North Pike head boys’ basketball coach Keith Russ is looking for help this season from an unlikely source — the Jaguars’ football team.
In the midst of the gridiron season and with the basketball season still nearly three weeks away, that doesn’t seem a likelihood anytime soon. But Russ hopes that by the end of the first couple of weeks, his team could have the depth he has searched for so long.
“There’s a possibility that we could have some football players coming in, giving us the depth we need,” Russ said. “If that happens, we’ll have the depth I had when we won the district here in 2004.”
The Jaguars lost just two players from a 2008 team that finished 8-18 and missed the postseason.
Russ said his final starting five this season has not yet been set because of the uncertainty of which football players will make the transition to the court. He did say that competition for the starting job at several spots continues.
The biggest competition right now is at power forward, where no less than three players are battling for the spot.
Junior LeMichael Quinn is being pushed by 6-foot-3 sophomore Donovan James for the job, with 6-foot junior Demetric Jackson also in the mix.
“Donovan has the potential to be a scorer inside,” Russ said. “He’s still young. He has to mature mentally and physically.
“Demetric has shown great leadership. He competes and he’s on the boards very well.”
Sophomore Vernon Butler (6-0) will start the season at small forward, but will likely be a reserve once the football season ends.
“Hopefully by the middle part of the season,” Russ said, “he’ll give us a spurt off the bench.”
Others who could see competition for their respective spots once the football players show up on the court include junior point guard Ferrand Jenkins (5-6), shooting guard Erik Allen (6-0) and Quinn, who will likely move to the three guard position once the rest of the lineup is set.
Several talented reserves also will give the Jaguars depth. They include senior Spencer Yarborough (6-1), who will see time at both power forward and wing guard.
“He’s a hustler,” Russ said. “He’s a guy that’s going to give you 100 percent.”
Look for the Jaguars’ offense to penetrate opposing defenses and look for the quick baskets off transition.
That will be made possible, Russ said, by North Pike’s new man defense installed by the seventh-year coach.
“We’ll try to get some easy baskets this year,” Russ said. “Last year, we didn’t have the depth to play a man-to-man defense. Hopefully, we can use our athleticism we have for the first time in a long time.”
In the Jaguars’ debut season in Class 4A, Russ said he expects Columbia to be the team to beat in the district.
“They play up-tempo and a full-court man defense,” Russ said. “If we can press against them, we’ll be all right.”
