patrick county preview (martinsville bulletin)

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PCHS looking for improvement

By ANDY MARKS

Bulletin Sports Editor

 

Setting goals becomes a difficult task when your team has won just one game in the last two years.

 

Patrick County boys' head coach Keith Gunter's primary goal for the season transcends district standings and won-lost records. Gunter simply wants to see a positive attitude return to the hardwood at his proud school.

 

"I don't think a lot of people around here expect us to win," Gunter said of a program that has careened downward since a 22-win playoff season in 1999. "I think the guys use that as an excuse for why we don't win. It's a thing where they were expecting to lose."

 

With a lack of team height and limited athleticism, Gunter's 2003-04 squad will need to depend on the intangible factors of heart and hustle if it is going to contend with the big boys at the top of the Piedmont.

 

"They've got to have that killer instinct every time they step out on the floor," he said. "Our talent from last season is improved at each position."

 

Gunter has six players back from last year's 1-18 bunch that failed to win a district game, including two starters.

 

In a top-heavy district, Gunter isn't worried so much about collecting wins as he is about recollecting the winning attitude at Patrick County in years past.

 

To that end, he has put together an eighth-grade team that is "full of basketball players," and kept all of his talented sophomores on the JV level so they can grow together as a unit.

 

With what he deems as increased talent at every position, Gunter will enter the season looking for physical gains on the court and emotional gains off the court.

 

"We can't continue to believe that we just can't win here at Patrick County," he said. "We've got to throw those excuses out the window."

 

WILL BE A SUCCESS IF: Gunter's troops drop individual goals for the sake of team play. The undersized Cougars have some scoring punch and athleticism, but must gel as a unit -- especially on defense and on the boards -- if they're to compete with the taller and more athletic teams of the PD.

 

BUT A BUST IF: Frustration sets in. If a couple of early-season losses set the Cougars back into the losing mind-sets of the past two years, it could be a long year in Stuart.

 

"We can't give up on ourselves," explained Gunter. "We need to play for each other and pull for each other. If we stop doing that, we're going to be in big trouble and it's going to be the same song and dance as last year."

 

Gunter identified point guard play and low-post defense as the two areas that need to be stabilized for the season to be a success.

 

"How well we do in those areas will determine how good we are," he said.

 

OFFENSE: Without an imposing post presence, the Cougars will try and execute most of their plays from the perimeter, sometimes playing four guards at the same time. Expect to see a fair share of cutting and screening from the outside in an attempt to neutralize opponent height advantages. Patrick County will also look to establish fast-pace games that take the zone defense out of play.

 

DEFENSE: Gunter wants to play a man-to-man defense, but must then be aware of match-up problems based on height.

 

"With our lack of size, we're going to have to get the ball back as quick as we can," he said.

 

The Cougars will press and trap to force turnovers. Gunter said he's still working out where on the court his team can implement those defensive sets most effectively.

 

"We're still trying to figure out how far we can extend our defense," he said.

 

BACKCOURT: Cougar guards are the strength of the team, and it all starts with wing-guard Andrew Terry, a 6-foot-1 senior with a good first step and a soft shot. Terry returns for his senior season after being the team's second leading scorer as a junior. Entering his third varsity season, Terry has only seen one win. Gunter will count on the scoring specialist be cool under defensive fire and help get the team accustomed to success.

 

Joining Terry in the starting lineup will be point guard Chad Pilson, who was a reserve ball-handler as a junior last year. Pilson provides stability and experience in the backcourt, and Gunter is hoping to see maturity out of the point guard position.

 

"If we want to be successful this year, Chad has got to become a leader on the floor and recognize changes out there. If he plays really well this season, I think we'll do real well."

 

Junior Trey Smith has the inside track to round out the starting backcourt from the other wing. Smith, who moves up from JV, is still adjusting to varsity play after taking some big licks during football season.

 

FRONTCOURT: Power forward Ryan Connor, a six-foot senior, was a middle linebacker on the gridiron for the Cougars.

 

"He plays middle linebacker on the basketball court too," laughed Gunter. "He's as hard-nosed as they come, tough, gutty, and he hates to lose."

 

Connor is a ferocious rebounder who can also put the ball on the floor. He'll spend the majority of the season guarding much taller players.

 

The biggest presence in the Cougar arsenal is 6-foot-2 Brandon Shelton, a senior entering his second varsity season. Gunter said Shelton has added some strength during the offseason.

 

"He's got to learn to use his body to create space and then get after it on the boards," Gunter said.

 

DEPTH: Junior Ryan Morris will battle Smith for playing time on the wing. Morris, a Magna Vista-transfer, adds an element of speed to the Cougars.

 

Adding depth to the Cougar backcourt are senior shooting-specialist Steven Williams, reserve point guard Brett Holt and defensive whiz Timmy Hylton.

 

Down low, junior Shawn Jessup provides energy by doing the little things such as diving for loose balls and taking charges. Junior Zac Bray is much-improved, according to Gunter, and will back up Shelton at center.

 

Josh Keith, a senior, is a well-rounded player without a natural position. Gunter hopes to use Keith's inside-outside abilities in a variety of ways.

 

COACHING: Gunter, a former Patrick County hoops standout, will lead things from the bench, while longtime PC hoops coach Grandy Briggs returns as varsity assistant. Chris Jensen will guide the JV Cougars for the second straight year, while Fieldale-Collinsville grad Andrew Kahle is coaching the eighth graders.

 

MOST-LIKELY MVP: Without a doubt, Terry will be the go-to guy for the Cougars. Gunter said Terry has made his offensive game more mobile for his senior season, and Gunter hopes he'll pressure opposing defenses into double-teams so that his other starters can get good looks.

 

NEW FACE TO WATCH: Smith was the dominant player on last year's JV Cougars. The junior has a nose for the basket and Gunter hopes his scoring punch will advance with him to the varsity level.

 

OUTLOOK: Look for the Cougars to show marked progress over their past two dismal campaigns, but a playoff berth still seems like a reach for this undersized gang. Gunter is laying the foundation for future success.