Henlopen Conference Team Preview: Contenders

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>With so much experienced talent, Henlopen North is easily the best league going into the season. And when you combine them with the South, their top five teams could compete with any five upstate. Here are my top contenders for the Henlopen Conference:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Cape Henlopen </strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Leading the charge for the Vikings is the two-way playmaker, [player_tooltip player_id='2364685' first='Jameson' last='Tingle']. In the backcourt, [player_tooltip player_id='2698355' first='Stephen' last='Sivels'] created shots for others while [player_tooltip player_id='2371044' first='Geordan' last='Downing'] plays off of him and can create for himself in the mid-range. They're able to wear teams down defensively thanks to the rugged play of [player_tooltip player_id='2375193' first='Braxton' last='Figgs'], who also has some touch on the offensive end. Whether it's Sivels being a more dynamic primary ball-handler and/or Tingle becoming a more potent scorer, the Vikings will have to resolve how they want to get buckets in crucial moments. Developing some competitive depth will be essential too. Other Contributors: TBD</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Dover</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Going into the season, the Senators are probably the best transition team in the state (and even better than last season) because of how well they turn teams over on defense. With lead guard [player_tooltip player_id='2375192' first='Kameron' last='Jackson-Dickson'] at the tip of the spear and an array of wings and forwards – [player_tooltip player_id='2352457' first='JayVion' last='Denis'], [player_tooltip player_id='2519940' first='Joseph' last='Taylor'], [player_tooltip player_id='2375232' first='Kareem' last='King'], [player_tooltip player_id='2352453' first='Chase' last='Little'], and [player_tooltip player_id='2352455' first='Tarrance' last='Williams'] – who mix athleticism and toughness next to/behind him. So when they stay connected on that end, they can easily overwhelm opponents, physically. JV call-up [player_tooltip player_id='2843473' first='Troy' last='Spencer'] will be vital as a glue guy and floor spacer as well. Spacing will definitely be key for them, on top of their ball movement and willingness to play through Jackson-Dickson, particularly when they aren't able to get up-and-down. Other Contributors: [player_tooltip player_id='2866052' first='X'Zavior' last='Walters'] and [player_tooltip player_id='2519961' first='Braylon' last='Williams']</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Milford</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>This edition of the Bucs team runs through its' dangerous frontcourt features [player_tooltip player_id='2461953' first='Elijah' last='Farrington'] and complimented by [player_tooltip player_id='2517182' first='Jacob' last='Dickerson']. Those two aside, [player_tooltip player_id='2519939' first='Mike' last='Mullen'] is the only returner from last year's backcourt. This team is also marked by the return of [player_tooltip player_id='2461954' first='Taj'mir' last='Handy'], who lost his junior year due to injury and twins [player_tooltip player_id='2375226' first='Kaisan' last='Bacon'] and [player_tooltip player_id='2375228' first='Ka'Ron' last='Bacon'] coming over from CR. They run beautiful offensive sets and really limit their opponents from scoring in the paint. Being able to execute when the game speeds up and they have to get out and run will be a necessary curve ball. Further, Kaisan and Mike making strides as lead guards will be essential as well, given all of the opposing guards and defenses they'll face.Other Contributors: [player_tooltip player_id='2619599' first='Adrien' last='Keaton']</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Seaford</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Bluejays have diverse talent and experience in the form of Presbyterian baseball commit Vince Evans III, [player_tooltip player_id='2746845' first='Areon' last='Purnell'], [player_tooltip player_id='2375190' first='Enoch' last='Duprey'], and [player_tooltip player_id='2551577' first='Aizyon' last='Matthews'] who they'll get for the whole year. Sharp shooting sophomore [player_tooltip player_id='2609081' first='Samorian' last='Robinson'] will stretch the floor for the senior bunch. As a whole, they're an explosive team on offense and defense. Everyone crashes the boards hard, moves the ball well and plays hard on defense; while Evans III , Matthews, and Purnell can get busy in transition. On paper, they don't have multiple guys who can create shots (for self or others), so their ability to gut-out wins in lower-scoring games is worth watching.Other Contributors: [player_tooltip player_id='2625835' first='Ta'jhere' last='Bacon'], [player_tooltip player_id='2619227' first='Uriah' last='Taylor-Brown'] and Brendan West</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Smyrna</strong> </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Another senior-heavy group, the Eagles have a ton of firepower between guards [player_tooltip player_id='2573852' first='Chase' last='Sullivan'], [player_tooltip player_id='2358358' first='Marice' last='Kilgoe'], and [player_tooltip player_id='2750844' first='James' last='Heath'] and wing [player_tooltip player_id='2375188' first='Logan' last='Shaw'], who can all light it up from deep, with forward [player_tooltip player_id='2375189' first='Quamere' last='Redic'] cleaning the glass. If you slow down one, another can quickly get hot. [player_tooltip player_id='2698171' first='Aaron' last='Johnson'] can run point and help set people up as well. Their superpower might actually be their perimeter defense. Their guards have good positional size and get after it on that end, playing physical on-ball and disrupting passing lanes off-ball. But with their tallest player being 6'4, they could have issues in the frontcourt, defensively. So they'll have to hang rebound and be disciplined in their rotations in order to compensate. Other Contributors: [player_tooltip player_id='2621481' first='Jayvon' last='Bazemore'] and [player_tooltip player_id='2960288' first='John' last='Couch']</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->