Following the graduation of prolific scorer Sam Boothe, the landscape at Mercer Christian will now look a little different.
“This is my ninth year coaching varsity here and the first year I have ever coached the team without one of my boys there,” Mercer Christian head coach Jeff Boothe said. “In a small way I am looking forward to that, but we will miss Sam for sure. He was a stud. We also lost Shaye Basham and Briar Lucas. All of them were three year starters.”
The loss of the senior trio is significant as they take with them about 34 points per game along with 16 rebounds.
“It will take this team us a little while, but I am really pleased with the progress,” Boothe said. “We have a little bit of size compared to the last three years. We just have to plug some new parts in.”
M.J. Patton leads the returning core after averaging nearly 13 points per game as well four assists and four rebounds a year ago.
“M.J. is just a phenomenal player. When you watch him you feel like he is a cerebral player, but he is a quiet leader and a coach on the floor,” Boothe said. “He is one of the most fundamentally skilled guards that I have ever had and we have had some good ones here. M.J. is just solid and has no weaknesses. He has gotten quicker and stronger over the last year and he knew that was what he would have to do. He will be the guy this year.”
Isaac Sharp is the only senior for the Cavaliers. He is the team captain and is the motor than runs the MCA bus.
“He is just a player you have to have and he is so fast,” Boothe said. “Isaac is like Mr. Deflection. He was three deflections away from a triple-double in our opener. He has worked hard on his mid-range shot and he is a finisher. He can also guard about any position.”
Junior Chance Watkins is the son of Ralph Watkins who had a stellar career at Princeton and he is primed for a big year after illness and an injury slowed him a year ago.
“Chance had a scary injury at a tournament in South Carolina that took him out about 3 weeks, but he is back” Boothe recalled. “He will be a hard guy to guard because he is big and strong. He can shoot the 3 and play in the post. Chance is also an exceptional passer and his skills are off the charts.”
One of the strengths this season for Mercer Christian will be size in the paint. Sophomore Kyler Carpenter will be part of that group.
“Kyler is about 6-foot-4 and played JV last year. We didn’t get to play many JV games, so it is his first full year. He has really taken to it well and we have seen rapid improvement. He can handle the ball, but he just needs to play a little bit. I feel like he is the key to our team. His development will be a big key to our success.”
The fifth starter and sixth man position will likely be interchangeable between freshman Eli Patton and junior Gage Thompson.
“Eli is M.J.’s little brother and he is so smooth. He is a great passer and has basketball savvy. Eli will play the shooting guard and he is my type of guy. If he goes 0-for-9 he doesn’t remember that and just keeps shooting,” Boothe said. “Gage is just tough. He is our best screener and is really physical. He is a brute.”
Boothe feels like his team has the personnel to go as deep as a nine or ten players this year.
“Gavin Oxley may be the most improved player since last year. Elias Sharpe gives us another big that is a smart player. Junior Brady Stinson just started playing last year, but he will be another shooting guard,” Boothe said. “Freshman Wyatt Dunn is green, but you can’t coach effort into them and he has it. He lays it on the line and relishes drawing charges. He is a just tough kid.”
Along with playing the top Christian school, Mercer Christian will also play teams like Westside, PikeView and Princeton. The Cavaliers will play in the New River CTC Tournament the first week of January.
“We have a tough schedule which is what we want,” Boothe said. “That is the beauty about us. We can play the best Christian school teams in the state and still play the public schools. I am looking forward to it. I feel like we can be pretty good.”
