What to watch for this season in LKC boys hoops
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PARKERSBURG -- A new year and a new season of LKC hoops is almost upon us.
While high school basketball in West Virginia was delayed into next month, the upcoming season of boys' basketball action in the Little Kanawha Conference is the belated gift area fans can't wait to open. This year sees the implementation of the pod system where teams from the East and West are divided into subgroups.
Ravenswood's Mick Price spoke of the idea that was to have been implemented next season, as the Red Devil head coach joins every other coach in the conference in adjusting to this abbreviated season. The girls will follow the same pod arrangement. The pods are as follows:
LKC West: North pod: Williamstown, Tyler, Ritchie, St. Marys; South pod: Ravenswood, Wahama, Wirt County and Parkersburg Catholic
LKC East: North pod: South Harrison, Calhoun County, Gilmer County, Doddridge County; South pod: Webster County, Clay County, Roane County, Braxton County
"Well, all the coached talked about it when we had our meeting," Price said of the pod system coming a year early. "Since there were going to be four different classifications, there were going to be teams on our schedule that may not have been on our schedule before.
"This whole idea was to let teams open up their schedules a little bit and let them play teams they'll see in their region or section. We wanted to limit the number of LKC games in order to pick up some of those games that normally weren't on your schedule."
Teams must play everyone in their pod twice and the teams in the other section of their division once. That sets up ten conference games with an 11th serving as an LKC placement game for third place and the championship.
In a season full of storylines, perhaps the largest one in 2021 is the sustained success of Scott Sauro's Williamstown Yellowjackets. The team was on a collision course for a state title as the No. 1 seed in the Class A tournament before the season was halted. Now, the 'Jackets must contend with hungry challengers to their LKC crown.
On top of that, a large number of first-team all-LKC selections return to vie for another first-team selection and the possibility of being the conference's player of the year. Sam Cremeans and Xavier Caruthers of Williamstown join Grant Barnhart of St. Marys, Rye Gadd of Webster County, Colten Pritt of Clay County and Brayden Miller of Roane County as returning first-team all-LKC selections from a year ago. That much returning talent leaves the race for No. 1 wide open in a year unlike any other.
That's not all when discussing who could win top honors in the Little Kanawha Conference, as this season's shortlist of candidates is as varied as ever.
THE SHORTLIST
Sam Cremeans, Sr. Williamstown: The second-year Yellowjacket enters 2021 as one of the frontrunners, as his 15 points per game helped lead a balanced WHS attack. His 42 made free throws were good for second on the team, and it was also a part of how he earned first-team all-state honors. Additionally, he shot 69 percent from the free throw line and 54 percent from the floor.
Xavier Caruthers, Sr. Williamstown: Take Cremeans's productivity from beyond the arc and crank it up some more. Guard play was a big part of the team's success last year, and Caruthers didn't disappoint. His 12.7 points per game helped created opportunities for teammates like Cremeans and Garret Hill, while his 64 triples tied him for the most of any returning LKC player last year. Where he shined brighter than anyone else was the free throw line, shooting at 93 percent from the stripe.
Grant Barnhart, Jr. St. Marys: It's now his chance to break free as a frontrunner. Only two other returning LKC players had more points per game than the Blue Devil junior, as his 20 led the way for his squad. Barnhart cemented his status as on of the leagues best with 10.7 rebounds per contest. That gave him a double-double on the season. His 64 three-pointers tied Caruthers for the lead in that category, while his defensive presence was felt with 31 blocks. On top of all that, he shot 52 percent from the floor and 88 percent from the charity stripe.
Brayden Miller, Sr. Roane County: Miller has a serious chance to leave RCHS as the all-time leader in many stats, as head coach Matt Brohard said he had to "maintain only a decent pace" in order to take the top spot in points, assists and steals. Fans of the conference would be hard pressed to find a more stuffed stat sheet than Miller's, as he averaged 21.2 points per game. He also grabbed 6.8 rebounds per game and a league-high 5.9 assists. His three steals per game and 55 percent shooting from the floor makes him all-around threat.
Rye Gadd, Jr. Webster County: Gadd is another serious threat to take home the top spot. His 21.5 points per game led the LKC, and his 49 makes from deep were a large part of maintaining that average. Gadd tied with Miller's 6.8 rebounds per game, while the Highlander junior shot 82 percent from the free throw line and 43 percent from the floor. He also showed defensive strength with three steals per game.