Stepping onto the hardwood: Top local storylines as basketball season begins
As the season begins, here are the top storylines to watch for: — Can Decatur girls deliver an encore?
Key points
- Matt Crowe takes over a West Morgan boys basketball team that's been to three straight Elite Eights and returns leading scorer Landon Henderson (23 points per game).
- Last year was a strong season for local teams as 12 reached a regional.
- 10—Basketball season will hit full throttle this week.
Mike Chase takes over an Austin girls basketball program that hasn't had a winning season since longtime coach Bruce Hamilton retired in 2021.
Coach Tyler Wright wasted no time restoring Decatur girls basketball last season in his first year.
Additional details
- Kyle is the son of former Decatur Heritage coach Tommy Kyle and was an All-State football and basketball player for the Eagles.
- However, the Red Raiders return arguably their two most talented players in Kimora Bailey and Pashence Long, who started as a freshman and eighth-grader, respectively, and who combined for 32 of Decatur's 48 points in that regional loss to Hazel Green.
- Hartselle is in Class 5A, Area 15 with Arab, Cullman and Jasper; Decatur is an Area 14 with Athens, Columbia and East Limestone; and Austin is in Area 13 with Florence, Muscle Shoals and Russellville.
- Decatur returns 11 of 15 players from last year, including its biggest two stars in junior Dakota Moncus and senior Jayden Pointer, while Hartselle returns every player but one and all five of its starters.
- Austin's boys must replace last year's Decatur Daily Class 5A-7A Player of the Year in Caiden Ricks, but the last time the Black Bears were in the second largest classification they went to the Elite Eight in 2018 and the Final Four in 2017.
How this summary was made: extractive summary — built from the sources' own reporting. It is drawn only from the reporting of the sources listed below — read the originals for full detail. How we summarize →
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