GUY-PERKINS THUNDERBIRDS
Conference: 5-1A North
Coach: Damon Teas, first year
2011-12 record: 25-9, third in conference, lost in first round of Class 1A Region 3 Tournament to Blevins.
Returning starters: Garrett Whisenhunt (5-9 guard, 8 points per game); and Irish Fitzgerald (6-2 forward, 10 ppg).
Best inside players: Fitzgerald is strong, a hard worker and a good rebounder, Teas said. Hayden Long (6-5 sophomore) can also play guard; Justin Tims (6-2 sophomore) has great feet around the basket and is the most athletic of the Thunderbirds.
Best outside players: Whisenhunt is extremely quick, Teas said. Austin Rimmer (5-10 senior) missed last year with an ACL injury but is “a great shooter.” Dustin Tims (5-9 junior) is “the fastest kid on the team with great instincts,” the coach said. He called Trey Owens (5-10 junior) “streaky, but doesn’t turn the ball over and rebounds well.”
How will you match/exceed/fall short of your finish last year? Teas said it is tough to say how this season might compare to last year because the Thunderbirds will be in uncharted territory in his first season as coach. “We always have high expectations — it’s Guy,” he said. “However, I feel that we will experience some growing pains early on. We have a great group of seniors and juniors. However, we have a sophomore class that was the district and conference champs last year. There are some new players adjusting to each other, and sometimes that takes a bit to work itself out. Our goal as always is to win the state championship. Does that mean it is going to happen? No. But that is the goal.”
Strengths of team: Teas said the Thunderbirds have many different people who could play and contribute on any night. “We played around 35 games this summer, and each camp, it seemed that someone else was carrying the load,” he said. “The guys have bought into the system early. That is a good thing. We will be the first Guy-Perkins team to play inside-out in a long time.”
Weaknesses of team: Teas said a new team, plus a new system, plus a new coach would probably equal growing pains.
Games to watch: Teas said most 5-1A North contests (Academics Plus, Kipp Delta, Little Rock Lisa Academy, Mount Vernon-Enola, Nemo Vista, North Little Rock Lisa Academy, Sacred Heart and Wonderview). “It is (largely) the old 5B-North that we are playing in now,” he said. “There are many old rivalries that will be revisited with this conference, and we have the charter schools as well. They get better each year. It is going to be a tough road.”
Toughest opponent: Teas said those same conference opponents would be the toughest. “Each game counts toward an automatic berth into the regional,” he said. “A couple of losses early, and you are going to face an uphill challenge the rest of the way.”
College prospects: Teas said Long has great vision and shooting ability. “He is very coachable and ranked in the top three in his class in GPA,” the coach said.
In a nutshell: For the first time since 1978, the T-Birds have a new coach after the legendary John Hutchcraft gave up coaching boys to concentrate on the girls team.