Change has been the theme for the Oak Hill boys basketball team over the last year.
Not only has there been roster changes due to graduation, but the Red Devils have a new head coach in longtime assistant Andy Kees.
Kees replaces Benitez Jackson who resigned to become an assistant coach for the WVU Tech men’s basketball team.
“It is something that I have waited a long time for. I have been coaching basketball for 15-16 years now, since I was 22 years old,” Kees said. “I had the privilege to be here with Benitez for nine years, but this has been a big goal of mine. I feel extremely blessed and I can’t tell you how excited I am.”
The best news for the Red Devils will be consistency with Kees now at the helm.
“There will be some changes, but one of the reasons I was able to work here as an assistant for nine years was the fact that Benitez and I worked together so well. Two guys that are on the same page 99 percent of the time is really a unique thing. We had it,” Kees explained. “I have been around this program for a long time, I played here and I am familiar with our history. I know the great coaches of the past and the standard that has been set here. I am not trying to re-invent the wheel. I am just trying to uphold what has been established here.”
Oak Hill did lose a couple of key players through graduation, but the Kees has confidence in his returning roster.
“Levi Kiszka is a senior. We didn’t know how much he would play for us last year, but he ended up being a starter. I thought by the end of the year he was one of our best players,” Kees said. “He has really taken on the responsibility of being the team leader. Levi is strong, can shoot the ball really well and does a good job of getting to the basket. He is the play-maker for the guys around us.”
With some of the football guys limited due to a deep playoff run, Cole Nelson has stepped up to handle some of the early point guard duties. Armonyi Hicks is expected to fill that role as the season opens.
“Cole is a senior that is more of a wing player. He shoots the ball really well and has a high basketball IQ,” Kees said. “Armonyi is expected to be our ball-handler. He has played a lot of minutes for us. Armonyi is shifty and shoots the ball really well. Probably one of the most athletic guys we have. The football guys will makes us a whole lot more athletic.”
Kees is excited about his junior class and sees minutes for guys like Tom Jones and and Ivan Perdue. The first year head coach is also looking for a big year from Brent Conley.
“Brent shoots the ball really well and has improved his play inside,” Kees said. “He is 6-foot-3, 6-foot-4 and is a basketball junkie.
Red Devil quarterback Devin Richardson will also be playing basketball for the first time in high school and brings a unique skill set to the court.
“He is a guy that is not like anybody else we have around here. We have seen him play on the football field and we have seen him run,” Kees said. “There are some question marks about his capabilities in basketball, but he is athletic and smart. He is a physical presence. We will highlight the things he does well and put him in positions to help us.”
While Oak Hill won’t the first name that comes to mind in a very challenging region, Kees is convinced his team will be solid when the postseason roles around.
“We lost a couple of key guys from last year, but I feel like I have some depth. Our strength will be in the depth of the group. I like the attitudes and the manner in which they have practiced,” Kees said. “We will have to give teams different looks and be strong on defense. We will adapt to the players that we have. We still value what we have here and that is why we have four state championships and the history that we have.”
Oak Hill opens at home Dec. 10 against PikeView.
