JOHNSON CITY — It’s his first venture into coaching girls basketball, but Providence Academy’s Mike Burns said the transition has gone well.
“It is basketball, but it is different,” Burns said. “The athleticism is different, and the playbooks have changed with not throwing lobs. Girls are different in how you coach them. You can be hard on them, but there’s a different aspect to it.”
Burns started coaching 11 years ago as a boys assistant at Oak Hill Academy. He moved to Providence three years ago and was an assistant under Damon Johnson on the boys’ side. He was selected to take over the girls’ program this summer and is guiding the team into the 2023-24 season.
The Lady Knights are using Burns’ philosophy of tough half-court defense.
“I like tight defense,” he said. “I want the offense to feel like they can’t drive.”
THE PLAYERS
Providence won’t have the services of Addie Wilhoit, who transferred to Tennessee High, but the Lady Knights still have a standout player in junior point guard Kinley Painter.
“She’s the head of the snake,” said Burns, who noted Painter needs just five points to reach 1,000 for her career. “She leads us every day in practice and gets everybody going.”
And when the games begin, Painter is in the middle of everything.
“She knows how to pick her spots,” Burns said. “She has made moves in practice and scrimmages that I’ve been very impressed with. She makes the right decisions, whether it’s to score, make a move to set up a shot, or know what the defense is doing and kick it to the open person.
“She really is special. She sees the game better than most kids I’ve coached.”
Joining Painter in the lineup is senior guard Hannah Carson, who did not play last year.
“She was a four-year volleyball player here,” Burns said. “I talked her into coming back out for basketball. She’s very defensive and gets after it.”
Sophomore Myla Johnson and freshman Quinn Johnson should provide support along with Bella Caldwell. Lily Johnson, Rowan Gilmer and Issabella Nekuri could provide minutes along with Aerin Hicks.
“Aerin will come back from injury around Christmas,” Burns said. “She had surgery in the offseason.”
Overall, Burns said his team needs to get better together.
“We need to grow as a team,” he said. “I understand this program needs to grow and develop. And what I want for them is to have the most joy and fun as any team in this area. We’re trying to make basketball more enjoyable. When high school kids are having fun, they get better.
“It is going great so far. I have two really good assistant coaches (Shanteal Davis and Brandon Nave), who are completely bought in and the girls love them.
“I feel that strength, too,” Burns said.
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