Conference: 5-3A
Coach: Len Harris, fifth year at school; 28th overall, 616-226 overall record
Assistant coach: Terry Smith
2011-12 record: 12-16
Returning starters: Nathan Hubbard (senior, 14 points per game); Dylan Dufresne (senior, 9 ppg); and Alex Tanner (junior, 8 ppg).
Best inside players: Dufresne and senior Daniel Eubanks, who averaged 8 points per game last year. “We look for him to be a much better player for us this year,” Harris said.
Best outside players: Hubbard and Tanner. Harris said he expects both to have better seasons than they did last year. “We also expect help from our sophomore class with the addition of Holden Branscum and Trent Tindell,” the coach said.
How will you match/exceed/fall short of your finish last year? The Mustangs were on their way to a special season last year before experiencing a bump, and they don’t want a repeat of that this season. “We feel we have done the work necessary to be better,” Harris said. “We especially want a better finish to our season than a year ago. At one point before Christmas, we were 8-3 and feeling pretty good about ourselves, but the bottom fell out after a serious discipline issue. We hope to have that resolved.”
Team strengths: Harris, who coached at Perryville from 2007-09 and spent two seasons at Dover before returning to Perry County last year, said his three seniors were providing “really good” leadership. “We have good balance in those three, plus Tanner and a good sophomore class moving up,” he said.
Team weaknesses: Shooting, “without a doubt,” Harris said. “We simply have trouble scoring at times. Our 3-point shooting and free-throw shooting must improve, as both were just dismal a year ago.”
Games to watch: Harris said any 5-3A game should be a good one. After realignment, the league also includes Little Rock e-Stem, Little Rock Episcopal, Benton Harmony Grove, Fountain Lake, Glen Rose, Jessieville and Mayflower. “It is a very competitive league year-in and year-out,” he said.
Toughest opponent: Harris said Jessieville is always good. “Episcopal and Mayflower are very talented, as is Benton Harmony Grove, from what I hear.”
College prospects: None at this time.
In a nutshell: “If we can improve our shooting from behind the 3-point line and do a little better at the free-throw line, it would help a ton toward having a better season,” Harris said. “We lost several games last year just not being able to make a free throw. We feel good about the work we’ve put in to make the improvements necessary.”