Takeaways from the Scioto Valley Conference boys basketball preview scrimmages

BAINBRIDGE — It's almost that time of year again.

With just a few scant days until the high school boys basketball season begins, the Scioto Valley Conference hosted its annual boys basketball preview scrimmages on Friday night at Paint Valley High School. The scrimmages were divided into four two-quarter games, allowing fans a glimpse of what is to come this season.

It's hard to get a complete overview of any team from a two-quarter scrimmage, but there was still plenty of insight to glean. Here's a takeaway for every SVC team following their respective scrimmages:

High School Girls Basketball: Three storylines to watch early in the Chillicothe-area girls basketball season

VOTE: Cast your vote now for the top student section of all 10 Chillicothe-area schools

Adena Warriors: Age, experience, redemption

Adena is coming up on a potential push year for its program. Its lineup is loaded with experienced upperclassmen this season like Joedy Ater and Bryson Smith, among a field of seven seniors. Mix in sophomore Lucas King and two experienced juniors in Darius Wagner and Christian Heath, and the Warriors have a solid formula for success in the works.

The lineup worked to great effect on Friday. Smith ended the game with a game-high 11 points, Ater added six and Lane and Heath each put up four points. Jackson Hicks also leaned into the role of a reliable paint presence, which will come in handy when the Warriors need a rebound.

"We tell these kids, 'Do your job, whatever that role is, embrace that and get better every single day at that role,'" Adena coach Ryan Olaker said. "What I saw out there was a little bit jittery in the first half, but once we settled down we got into a smooth transition and the intensity started to get picked up. We were a little more gritty. I started to see some roles develop."

Huntington Huntsmen: Return of the old guard

Following the departure of former coach Kyle Bradley after last season, the Huntsmen have found new leadership in a former coach. Rick Uhrig, the winningest coach in program history, has stepped out of retirement to lead the Huntsmen once again.

Uhrig's biggest priority this season is getting his players up to speed. The Huntsmen are bottom-heavy this year, with a majority of their roster still getting used to extended varsity minutes. Uhrig is seeing progress, but he is also anticipating some growing pains early in the year.

"I can't look at tomorrow, I've got to look way down the road and I think we'll be better if we keep working at it," Uhrig said. "We got a bunch of puppies out there, and we've got a lot of work to do. If we can keep getting them to buy in, they're not all the way in yet. I think we'll be OK, but it's going to take a while."

Paint Valley Bearcats: A new level of depth

Although Lakiem Lockery is entering his first year leading the Bearcats, he already has a firm grasp of the program. He was an assistant to former head coach Jason Smith last season, and as such has a solid idea on how to build the Bearcats back up after losing three starters from last season.

Aside from returning starters Braylon Robertson and Carson Free, Lockery is anticipating Paint Valley's senior class to find a bigger role as a whole this season. Players like Gavin Kingery and Logan Laug, while not seeing as many minutes last year, have been granted a chance to fill out the roles the Bearcats need. Plus, a deep bench will give the Bearcats more room to figure out how their lineup looks closer to the season.

"The good thing about this team right now, we literally are looking at 12-13 guys," Lockery said. "We've got a lot of guys who are at same positions, here and there, I couldn't even tell you who starts tomorrow. It's a good thing to have, it's not a bad thing."

Piketon Redstreaks: Setting and reaching goals

Coach Kyle Miller and his players spent time in the offseason making a list. Each bullet on that list represents a goal a player has set for themselves, as well as the team as a whole, this year. Some range from maintaining a winning record to winning the SVC outright.

No matter the goal, the Redstreaks are pressing to find success. All-SVC second team honoree Brent McGuire, alongside honorable mentions Garrett Legg and Declan Davis, will be the crux of that gradual path toward those goals. All three have been shunted to the forefront of the Redstreaks' lineup this year and are charged with helping lead a lineup padded with six sophomores.

"We've kind of established with our guys, especially those three — Brent, Garrett and Declan — that we will go as they go, we'll go as well as they lead. So there's a lot of responsibility on their shoulders," Miller said. "It's a slow and steady progress for us, but we've got to get to a point in practice where iron sharpens iron and we're competing at a high level all the time."

Southeastern Panthers: Finding new footing

Bryan Alley has stepped into the role as the Panthers' new head coach, and his main goal before the season begins is to get his players as prepared as possible. The Panthers have just nine varsity players thus far, and it has been 11 years since they've last posted a winning record.

But Alley can feel the Panthers' progression. Conditioning will play a major factor with the small pool of varsity players, but Alley believes his players are responding well to their regimen.

"Once we started getting tired that's when we start standing around on defense, the offense started to become stagnant and things of that sort," Alley said. "I only have nine on the varsity team, so it's going to be probably midseason by the time we're fully in shape, because it's hard to practice with just nine kids. But I'm very tickled with the great attitudes, they work hard, they do everything I ask of them and they're learning."

Unioto Shermans: A year of growth

A year of experience might make all the difference for the Shermans this season. They've lost two players from last season, but retained 10 of their main contributors while also adding on some further depth on the bench. The Shermans have been in the fire before, and the roster knows what's expected of them this season.

So far, Unioto's shown plenty of potential. Ashton Crace and David Long each put up a pair of early baskets to set Unioto ahead of Paint Valley early in the first quarter, plus all-around sound performances from Zeke Schobelock, Blake Hoops and Ashton Crace sent a clear message: Unioto isn't playing around this year.

"I think this team is more mature than they were last year," Unioto coach Matt Hoops said. "We lost two off of last year's roster and we returned 10. So these guys have been through this stuff before. They're a year older and a lot of them have been through it two or three years, so a really mature team."

Westfall Mustangs: New coach, same expectations

Westfall is one of four SVC teams entering the season with a new head coach, albeit not necessarily new to the school. Kyle Joseph graduated from Westfall in 2006, and he spent last season as an assistant coach at Lancaster. Although Joseph is fresh at the helm, he still holds high expectations for his squad this year.

The Mustangs are fresh off back-to-back winning seasons, although they'll be without All-SVC first team selection Casey Cline following graduation. They do, however, have one of their premier shooters in Brody Clark back, as well as fellow starter Henry Barnes and perennial paint presence Jeremiah Layton. Sophomore Joe Wray also saw considerable court time on Friday, which might signify some additional minutes in the regular season.

"In general, I think we have a really strong group," Joseph said. "I have high expectations for all of them, not just those returning but certainly those returning guys to help set the tone for everyone else. They know a little more about what it takes to play in this league. I have as high of expectations for them as anyone can have, and I know they do, too."

Zane Trace Pioneers: A different approach

The Pioneers graduated some of their most productive players last season in Xzander Ream, Nalin Robinson and Kyle Stonerock, and those losses also mean they'll have a smaller size compared to their 2022-23 campaign.

That's not an inherently bad thing, however. Zane Trace retained players like Landon Robinson, Brock and Landen Jarrell, Ezra Rippeth and Carter Langley for this season. What they don't have in size, they've made up for in general athleticism. Robinson also hit three 3-pointers on Friday, which gives them some more range beyond the arc.

"We're a different kind of team this year," Zane Trace coach Gary Kellough said. "We're more athletic and we're going to do a lot more things up tempo. I think we're going to be a real exciting team to watch. ... We'll surprise a lot of people, I'll say that."

This article originally appeared on Chillicothe Gazette: Takeaways from the SVC boys basketball preview scrimmages