Dadeville won just seven games last year, but the Bearcats were laying the groundwork for the future.
Carter Lakey and Austin Coonis led Dadville in scoring as sophomores averaging 18.2 and 14.2 points per game, respectively. Lakey also led the team in assists at 4.3 per game, while Coonis led the team in rebounding at 7.1 per game.
“They are both really talented guys that came from our successful middle school program. They have had the ball in their hands since they were freshmen, so with each new season they have continued to improve,” Dadeville head coach Curtis Collins said. “Both players have matured both physically and mentally over the offseason. Coming in as juniors, I could see both of them having huge seasons. I would like to see both players develop into good leaders as they become the older guys on the team. Their talent speaks for itself, and I want their leadership to do the same.”
Continuing the youth trend for Dadeville is sophomore Bailey McGill. McGill stepped in as a freshman and averaged 7.8 points per game.
CLICK HERE FOR ALL THE WINTER SPORTS PREVIEWS
“I’m expecting Bailey to take a big step in his second varsity season. He was our best wing defender last year and third leading scorer. He has the capability to affect the game in a ton of different areas. When he plays well we are hard to beat,” Collins said.
Jacob King will be a key player in the paint in his sophomore year.
“Jake will be relied on to do a lot of the heavy lifting down low. He’s our only big man and we will rely on him a lot this season for rebounding and around the rim scoring,” Collins said.
Clint McGill is the team’s lone senior. He brings back a lot of varsity experience and will be a leader for the team.
Two freshmen in Luke Bushey and Caden Farmer are expected to contribute at the varsity level.
“Luke will be a huge asset to our team this season. After leading our middle school program to a conference championship last year, he will be looking to contribute at the varsity level right away. He can play inside and out and gives us another reliable ball handler,” Collins said. “Caden is a guy who can do a little of everything for us. He is a great defender for his age and has a soft shooting touch around the basket. As the year goes on I expect him to contribute more and more as his confidence grows.”
Dadeville will be strong on the perimeter, but will have to improve on rebounding and limiting turnovers to be successful.
“Our strength this year will be our speed and defense at the guard position. We have a lot of quick and athletic guys that can get out and guard. When we get in the transition game we will be dangerous,” Collins said. “Rebounding and turnovers will be key practice points that we will look at to improve our team this season. With the guys that we are adding to our existing core, I think we can turn a page in both of those areas.”
Overall, Dadeville is poised to post a much higher win total this year.
“I expect us to be competitive with the top teams in the conference this season. We have enough experienced guys with a mix of young talent that I think makes us a threat to just about anybody,” Collins said.
Dadeville opens the season on Nov. 22 at Lockwood.
