North Greene basketball will look a whole lot different this season without Jason Britton on the floor, but the expectations are still the same for the program that has played in the state tournament four times in the past seven seasons.
While Greene County’s all-time leading scorer has moved on to Tusculum University the Huskies do bring back some key veterans and coach Sam Tarlton has high expectations for this group.
“When you look back over the years, we’ve had to replace good players before, Andy Stevens, Turner Bailey, Chriss Schultz, Kendall Loftis. Now Jason Britton is better than all of them, but it’s good for these guys to show what they are able to do,” Tarlton said. “We have a standard and everybody knows the standard. That doesn’t change because you lose a great player. It might look a little different, but we’re going to try to pick up where we left off and get to the same place that we usually try to get to.”
The Huskies may rely more on their inside game more this season with their two top post players in Bennett McLain and Lance Carrico back in the lineup. Both are now seniors and Tarlton believes both are poised for a big year.
McLain is used to being handed the squad’s toughest defensive assignment on a nightly basis, but late last season his offensive production picked up and in the District 1-1A Tournament against Unaka he knocked down a school record 10 three-pointers.
In the second half of the season McLain averaged double-digit points and Tarlton is expecting that to continue this year as he becomes one of the team’s leaders.
Carrico, at 6’6” also brings a dangerous inside-outside game to the floor for the Huskies. Over the offseason Tarlton has seen then big man get stronger and improve his inside game, and the coach believes he could become a dominant presence for the Huskies.
“I really do see Lance taking a big jump this year,” Tarlton said. “He can really shoot the ball and his post game has gotten better. He has gotten bigger and stronger. We have always thought that it has been in there, but he has really made some strides this offseason. I’m really looking forward to a big year from him.”
The other key returner for the Huskies this season is point guard Lawson Davenport who Tarlton counts on to run the offense. The coach describes Davenport’s role as the hardest on the floor, and one that he expects him to excel at again this season.
Tyler Britton was a part-time starter a year ago, but his role will increase this year and the Huskies will count on him to make up for some of those points lost with the graduation of his brother, Jason.
Each of McLain, Carrico, Britton and Davenport have shown flashes of brilliance in their time at North Greene, but now the Huskies will need those performances every single night.
“We can’t look up now and count on (Jason Britton) to bail us out anymore,” Tarlton said. “We have talked a lot about consistency, and that is what it is going to take from those guys for us to have success. Now if they don’t show up every night, we don’t win. I think they are more than capable of doing it, but there may be a learning curve early. It’s just about learning and progressing. You aren’t going to replace a 30-point scorer, but if those 8-to-10 point scorers can become 12-to-15 point scorers we can close in on that.”
Rounding out the Huskies starting lineup will be Jaiden Bailey. At only 5’8” he is one of the smallest Huskies, but he brings a fire to the floor that excites Tarlton. He will be an aggressive defender who will frustrate offense while playing harder than anyone else on the floor.
Off the bench Yeshua Vaught is returning to the hardwood for his senior season, and Tarlton hopes he can bring a toughness to the floor that can give his team an edge.
Thomas Darnell is another player transitioning from the gridiron to the hardwood, and is another strong athletes who will be counted on to frustrate opponents with his defense and rebounding.
Isaac Gaby is an undersized, speedy guard like Bailey who can be an effective three-point shooter off of the bench.
“Those guys coming off the bench have a toughness about them that we haven’t had in a few years. I love that as a coach. I think that makes us better,” Tarlton said.
Two more guys that may crack the rotation are Tim Hillerman, a foreign exchange student, and Havoc Fair, a junior. Fair was cut from the team as a freshman, but after growing physically and developing his game Tarlton feels he can play a role this season.
Rounding out the lineup are senior Austin Holloway and sophomores Riley Chambers, Matthew Boyd and Nathan Tolley.
A year ago the Huskies beat University High for the District 1-1A championship, but the Buccaneers returned the favor in the Region 1-1A title game. North Greene went on to earn a spot in the Class 1A State Tournament. Once again Tarlton expects the Bucs to be the primary obstacle in the way of claiming a league title.
