Greenbrier West boys basketball coach Jared Robertson felt like he had a team that was more than capable of making the state tournament field in Charleston last year.
The first problem for the Cavaliers was only two teams could make the big dance from each region and they were clearly in the toughest Class A region in the state.
The second problem for Greenbrier West was the two teams in the region happened to be James Monroe and Greater Beckley Christian who eventually advanced to the state title game where the Mavs capped an undefeated run for their first boys basketball state title in school history.
Next season, Region 3 in single-A will again be a dogfight.
The question now for the Cavaliers is, can they erase last year’s frustration and be one of the two teams to hoist a co-regional championship plaque come March?
Preparation for that moment is already underway in the summer three-week practice period and summer league play.
While Robertson is pleased with what he has seen on the floor, there has been some frustration.
“It’s hard because there is always vacations. There is always jobs. There are things that understandably get in the way,” Robertson said. “Just once or twice though you would like to have your full squad together and see what next year is going to look like. We have got close a couple of times, but we haven’t had our full team together all summer. We have had 14 or 15 different kids getting some time however, so it’s good for everybody top to bottom to get a chance for improvement.”
West will return a strong nucleus next season, but the loss of two key players to graduation will be a challenge to replace.
Gone are second-team all-state captain Chase McClung and blue-collar post-man, Elijah Perkins.
“Chase is a kid that started three years,” Robertson said. “A kid that led us in scoring and steals. He was third or fourth in rebounds and second or third in assists. He was the player that wanted to guard the other teams best guy. It is great to have a kid like that, but when graduation comes, it is hard to lose him.”
“I don’t know if we have any one person that can pick up that slack,” Robertson went on to say. “Elijah Perkins gave us some size to give Michael (Kanode) a break in the post. We do have a lot of kids that have come along that gives me some encouragement, but it is going to be tough to replace those two kids.”
Last season, Chase’s younger brother blossomed in his brother’s shadow. If West is to be successful this year, Brayden will likely need to step into the limelight with both feet.
“(Brayden) is in the mold of his brother. He plays hard and he is a pain for the other team. He is also like his brother in the fact that he sees things that he has to get better at. He really worked on his ball handling last year and now he can run the point for us no problem,” Robertson said. “He developed his scoring a lot on drives and pull-ups. He needs to improve on his outside shot. If he improves that he will will be a complete offensive player and be as good as anybody around. He has a chance to be really good.”
Kanode was also a pain for other teams standing 6-foot-5 and averaging nearly a double-double. Add in Dale Boone and the Cavaliers have a strong trio to build around.
“Michael Kanode has had a great summer. He has been here everyday and he has a chance to be really good inside,” Robertson said. “Dale Boone has lost a little weight and he has worked hard to get more explosive as a basketball player. He was really successful as a baseball player and I think he has a little more confidence now. He has played really well for us this summer. He scored for us at times last year, but now I think he will be more consistent.”
Kadin Parker will be back to run the point and Ty Nickell will add more physicality down low for the Cavaliers.
Robertson has also been pleased with the development of some young players over the summer.
“We have several young kids that I feel like will give us depth that I wasn’t sure we would have,” Robertson said. “A couple of guys that were freshman last year, Isaac Agee and Asher Barclay, have played well this summer. We have a big junior class and a lot of those kids have improved. I am really looking forward to what we can do depth-wise. The way we play, depth is always a plus.”
Although he has been a little frustrated with getting his team together as a unit, Robertson has seen enough to already make him anxious for upcoming season.
“I say all the time that we can’t score, so we have to find a way to create easy shots. We have to figure out how to score one on one and work on some little things that I have seen this summer,’ Robertson said. “We are also expanding our defensive arsenal for next year. I am excited and we have a chance to be good, but we have a long ways to go.”
Greenbrier West opens the season Dec. 9 at home against Richwood.
