By Richard Carrier
Contributing Writer

For some teams, the basketball season hasn’t even started, but under the guise of a professional’s penetrating analysis and preseason prognostication I’ve crammed in every high school basket ball game I could this week. If early trends mean anythin, I’ve come up with some interesting observations.

Blessed Sacrament’s boy’s varsity has a new stable mate in a barn full of burners. In his first year at BSH, transfer Justin Yancey looks to be a true hoops thoroughbred. The junior point/two guard is going to be a great compliment to his fellow junior, Trevor Gilliam, at the point. Yancey is a bit flashier than Gilliam but Gilliam is so smooth he makes the job look effortless. Watch for this pair to lead both the offense and defense until John Moore works out the kinks in his football muscles and becomes a primary offensive contributor.

If they can overcome their lack of significant height, the Knights can be a true contender.

Not so, the BSH junior varsity boys. They too have front court speed, but the speed is not directed. Freshman transfer point guard Sam Drewicz is a jack rabbit who can get the ball up and down the floor at mach speed but has difficulty getting the ball into the hands of the open man before the passing lane shuts down. His teammates get open in the front court but he doesn’t see them quick enough. He also has difficulty scoring. Although the front court is pretty much without speed, Brian Clarke can hit the 3 and John Hass looks like he can develop into a formidable rebounder. Lack of over-all scoring punch is going to be a real problem for the younger Knights and their lack of foot speed and slow reaction makes them vulnerable to a good passing/cutting squad on the defensive end.

The senior Lady Knights showed their hand early and now have a target on their backs. Now 3-0, the Knights’ girls are a multi-weaponed squad. Their projected star, junior Austin Taylor, missed two games with an ankle sprain and came back to score twelve points in limited action in game three.

At two guard, or, the point, senior Energizer Bunny, Katelyn Leboff has finally learned how to effectively use her energy. (She has been classic at getting a defensive rebound, streaking down the floor and missing the lay-up) She now makes the most of her opportunities, distributes the ball well and is a ferocious rebounder at 5’3.”

Olivia Bowles can dominate in the post, Ashley Chaney is perpetually solid and the squad is so deep and talented that we might see a different starter at the other positions every week.

The junior varsity girls are a mystery. I caught them in their opening game and Haley O’Donnell’s ball handling skills and distribution choices were solid and Kate long appeared to be a good choice for a go to scorer.

Kimberly Robben is the kind of player every team needs. She’s a strong rebounded, solid defender and runs the floor exceptionally well. This same trio and their compatriots went to Southampton for game two and scored 13 points as a team. Go figure.

When I talked to Powhatan High School’s Steve Washburn about a week ago, he couldn’t even give me a roster.

In that yearly good news, bad news situation for Indians’ basketball, Powhatan football had gone deep into the playoffs and coach Washburn did not know how many of the footballers would elect to play basketball this year, what kind of shape those who did would be in and how long it would take prime time ballers like Shawn Minor to find their basketball legs. The Indians’ first game is today at Bluestone. The first time I’ll see them is on the eighteenth at Midlothian High.

The Lady Indians have two games under their belt; a 21 point win against Goochland and a 19 point loss against Fluvanna.

I was unable to make connection with Coach Bowman but I intend to correct that with a face-to-face with Coach Bowman this week.

But the girls go on a five game road trip and I won’t see them until Jan. 15.

The big nucleus of Hanna Davis, Jessie Harris and Hanna Livermon is back, however.

When I get it all together (No, that’s not totally impossible for me to accomplish) I’ll be covering all eight teams with equal coverage as my goal.