Six seniors will lead Braves' bid for another district title

Slowly but surely, Scott County Central coach Melvin Porter believes the Braves are starting to buy into his system that preaches discipline and unselfish play.

So despite losing his best player from last season's district championship team, Porter believes the Braves should continue to make solid strides in his third season at his alma mater.

"The kids are working hard, and they're starting to buy into my old system," said Porter, a former Braves standout who played on state championship teams at Scott County. "That's what you look for, when they start to buy in and doing what you really want them to do, where instead of relying on talent they rely on each other.

"They got a lot better at that last year, and hopefully it will continue."

All-stater Chris Pullen graduated after averaging 21 points, 12 rebounds and six blocks per game for a Braves team that had just a 13-14 record but captured its first district title since 1995 and gave eventual Class 1 state champion Bell City a tough game in the sectional around.

"Chris was a really good player," Porter said.

While Porter doesn't think he has anybody to match the 6-foot-4 Pullen's talent, he believes he has quite a few solid players, including six experienced seniors who will be counted upon heavily.

"I really look for the seniors to step up," Porter said.

Among the seniors are three players who will be entering their third year as starters: 6-2 forward Andrew Pullen (12 points per game last season), 5-9 guard Jeremy Johnson (nine ppg) and 6-5 center Chris Monroe (six ppg).

The other seniors are 6-foot guard Josh Boley (nine ppg), who Porter regards as the Braves' best 3-point shooter; 5-8 guard Avis White, a starter early last year before leaving the squad around Christmas; and 5-10 guard Deangelo Turner, who saw limited action.

"Josh Boley can really shoot the ball," Porter said. "We're expecting him to do a lot more scoring this year."

Porter also is looking for good things from six players off last year's JV team, including 6-0 sophomore guard Isaac Porter, the coach's son who also saw some varsity action as a freshman.

"To me, we're looking pretty good, but we have to play somebody," Melvin Porter said, laughing. "We don't really have any great talent, just a bunch of great kids and good players."

Scott County has one of the state's richest basketball traditions but has not made it to the state tournament in more than a decade. Porter hopes that changes soon.

"When you're at Scott County Central, the goal is always to make it to state," he said. "That's what you work for."

The Braves open the season in the Oran Tournament that begins Monday.