Titans look to powerful junior for good turnout
The Jacksonville Titans only return a junior starter, but 28-year head coach Victor Joyner starts this season feeling confident as a result of their depth, he said. They ended the 5A Central Conference 8-7 and lost to Russellville in the first round of playoffs last season, so he expects his team to work harder and go further.
“Last year, we weren’t very deep and didn’t have a lot of shooters,” he said. “We have better outside shooters this year. We are looking to improve defensively and cut down on the turnover.”
The only returning starter, junior Bryson Hammond, brings height, strength and lots of grit, Joyner said.
“He is still developing and is going to get a whole lot better,” the coach said. “He has improved so much and … is a great kid and works really hard. He’ll do whatever you ask. He’s a great young man and still getting better and growing.”
Because of the team’s inexperience, Joyner said, there will be challenges in the beginning.
“We are young, so there are going to be some early growing pains,” he said. “I am expecting them to get it together and be competitive, and that’s all you can ask your team to do — compete and learn and get better every day. We don’t talk about championships much over here; we talk about being prepared for college — being college-ready. That is what we focus on.”
Aside from a few players, many on the team have not played at the varsity level, but Joyner said they are getting along well, so he is not worried about their communication on the court.
“They’re working hard and are a good group who get along with each other,” he said. “There isn’t a lot of animosity or jealousy on this team, and they work well together. I’ll give them about four or five games to learn to play together and play with the different speeds and different levels of focus because only a few of them have been at this level before, so we have a lot of first-year players.”
There are a few juniors who will make a positive impact on the team.
Trenarius Brooks, 6-4, is a 2-3 combo guard who is “very athletic and can really shoot the ball and can get to the basket, where he is explosive off the bounce,” Joyner said.
Taylor Conner, 6-5, is a forward who “can shoot from the perimeter, has long arms and is a very quick leaper,” the coach said.
Jimmy Davis, 6-2, is also a 2-3 combo guard and is “really shifty and hasn’t reached his full potential but has tremendous upside, and his outside shot has improved,” Joyner said.
The two seniors, Kylan Gailey and Marquez Hampton, played junior varsity last season but will be an asset to the leadership, the coach said.
On Dec. 6, the Titans will face the reigning champion, Jonesboro, for a benefit game, and Joyner said that will be a telling game.
“By this time, we’ll have a few games under our belt,” he said. “But it’ll be a good test for them to see where they are.
“We’re trying to get their skill set to where a college coach will offer them to play college ball for them,” the coach said. “I want the kids college-ready and to see them grow and mature to become productive young men of society.”