Conference: 5A-Central
Coach: Victor Joyner, 9th season at school
Assistant coaches: Jerry Wilson and Lenny Cooper
2012-2013 record: 27-4, 13-1 in conference play
Returning starters: It’ll be hard for the Red Devils to top what they accomplished last year, finishing off a dominating run through the state tournament with a victory over Alma in the championship game. That Jacksonville team was stacked with experience. If Joyner’s troops are to repeat as champs, they’ll have to do so with just one returning starter, albeit a good one in senior guard Sergio Berkley, 6-feet-4. “He knows what it takes to win games,” Joyner said. “We lost quite a bit from last year, but we’ve got some talent. The competition level is still very high. So it’ll be interesting to see how we respond once the season starts and we get out there on that court.”
Best inside players: Joyner won’t have that dominant figure in the post, but he’ll have several that will play integral roles inside, starting with senior forward Kanaan Jackson, 6-3. “He played significant minutes for us last season,” Joyner said. “He’s not afraid to get in there and be physical.” The ninth-year coach is also expecting junior forward Damarion Freeman, 6-2, and senior forward Reggie Barnes, 6-1, to contribute a great deal. “[Freeman] has been a pleasant surprise for us, especially with the things he’s been able to do,” Joyner said of the newcomer. “He’s having to learn a new system, but he’s caught on very well.” Joyner is also high on junior Tedrick Wolfe, 6-3, who he feels has a chance to be one of the best players in the state. “He’s going to surprise a lot of people,” Joyner explained. “He’s got a tremendous upside, and he can score.”
Best outside players: Berkley has been one of the Red Devils’ top guards during his tenure, and that doesn’t figure to change this season. Jacksonville has always had elite guards and with the addition of junior Devin Campbell, 6-2, and sophomore LaQuawn Smith, 5-11, that trend will continue. “Devin is a strong kid that can score,” Joyner said. “He can handle the ball well as a two guard. And LaQuawn saw significant minutes last year. He’s got a really high basketball IQ.”
How will you match/exceed/fall short of your success from last year? If the Red Devils are to successfully defend their title, Joyner believes his team will have to develop a strong chemistry simply because of the experience they lost from a year ago. “The guys have been working hard,” he said, “but we’re trying to establish a pecking order. We’ve got to see who’s going to be able to deal with adversity when it comes and who will not. And believe me, adversity will come at some point. It always does.”
Team strengths: Depth looks to be Jacksonville’s strong suit this season, something that Joyner knows quite a bit about. “I’ve always been able to play a lot of guys,” he said. “This year, I should be able to do the same. I really do think I’ll be able to play 12-13 guys every night. We don’t have any standout stars, and that’ll allow me to play that many.”
Team weaknesses: Joyner has a number of new faces, and according to him, it’ll take more than just practice for them to gel the way he wants them to. Sergio is the only true starter I’ve got back,” he said. “So the familiarity isn’t there. It’ll take 4-5 real games for them to get used to playing with each other. Once we get that, we should be OK.”
Games to watch: Jacksonville played just about every top team in the state last season, including then nationally-ranked and 7A state champ North Little Rock twice. This year, the Red Devils will have another stout schedule, with the Conway Classic (Dec. 9-14) standing out. Jacksonville won the tournament a year ago.
Toughest opponent: Little Rock McClellan, Mills and Pulaski Academy provided the Red Devils will tough challenges within the 5A-Central, particularly McClellan. The Lions return key pieces to last year’s league runner-up squad and are expected to be the Red Devils’ toughest conference opponent.
College prospects: Berkley is a surefire college prospect, but Joyner thinks Wolfe will begin to get looks as well.
In a nutshell: Joyner has the pieces on his team to repeat as state champion, but he will not get a true evaluation until he sees them in competition. However, he does expect them to be able to compete every night, with a chance to do even bigger and better things toward the end. “Our expectations are the same every year, to play for a state title and have a shot to win it,” he said. “But the biggest thing that I want for this team is to get as many as I can to college. All of them won’t play basketball in college, but I want them to further their education. That’s the big thing that I want, and if we happen to win some games along the way, win a title along the way, that’ll make it that much better.”