Conference: 6A/7A East
Coach: Michelle Birdsong, ninth season at Searcy; career record, 333-174
Assistant coach: Larry Stamps
2012-2013 record: 9-18 overall; 4-12 in conference
Returning starters: Brittnee Broadway, 5-6 senior point guard, 13.7 points, 6.6 rebounds and 3 assists per game; Angelina Williams, 6-4 senior post, 7.3 rebounds and 2 blocked shots per game; and Tori Sanders, 5-9 junior guard, 3.7 points and 3 rebounds per game.
Best inside players: Williams. “Being 6-4, she’s definitely going to take some of the inside presence,” Birdsong said. The coach said she is also looking to Anna Vest, a 5-9 sophomore post, to score quite a bit this season.
Best outside players: “I think [Broadway] shoots the ball pretty well and can get to the basket pretty fast,” Birdsong said. “Also, Keke Broadway (sophomore guard, 5-3) and Arabriaun Mack (sophomore guard and post) are both pretty quick and can shoot the ball well.” Mack’s nickname is “Flash” because she can run so fast, Birdsong said.
How will you match/exceed/fall short of your success from last year? “We’ve returned several players with playing experience,” Birdsong said. “This makes us a lot deeper as far as kids who can come in and play. We’re going to be a lot quicker than we were last year.”
Strengths of the team: “Our strength is our depth. We’re going to play more kids in the game that way,” Birdsong said.
Weaknesses of the team: “We are going to be playing several sophomores, and I think the quicker they grow up, the quicker they’ll be,” Birdsong said. “That’s something to improve on as the year goes on.”
Games to watch: “Before Christmas, we’ve got the Cabot tournament. It’s a really good tournament,” she said. “Benton, Greenbrier and Watson Chapel — they’re always in the top of their conference.”
Toughest opponent: North Little Rock.
College prospects: “Both of our seniors have verbally committed,” Birdsong said. “Brittnee and Angelina are both going to be playing next year.”
In a nutshell: “I think we have a really good group of kids. They’re looking forward to this year,” Birdsong said. I think it’s going to be a fun year because they have fun in practice. They work hard every day and have fun with basketball.”