District 4A 2014-2015

[CAH09]

I think Coalfield should be the favorite. The Lee kid is really underrated and could have an MVP type season plus they have two more starters back from last years team along with Parker. Finding kids to provide quality bench minutes will be crucial for them to repeat.

Two of the three returning starters aren't playing. Neither were stars, but solid. Tough to replace that at a small school. I think this slides CF to 4th or 5th in the district. The freshman are good, but only a couple, maybe one more are good enough to help this year.

[CAH09]

Two of the three returning starters aren't playing. Neither were stars, but solid. Tough to replace that at a small school. I think this slides CF to 4th or 5th in the district. The freshman are good, but only a couple, maybe one more are good enough to help this year.

Having said that... Without the football players, they had tellico plains beat if one of the soon to be backups doesn't chuck up an 18 ft jumper with a lead in the closing seconds. If the coach t score was correct, TP beat oliver springs by 10 pts last night....so, who knows they may still be OK in this district.

[Stillgettinitfive]

Through two games Jake Ariaz and Michael Brown from coalfield average over 18 ppg a piece. Ariaz is known to be a deadly three point shooter but has developed so many more aspects to his game and is creeping on 6 ft tall. And The person on here who said something about a "soon to be bench player" should also know that during district 4a fall ball a month ago, the guy you are referring to (Michael Brown) had a 40 point game. Yes it was just fall ball but for you to write him off like he doesn't matter proves that you are ignorant. Lee and McKinney are really good ball players. But those who gameplan solely for those two are going to find out that they should've prepared for the rest of the team too. There are so many shooters on this team that some nights it's gonna come from 6 different directions. Also I've played pick up ball all summer with some boys from Oakdale. This is the most talented group from Oakdale I've seen in years. They have more talent all the way around than any team in the district. Steinmetz and Maverick Smith are the obvious threats but the Hicks brothers have some serious chemistry on the court and are both very talented. Abernathy can shoot too so they also have a crazy amount of shooting ability. Saw OS play more than once over the summer and I can't possibly put them ahead of Coalfield or Oakdale. They have one of the better players in the district though in Taylor Murray. Yet to see anything from Oneida but they always have a decent team at least. Jellico has the best player in the district so I have to think they'll end up advancing in the tournament at least one round and will probably surprise some people. So after saying all that my prediction is: 1.Coalfield 2.Oakdale 3. Jellico 4.Oneida 5. Oliver Springs 6.Wartburg 7. Sunbright

[CAH09]

Through two games Jake Ariaz and Michael Brown from coalfield average over 18 ppg a piece. Ariaz is known to be a deadly three point shooter but has developed so many more aspects to his game and is creeping on 6 ft tall. And The person on here who said something about a "soon to be bench player" should also know that during district 4a fall ball a month ago, the guy you are referring to (Michael Brown) had a 40 point game. Yes it was just fall ball but for you to write him off like he doesn't matter proves that you are ignorant. Lee and McKinney are really good ball players. But those who gameplan solely for those two are going to find out that they should've prepared for the rest of the team too. There are so many shooters on this team that some nights it's gonna come from 6 different directions. Also I've played pick up ball all summer with some boys from Oakdale. This is the most talented group from Oakdale I've seen in years. They have more talent all the way around than any team in the district. Steinmetz and Maverick Smith are the obvious threats but the Hicks brothers have some serious chemistry on the court and are both very talented. Abernathy can shoot too so they also have a crazy amount of shooting ability. Saw OS play more than once over the summer and I can't possibly put them ahead of Coalfield or Oakdale. They have one of the better players in the district though in Taylor Murray. Yet to see anything from Oneida but they always have a decent team at least. Jellico has the best player in the district so I have to think they'll end up advancing in the tournament at least one round and will probably surprise some people. So after saying all that my prediction is: 1.Coalfield 2.Oakdale 3. Jellico 4.Oneida 5. Oliver Springs 6.Wartburg 7. Sunbright

You may well be right, I just think the two senior starters deciding not to play will be tough to overcome. Yea, it's a weak district so they have a chance most nights. But at the outset, you have ONLY ONE of the top 7 or 8 players back from last year plus an elite freshman. The two others you mentioned MAY we'll be great sooner rather than later.... But they played very limited amounts last year and averaged a combined 4 pts a game. Team lost by 50 to carter a couple nights ago... Like I said before, tough to replace that much production from a year ago.

[Stillgettinitfive]

You may well be right, I just think the two senior starters deciding not to play will be tough to overcome. Yea, it's a weak district so they have a chance most nights. But at the outset, you have ONLY ONE of the top 7 or 8 players back from last year plus an elite freshman. The two others you mentioned MAY we'll be great sooner rather than later.... But they played very limited amounts last year and averaged a combined 4 pts a game. Team lost by 50 to carter a couple nights ago... Like I said before, tough to replace that much production from a year ago.

[Stillgettinitfive]

Yeah It really is wide open! With such evenly matched teams it's gonna be really interesting to watch! Excited for some close district 4a games that will be decided in the 4th or overtime.

[TheMan0405]

You may well be right, I just think the two senior starters deciding not to play will be tough to overcome. Yea, it's a weak district so they have a chance most nights. But at the outset, you have ONLY ONE of the top 7 or 8 players back from last year plus an elite freshman. The two others you mentioned MAY we'll be great sooner rather than later.... But they played very limited amounts last year and averaged a combined 4 pts a game. Team lost by 50 to carter a couple nights ago... Like I said before, tough to replace that much production from a year ago.

From what I heard the two seniors may be back playing. If they don't come back and play then I see coalfield finishing around 3rd in the district unless Parker can keep up his district tournament play for a whole season. Where coalfield will struggle this year is against teams with size. Carter started two guards that were taller than our tallest player.

[Stillgettinitfive]

Yeah they have solid guard play but their tallest player is a little over 6 foot. So that is where coalfield will hurt. Hensley is playing and has started practicing with the team. Once they get McKinney back they'll have at least balanced size. But having pretty much no post play will hurt against the region teams like midway (midway and coalfield play tomorrow night) so I guess we will see how they do against the senior Caywood

[Stillgettinitfive]

Honestly though as far as talent goes Oakdale has the best chances to win it. I've played with the Freshman point guard Jackson Hicks and if he works his way into the starting lineup that first 5 will be solid. How they distribute shots may be their biggest issue because they all like to score. This seems to be the biggest problem in my opinion with district 4a in the present day. Everyone wants to score. I remember the district had less talent for sure a few years back but the team basketball was shone from all 7 of the district teams

[TheMan0405]

Coalfield got their first win of the season last night against midway. Hensley and Hall both played so I'll go back to saying that coalfield should be the favorite to win the district title. It's still early and a lot of things can change between now and February.

[CAH09]

OZ could be good but they have to many kids that play ME BALL and not good team ball

They lost again last might to Harriman. Shaky start for the team some considered the favorite. Still early though, lots of games before Feb.

[CAH09]

Coalfield got their first win of the season last night against midway. Hensley and Hall both played so I'll go back to saying that coalfield should be the favorite to win the district title. It's still early and a lot of things can change between now and February.

not sure about the favorite, but definitely back in running for top three.... Assuming McKinney and a couple more arrive from football soon (and healthy). Anyone think he's a top ten freshman in the state? Best all-round I've seen in this district in a good long while.