Early look: Briarcrest Saints
Briarcrest head John Harrington can’t remember a time when he had a roster filled with a plethora of shooters. That’s because the roster doesn’t exist, unless this season’s Saints team counts. Briarcrest will have shooters all over the floor in…
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Continue ReadingBriarcrest head John Harrington can’t remember a time when he had a roster filled with a plethora of shooters.
That’s because the roster doesn’t exist, unless this season’s Saints team counts.
Briarcrest will have shooters all over the floor in 2023, with senior guard Cooper Haynes leading the way.
Since his freshman season, Haynes has been the Saints’ most consistent shooter and the most reliable one. For the past three seasons, the 6-foot-1 sniper has seen extra attention from opposing teams, running him off the 3-point line, and forcing him into bad shots.
In 2023, Haynes will still be Briarcrest’s most consistent shooter, but not the only reliable one. For the first time in his high school basketball career, Haynes will be able to breathe a little.
Maybe a lot.
Senior guard Connor Mancell is a starter who can play on and off the ball. On Wednesday at the Saints’ open gym session, Mancell made shots from 3-point range. Freshman guard Greg Spight, a promising prospect, is a reliable shot maker. Spight, along with Mancell and Haynes, will take turns getting the team into offensive sets. Junior Landon Rogers and sophomore Parker Pounds can also make shots. Add in sophomore forward Fred Smith Jr. – a 6-6 prospect with a great feel for the game – and the Saints will be able to go small, play fast, and avoid being stagnant on offense, because the basketball isn’t going to stop moving. This team will have more size with seniors Jackson Grisham (6-6) and Braden Bryan (6-5).
Unlike past seasons, defenses won’t be able to smother the soon-to-be 2,000-point scorer.
“We can spread the floor a lot more, because we have so many shooters and a bunch of guys who know how to move without the ball and play the game the right way, while also being able to shoot,” Haynes said. “That really opens up the floor, not only for me, but for everyone.
“So, I know past years, I had times I took bad shots because I had to shoot it at times. But this year, there are shots I will be able to pass up because I trust the teammate next to me. I know they will be able to hit shots like I can.”
A blessing
A year from now, Haynes will be a freshman guard at Belmont University in the Missouri Valley Conference. He’s been making the transition from being just a shooter to being able to log in minutes at point guard in the offseason at Briarcrest. For Haynes, it’s a blessing the program’s all-time assist leader Jaye Nash is at another program, because this grand opportunity would be a blur.
It’s been a transition Haynes has embraced and hasn’t backed away from.
“I’m really looking forward to playing that combo guard position this year and just being able to take on a role of not just being a scorer, but also being a facilitator and doing things that I know I have to get better at for the next level ,” Haynes said. “So I know this senior year will be a good test for me to be able to get outside of my comfort zone.
“And be more than a scorer. Being able to come off the pick and roll, make passes, get teammates open, and not just do what everyone knows what I can do and that’s score.”