Conference: 6A East
Coach: Victor Joyner (seven years)
Assistant coach: Jerry Wilson
Last year’s record: 25-4 (tied for first in conference)
Returning starters: Justin McCleary (6-1/talented point guard); Xavier Husky (6-4/ strong rebounder); Terrell Brown (6-5/go-to inside player); Dustin House (6-5/good shooter)
Best inside players: Brown, a senior, is an all-around athlete. A starting quarterback for the football team, Joyner said, Brown is physically strong and has a high vertical. “[He is] explosive off the ground as far as the vertical leap,” Joyner said. “His footwork has gotten so much better, and he just has the tenacity around the basket.” Senior Husky can be counted on for getting to the ball. “He has a nose for rebounding that you can’t really teach,” Joyner said. “He really has an innate ability to get in there and get the rebounds.”
Best outside players: Senior McCleary has a lot of experience — he’s been starting since he was a freshman at the point-guard position. “We’re trying to get him more of a scorer because we lost a lot of scoring last year, and we’re trying to get him to score the ball a little bit more than he normally would,” Joyner said. House has a great jump shot, and the coach said he is working with him to put the ball on the floor a little bit more and be a little bit more aggressive off the dribble. Aaron Smith (6-0 junior) has a strong outside jump shot and should be able to help out the team off of the perimeter.
How do you think you will match/exceed/fall short of your success from last year? The Red Devils competed for the state title last year but fell short. “It will be pretty hard to play for a state title and go 25-4, but we don’t look toward the end,” Joyner said. “We take one game at a time.”
Strengths of the team: The team has a lot of experience coming back, and Joyner said the players are ready to compete again this season. “A lot of guys who made it to that final game — they’re coming back, and they’re hungry,” he said. “They want to make it to the end again and get that taste out of their mouth. They just want an opportunity to redeem themselves, so I think if they keep chasing that goal and stay hungry the way they are, hopefully, we’ll make it back.”
Weaknesses of the team: Joyner said the Red Devils need to get players to score the ball consistently. “I’m really worried about the scoring output, and if we can find some consistent scoring, then we’ll have a chance.”
Games to watch: Because the conference is strong and tough, all of the games will be good to watch this season, the coach said. “You can’t sleep at any moment,” he said. “You look up and lose three or four games if you’re not careful.”
Toughest opponent: Hall beat us in the finals — West Memphis, Parkview, Marion, Searcy, everybody in the conference — the coaches are so good, and they have all of their kids prepared. You can’t relax, and the kids have to understand — they have to bring that focus to every practice and every game. If the kids can do that, they can be successful in this conference.
College prospects: The Red Devils have three players who are getting Division I looks — McCleary, House and Brown.