Conference: 3-2A
Coach: Ben West, first season at school
Assistant coach: None
2012-13 record: 1-25, 1-15 in conference play
Returning starters: West will have his work cut out for him in his first season. The Jaguars won just one game last season and return only one starter, junior point guard Shyheim Woods, 5-11. However, Woods was the Jaguars’ leading scorer last season and does give West a cornerstone to build his team around. He’ll rely on several other players as well, particularly senior forward Koty Skudlark, 6-2, a transfer from Maynard, where West once coached. “Skudlark’s a pretty good player,” West said. “He’s a move-in, but he’s fit right in. He’ll be able to do a lot of things.”
Best inside players: McCrory will be heavily guard-oriented this season but will have some able bodies to compete inside. Senior forward Marquis Hampton, 6-2, squats more than 500 pounds, West said, making him one of the Jaguars’ strongest and more physical players. Skudlark will also play inside as well. “He’s a real bull for us,” West said. “He’s so strong, and we’ll count on him to battle down low.”
Best outside players: Woods is unquestionably the leader of the Jaguars from his guard position and will be asked to shoulder a huge load. He has the ability to shoot it from the outside or take it inside.
How will you match/exceed/fall short of your success from last year?: McCrory competed well in several games last season but never could quite get over the hump. West believes the ball will bounce the Jaguars’ way if they can gel quickly in his system. “Just like everybody else, we’ve got to work hard and play hard,” he said. “That’s from the starters all the way down the bench. If we work hard, I think we’ll be OK. Seventy-five percent of the team plays football, and this is definitely a football school. I only have six kids in here actually practicing while we wait for the rest of them to get in. But I’m confident that when they get in, we’ll be able to do some positive things.”
Team strengths: With Woods at the controls, West feels his team will be able to get up and down the floor at a much faster pace than what they’ve been accustomed to. “We’re very fast,” he said. “Very, very quick, and that includes while we’re in set plays. I think we’ll be able to shoot the ball with accuracy, too. But right now, our speed and quickness are what we’ll hang our hat on.”
Team weaknesses: The McCrory Jaguars will be short on size, which could hurt them against bigger teams once the Jaguars begin conference play. “That’s something that we’ll have to deal with all season,” West explained. “We just don’t have a lot of size, but that’s where we’ll have to take advantage of our speed.”
Games to watch: The Jaguars will play their first game of the season on Nov. 12 against Bradford, five days after the football team ends its regular season against rival Augusta. There is a chance West may not have a full team by that time, depending on whether the football Jaguars advance to the postseason.
Toughest opponent: East Poinsett County may have lost its top player in Malik Monk, who transferred to Bentonville during the summer, but West still thinks the Warriors will have more than enough talent to overcome the loss. “Without question, they’re the top team,” he said. “They’ve got so much talent there that they should be the favorite above everyone else. This conference, in general, is tough. Buffalo Island has all their starters returning, too. If you look at it, the conference has churned out teams that regularly win state titles. So we know how tough it’s going to be.”
College prospects: Woods should continue to draw interest from several colleges with his ability to score both inside and out.
In a nutshell: McCrory will “fly under the radar” for the most part this season. West, though, likes it that way and believes that playing with very little pressure will help his team along the way. “We’re going to surprise some people,” he said. “But when we do, it won’t really be a surprise for long. The kids are having to learn a new offense and everything, but they’ve embraced the challenge. So I think we’re going to be OK.”