Greater Beckley head boys basketball coach Justin Arvon was confident prior to the regular season that his team had the components to advance to the state tournament.
Wednesday night the Crusaders realized their elusive state tournament dream by defeating Webster County at Upper Glade in their Region 3 co-final game.
However, the second-year head coach had no idea the crazy route it would take for his team to get to Charleston.
“We definitely faced some adversity this year. The kids had their backs against the wall towards the end of the year and in postseason play. I think a lot of people counted them out and they definitely should not have. Our goals did not change from the beginning of the year to right now.”
The Crusaders were rolling along with sack full of impressive wins when their world was turned upside down just two weeks before postseason play.
Four players were deemed ineligible and numerous games had to be forfeited. To say the team was devastated would be an understatement.
“These are guys, they hang out with all the time. Guys they battled together in practice and in games and they worked out together. It would be just like something happened to your brother,” Arvon said. “Immediately right off the bat, as high school kids, I feel like they thought, well this is going to be impossible. Once we talked and got them calmed down, they were able refocus on their goals. No here we are.”
Although the ruling dealt a serious blow in regards to depth for Greater Beckley, the five players that the Crusaders put on the floor have proven they can compete with anyone in Class A.
Senior Kaden Smallwood and sophomore Kendrick Wilson, who each average 19 points per game, combine to give Greater Beckley one of the best guard tandems in the state, regardless of class.
“Kaden and Kendrick are really, really good guards and really proficient,” Arvon said. They are really good at getting in the paint and attacking the rim. They make the right play most of the time which is another tough thing about them. They are both hard-nosed kids and they are not selfish.”
“Kaden and Kendrick are quick, strong and athletic and when you throw in how smart they are, that is a great advantage,” Arvon continued. “They can get downhill with the best of them and they are really tough to guard. If we don’t turn the ball over and our guards can get downhill, we can score with anybody.”
The quiet star for the Crusaders has been John Rose who has done a yeomen’s job in the background. Rose averages nearly 11 points and five rebounds per game, but brings much more to the court for his team.
“John is one of the smartest players I have been around at the high school level. He is always where he needs to be and he is very long for his size,” Arvon said. “He can defend really well and he has a great mid-range game that you don’t see much anymore. He can also get downhill and get to the rim. John is the X-factor for us.”
Michael Judy and Sean-David Kadjo round out the starting five. Both players have been solid contributors in the Crusaders run to the big dance.
“Michael has stepped up for us and he had a huge game against Webster County. He scored the basketball and he rebounded for us as well. He can play inside and out,” Arvon explained. “We will need him to play like that for us going forward. That is the type of player that he can be.”
Kadjo stands 6-foot-5 and has been a very consistent player for Greater Beckley. He has also developed into a solid deep threat as the season has went along.
“Sean has the size and the body to be really good moving forward. He is a strong kid that is skilled with the basketball for his size,” Arvon said. “He is shooting the ball over 40 percent from 3 in the last eight games.”
Greater Beckley will hit the floor at the Charleston Coliseum and Convention Center for the first time since 2018. The Crusaders won a spot in the state tournament in 2020, but the tournament was cancelled due to the Covid pandemic.
Drawing the No. 7 seed in Tuesday’s quarterfinal round, Greater Beckley will play No. 2 seed Man – the defending Class A champions.
“They love to run-and-gun and shoot the 3. They are very skilled on the perimeter and their guards can all shoot it and penetrate,” Arvon said. “Caleb Blevins is an all-around good player and he can light up from the perimeter.”
The one area where Greater Beckley has struggled at times this season has been rebounding. The Hillbillies will bring a strong presence on the glass to the showdown.
“(Jeremiah) Harless just outworks kids to go get the rebound. He is a really good player for them and he can change games, Arvon said. “If someone is not blocking out and willing to give forth that effort, we could end up losing. We want to be competitive. If we don’t block out, we cannot compete down in Charleston. Our kids have to understand that.”
Greater Beckley and Man will play at 1 p.m Tuesday with the winner advancing to Thursday’s semifinal round against the winner of Pendleton County and Tucker County.
The Class A championship game will be played Saturday at 10 a.m.
