Bartlett Panthers: There are reasons for optimism

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Bartlett's starting point guard <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1330881' first='KJ' last='Neville']</strong> is entering his fourth and final season of high school basketball. It also marks his third consecutive season as a starter.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>And as he prepares for the 2024-25 season, he has come to a conclusion about one thing: This season's Bartlett team has a lot of offensive firepower.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>What makes the 6-foot-1 floor general say such a thing?</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Well, for starters, this Panthers team will have a lot of spacing to work with. Sophomore wing <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2291122' first='Dylan' last='Jones'] </strong>can make shots from the perimeter. Freshman forward <strong>DJ</strong> <strong>Okoth</strong> is a promising prospect with the ability to make shots from the perimeter and finish well around the rim. Junior point guard <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2307628' first='Sydney' last='Thompson']</strong>, who had a good showing during the month of June, is a viable scoring option that will be in the rotation. Junior guard <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2364360' first='Jayden' last='Mitchell']</strong>, who's currently away from the program, is a knockdown shooter. Junior forward <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2083148' first='Axton' last='Perry']</strong> is a long 3-4 with great hands and a great touch around the rim.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Freshman point guard <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2194475' first='Braylon' last='Williams'] </strong>provides balance offensively, so collectively, Neville is optimistic about all of the pieces.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>”We are better offensively than we ever have been,” Neville said. “We have people that can score from 1 through 5. DJ is going to be a big problem. He's long, he can dribble, he can shoot. You have (Ethan) Gatewood knocking down some shots now. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2678918' first='Amaury' last='St. Ann']</strong> is scary. He's going to be good. All we have to do is work on our defensive concepts, and we will be top 25 once again.”</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>If the concern is on defense, Bartlett's offense will have to be good enough to score between 60-70 points in each contest. Last season, the Panthers, in 39 games, scored 60 points or more 11 times. They scored 70 points or more 8 times, and 80 points or more only once. In Saturday afternoon's scrimmage against last season's TSSAA Division II-AA Boys' state champion Briarcrest, Bartlett scored 74 points, while holding the Saints to 48 points. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Panthers were led by Jones, who had 22 points on 8 of 15 shooting. Williams filled up the stats sheet with 12 points, 4 rebounds, and 2 assists. Gatewood added 10 points and 3 rebounds. Bartlett had nine players to score. Neville, without hesitation, took shot attempts from 3-point range, converting on his first 3-point attempt early in the first quarter. If this is the start of something great and consistent, then the Panthers have a lot to look forward to.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>And consistent offensive performances will have Bartlett as a legit Class 4A title contender.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->