After a disappointing early exit from the postseason and the departure of their top-three scorers, the Hopkinsville Tigers enter 2019-20 looking for scoring, rebounding and leadership, but second-year coach Larry Miller likes what he’s seen from his undersized, but hard-working squad.
A 57-54 loss to Christian County in last season’s 8th-District tournament signaled the end for a trio of top-scoring Tiger seniors. James Nicholas, Jacarius Burks and Jamarion Sharp have all moved on to the college ranks, leaving the Tigers looking for points. Nicholas led the team with 14.1 ppg, while shooting 36% from 3-point range. Burks was next with 12.5 ppg, followed by Sharp with 7.6 ppg and 7.9 rpg, 4th and 2nd on the team, respectively. Burks was also the 2nd-leading rebounder with 5.2 per game.
However, the cupboard is far from bare, with senior Don Victor and junior Reece Jesse leading the way. Victor was third on the team in scoring last season with 8.4 ppg, while also knocking-down 26 3-pointers at a 34.7% clip.
Jesse, a standout wide receiver for the Tiger football team, returns for his junior season after posting 4.5 ppg and 3.1 rpg last season, providing some much-needed athleticism around the rim for the Tigers.
Coach Miller will also look for contributions from a trio of seniors, with Tayshawn Head returning after appearing in six games last season. Miller has been pleased with what he’s seen from J’Quan Patterson in the preseason, while the return of Javon Smith-Rudd after two seasons missed through injury will provide perimeter shooting.
Junior point guard Arthur McKnight appeared in every game last season and will be called upon to improve on his 3.2 ppg. Junior Jamarcus Burks, sophomore Kensington Cabiness, and senior Josh Deeds figure to provide some help on the boards for the Tigers.
The Tigers open the season on Tuesday with a visit from Kenwood, TN, before jumping into district play on December 13 when they host Christian County. They will participate in a number of tournaments leading up to the New Year, including the Barren Hoops Classic, the Webster County Holiday Classic, the Fuller Physical Therapy Holiday Classic, and the Roy’s Bar-B-Que/1st Southern National Bank Classic at Logan County.
Before a recent practice, Coach Miller talked about his excitement about the new-look Tigers.
