Pre Season Preview : Teams to Watch

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>As they enter the new season, their goal is to secure a leading position in the standings, marking the upcoming season as a crucial phase in their competitive journey.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Jonesboro Golden Hurricane</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>As many may already know, Jonesboro has been a perennial threat in the 6A conference since the arrival of Head Coach Wes Swift. Last year they progressed through the playoffs ending with a very close game losing with an overall young team. This year they return guards [player_tooltip player_id='2021786' first='CJ' last='Larry'], who recently committed to Northwestern State, and senior [player_tooltip player_id='2021864' first='Kelen' last='Smith'] along with wing/forward senior [player_tooltip player_id='2021827' first='Luke' last='Baltz']. A seasoned trio all with three-level scoring abilities adding a few talented sophomores in the mix has the Golden Hurricane looking to return for another run at the playoffs.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Maumelle Hornets</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A good regular season didn't hold through in the playoffs unfortunately last year. The big story for the Hornets this summer was the loss of Jacob Lanier who is now with AZ Compass Prep in Arizona. They did make quite a few acquisitions in that period though. Maumelle brought in a tough pair of guards, [player_tooltip player_id='2258010' first='Jayce' last='Tillman'] and [player_tooltip player_id='2494126' first='Cedric' last='Jones'] Jr. both of who can handle the ball well and score off the dribble inside or out. They return forwards [player_tooltip player_id='2481844' first='Markalon' last='Rochell'], [player_tooltip player_id='2021881' first='Jordan' last='Harris'], and [player_tooltip player_id='2266284' first='Malik' last='McGuire'] after a solid summer of developing and crafting for the three.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Marion Patriots</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>After departing as the longtime assistant coach at Jonesboro, Sammie Lewis spread his wings to take the Head Coach position of the Patriots. Marion had a strong outing in 2023-2024 completing a 17-4 record with a playoff berth. This season Coach Lewis is in control of a solid team comprised of upperclassmen and underclassmen who can all contribute on both sides of the ball. They return forward LaDaryl Robinson Jr. and senior forward [player_tooltip player_id='2376603' first='Mikell' last='Lewis'] with key pieces Chandler Randle, Jackson Black, and a new addition on the wing from Tennessee, [player_tooltip player_id='2264463' first='Timothy' last='Matthews'].</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Bentonville Tigers</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Tigers have done some growing over the past couple of months as they look to compete into the postseason this year, after an abysmal 15-14 bottom-of-conference finish. They bring back a triple-headed monster of key starters in [player_tooltip player_id='2300067' first='Elijah' last='Wilhelm'], [player_tooltip player_id='2021839' first='Jayvn' last='Williams'], and Ma'iki Dauda; the big question for them is will the rest of the squad step up to the plate for them this season? All three had solid summers on various circuits and with different teams but overall quality improvement, nonetheless. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Little Rock Christian Academy Warriors</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Headlining this back-to-back state championship winning squad is ESPN 5-Star CG Jashawn [player_tooltip player_id='2021880' first='JJ' last='Andrews'], who is also fresh off of a Nike EYBL Peach Jam 16U Championship, too. He is a spectacle to witness on the court, a true future pro by many standards. They have more prowess on the perimeter with the class of 2027 KD Hicks and twins Kaiden and Kaleb Nelson. Little Rock Christian Academy acquired Head Coach Tyler Wayman in May of 2024 so there has been a recent change of hands but all in all in, it should be a great cohesive unit.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->