'Little bit of everything' is Hornets' wild card

Jim Hall doesn't sound like a coach trying to replace five starters from last season's team.

Chalk it up to recent experience.

Hall's team a year ago entered its season lacking experience, size and depth. The result was 21 wins and a second-place district finish. And he's not discounting the potential of this year's team, which he says is another darkhorse in the making.

"It's the most inexperienced team I've ever coached on the varsity level," Hall said, "but it's potentially one of the best I'll ever coach. This team has a little bit of everything."

Its biggest perk is the mood of the program itself. Hall's teams have averaged 20 wins in each of his five seasons at Advance, and he says that's helped motivate each incoming group of varsity athletes. It's led to a rigid work ethic from varsity to junior varsity, which Hall says will be one of the biggest positives this year.

"They have such great attitudes, and having athletes like that makes a coach look forward to every season," Hall said. "They've put in a lot of hours in the offseason, and they expect to go out there and do well. You do that, and the wins will take care of themselves."

Three seniors, eight juniors and four sophomores will contend for starting spots when the season starts next week at the Woodland Invitational. Eight players moved up from last season's JV team that went 23-3, and three players are back after spending time on varsity last year.

The Hornets regularly may go 10 deep, a luxury they didn't have a year ago while relying on six core players in a 21-8 season.

"That kind of depth is a little unusual for a school the size of Advance," said Hall, whose team is in Class 2. "We'll certainly take advantage of that depth and play up-tempo. To do that, you have to be able to combine dribbling and quickness. We have that in abundance."

Junior guard Tyler Bowman leads a group of potential starters after he moved up from JV to varsity for last season's district tournament, which saw Advance lose to East Carter County in the finale. Bowman averaged about 15 points a game for the JV team.

He and his teammates may have to rely more on a shooting touch than a powerful inside game. The Hornets' tallest player stands 6-foot-3. That's not a worry, Hall said.

"You hate to get too hyped up on a group," he said, "but if this group stays healthy and they keep the attitudes they have now, the next two or three years will see some outstanding basketball at Advance."