Conference: 1A-5 North
Coach: John Hutchcraft (year at school: 33rd; 1,688-403, boys and girls)
Assistant coach: None
2010-11 record: 17-9 (regional runner-up; first round of Class 1A State Tournament)
Returning starters: Lyndsie McGhee (5-5 senior, 12 ppg); Jennifer Turnage (5-5 senior)
Best inside players: Alexis Hogan (5-10 sophomore post, 10 ppg); Elizabeth Webber (5-10 junior)
Best outside players: Cari Beth Halk (5-5 junior, “good shooter,” Hutchcraft said); Kendra Bivens (5-6 senior, “good all-around”); Victoria Rodgers (5-5 junior, “good shooter.”)
How will you match/exceed/fall short of your success from last year? Hutchcraft said his girls team should be about like last year’s squad. “But we will really miss Lainie Lagasse, who averaged 30 points per game,” he said. Lagasse earned all-state honors before graduating.
Strengths of the team: The Lady Thunderbirds are balanced, with all positions covered, the coach said. They are good shooters and strong inside.
Weaknesses of the team: Guy will have a lack of experience early in the season, with just two starters returning. “But we should have a good year,” said Hutchcraft, one of the deans of Arkansas high school basketball.
Games to watch: Conway St. Joseph. The Faulkner County series is one of the best rivalries in the area.
Toughest opponent: Wonderview. The Lady Daredevils are always tough, Hutchcraft said.
College prospects: Hutchcraft said Hogan, the sophomore, could do it all. “She’s the perfect size for a basketball player,” he said. “She's fast and strong.”
In a nutshell: The Lady Thunderbirds have one of the strongest traditions in Arkansas high school girls basketball. They won state championships in 1972, ’84, 2001, ’02, ’03 and ’05 and the Arkansas High School Overall title in ’84. All but the ’72 title came under Hutchcraft.