Clinton High men’s basketball team has a hot and cold start to their season
By Charlie Rook
After a 0-4 start to the season, the Clinton Arrows amassed back-to-back victories, before dropping another to Raymond, to open their season with a 2-5 record. The team has opened with a tough stretch of games, with all losses coming against teams who are currently unbeaten or who have just one or two losses.
It’s a season of new beginnings for the men’s basketball team. Despite a senior-heavy roster, the team lacks true experience at the varsity level, after losing a large group of seniors who accounted for ninety percent of the team’s points last season. According to Head Coach Joshua Luckett, the slow start came as no surprise when taking into account not only the team’s inexperience on the floor, but some very stiff competition early on.
Following the four losses, the team grabbed back some momentum with back-to-back wins against Forest Hill and Brandon, two other teams with losing records. The team’s defense was the star of the show in those games, holding both opponents to under fifty points, the first time the Arrows had achieved that all season.
According to Luckett, the team looks to play at a fast pace for the remainder of the season.
“We ideally want to push the tempo, get out in transition, and generate quick, easy baskets,” said Luckett. “Defensively, the goal is to apply full-court man-to-man pressure. However, limited depth has made it difficult to sustain that style of play. The team is also awaiting the return of two key players who have yet to take the court this season.”
As far as a successful season goes, Luckett still believes the team can find their footing and make a strong push in tournament play.
“A successful season would mean competing for the district championship and making a strong run in the postseason.”
A couple of impact players highlighted by Luckett include Sr. Javarius Tyler, who currently leads the team in points, another senior and starting center Logan Garner, junior transfer Zion Chambers, and the senior pair of Jaden Moody and Antoine Harris.
The team has two more games against Edwards and Pearl, both teams with losing records, before a nine-day break as they look to continue to improve.
