Team Preview: Panther Creek Catamounts

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Panther Creek is coming off a year where they finished 17-9 and first place in the Quad City Seven 8A conference. When you factor in two of their losses coming to Georgia schools, their record of 17-7 in state is even more stellar. This years team is veteran led and much of the production will be coming from upperclassmen. The staff are excited about the group they have and feel like they can build on the success from last year with the talent they have.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Replacing Zy'Vaun Puckett's leadership, experience and 21 points per game will not come easy. The coaching staff praised the depth and versatility of the group as two aspects, not a lot of teams can match them. Experience is not going to be a factor, and neither will size. The number of players who can play both sides of the ball and score from all over the floor is a huge advantage for Panther Creek.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Junior Year Jump</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["2619630"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-6ab4140239dd1"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Productive is one of the best adjectives to describe Cam. Since his freshman year, he's shown above average production. Scoring around 8 points and pulling down 7 rebounds as a freshman is no easy task but Cam did so with ease. Building on that freshman year, he bumped up his scoring to around 10 points and grabbed 8 rebounds per game. Defensively he took a huge step, being able to guard 1-5 effectively. Along with the near double-double season, Cam averaged 2.8 STOCKS (steals + blocks) to really solidify himself as a premiere two-way player in the state.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The mixture of size, power, and speed makes Cam an extremely difficult matchup for defenses. He's a well-rounded scorer from inside the three-point line but over the summer, really shot the three well for [program_tooltip program_id='2078500' first='Garner' last='Road'] 3SSB. As he gets more consistent with the outside shooting, Cam is going to tough to stop. Being the clear number one on a team with high expectations will not be easy but Coach Robinson is confident in Cam leading the group. Expect some monster stat lines throughout the season from Cam as he looks to lead the Catamounts to a deep playoff run</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Impactful Transfers</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["3679618"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-6ab4140239e06"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Seeing Langston as a freshman at Jack Britt, the potential and tools were there. I mean, he was the only freshman in the rotation which speaks volumes to his talent. Early in that season he was not paying a lot but as the season progressed, so did his minutes. In around 11 minutes per game, Langston averaged 4.3 points and 3.1 rebounds. Those numbers may not look impressive but per 32 minutes, he would have been a 12 point-8 rebound per game freshman. When playing for 10+ minutes, his effectiveness was vividly seen from an eye test and numbers perspective.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Through 11 games that he saw 10+ minutes, he averaged around 7 points per game. During that span, he pulled down a career high 12 rebounds and scored double figures three times. Langston has good size, length and versatility on the wing. He can knock down shots at a high level and as he gets stronger, his at the rim finishing will improve. Playing for [program_tooltip program_id='2078500' first='Garner' last='Road']'s National Team allowed him to expand his game and show what he is capable of when giving minutes. Now at Panther Creek, he will be a pivotal piece to the Catamounts success this year with his skilled offensive versatility.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["2148143"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-6ab4140239e2a"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Having a floor general like Preston will raise the ceiling for the Catamounts. During his time at Ravenscroft, he was a reliable guard that scored, facilitated and effective off the ball. Averaging nearly 10 points per game and scoring double figures 8 times throughout the year provides proof of his scoring prowess. Although the assist numbers aren't high, his playmaking is a tool that will be utilized well in this Panther Creek system.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Preston plays at a good pace and has an excellent handle to match. The first step is quick and when finishing at the rim, he can do so with either hand. He utilizes floaters well to negate shot blockers as well as the pull up mid-range jumper. The biggest plus for Preston as a point guard is that despite having the ball a lot, his turnovers are few and far between. With his poise and the playmakers around him, the assist numbers should triple. Not to mention his defensive ability and how well he can guard the ball on a consistent basis.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Along with those two aforementioned out of state losses, three of the Catamounts other losses came by a combined 4 points. A bounce here or a shot made there could have easily swung this season in a different direction. Still a successful year at 17-9, the Catamounts will look to get back to the 20+ win mark. This program is no stranger to reaching the 20-win threshold, as they've tallied five 20+ win seasons over the last seven years, excluding Covid. With the amount of talent on the roster, look out for another big year from Panther Creek</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->