a 6'0" junior, has a thick frame and solid footwork. He averaged 2.2 points and 1.4 rebounds per game in limited action last year for the Badgers. "Warren is physical inside, and he's going to bring down some big rebounds for us," said the coach. "He stays in position and boxes out to grab those defensive rebounds."
"Marvin's an incredible player," he said. "We're 20-points per game better with a healthy Marvin. That's how good this kid is." And Phillip Weber, a 6'2" junior from Germany, adds some size and potential productivity. Eduardo Davila, a 5'9" sophomore, and Jorge Mendoza, a 5'9" junior, played on the junior varsity last season. Harrelson, whose coaching stops include West Virginia University's women's team for seven years, knows the difference between a playoff contender and a playoff pretender. "I'm looking forward to this year," he said. "I've coached a lot of playoff-caliber teams, and this is a playoff-caliber team." |
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