Disciplined Raiders respect game, coach says

Coach TJ Coleman is in his fifth year at Riverview High School, and he said Raiders teammates are fighting for play time. “This team is a lot of fun to coach,” he said. “Our practices are very intense and competitive. This will allow us to get better as the year goes on.” The Raiders have a lively style of play, he said, but they’re also very disciplined. The team will come out with four returning starters: senior Isaiah Patterson (6.5 points, 4.2 rebounds and 1.2 steals per game), senior J.T. Smith (17.5 ppg, 4.2 rpg, 5.8 assists per game and 2.3 spg), senior Alex Langley (6.2 ppg, 6.1 rpg and 1.2 blocks per game) and junior Ethan Neal (5.2 ppg and 3.1 rpg), the coach said. Coleman said the team’s overall 2016-17 record was 18-8. Smith is a two-time all-state player and a three-time all-conference player, the coach said. Coleman said key inside players include Langley, Patterson, Neal and junior Sincere Brookins. “These guys are tough, hardworking players. They are usually undersized at their position, but they understand how important their role is to our team. A lot of things they do on the court don’t show up on the stat sheet, but they don’t mind to do the little things to win big games,” the coach said. Key outside players include Smith; junior Seth Vaughn; sophomores Quinton Brown, Ashton Williams, Cahill Overstreet and Myles Arnett; and senior AJ Jiles, Coleman said. “Two-time all-state point guard J.T. Smith is coming off a 45-point game last season. He will be our go-to player again this year,” Coleman said. Team strengths include depth, skill and quickness, the coach said, while the Raiders’ key weakness is size. “We have a lot of good players who are bought in and love competing at a high level,” he said. Coleman said the team’s goal is to make it back into the 4A state tournament, and the game to watch this season is Southside Batesville. “The entire 4A-2 Conference is loaded this year in basketball. Getting to the regional tournament out of this conference will be very tough. Southside Batesville, Helena, Stuttgart, Baptist Prep, Central Arkansas Christian, Lonoke and eStem are very tough opponents, with great players,” he said.