5 things to follow in hoops

Thank goodness it’s finally basketball season.

Look, I enjoy football just as much as the next guy, but basketball is my bread and butter. It’s the sport that I enjoy far more than any others. It’s a beautiful game that, when played correctly, should resemble an art form.

That art should be on full display at several gyms throughout the Houma-Thibodaux area, as talent is oozing out of our local schools in the 2015-16 season – for both prep teams and also Nicholls State University.

Sure, everyone has already started their seasons, but that doesn’t mean it’s too late to give a preseason overview for the season – a sort-of synopsis for what we think might be to come.

Gosh, I’m so pumped up that basketball is here once again.

These next two months should be nothing but fun!

5 THINGS TO LOOK OUT FOR IN THE 2015-16 HOOPS SEASON

1. Boys’ basketball competition is fierce – There are a ton of good boys’ basketball teams in the Houma-Thibodaux area. All it took was about two days of scouting and 15 minutes of Google research to figure that one out – this area is absolutely loaded. Of course, the big fish in the pond are Ellender and Central Lafourche – teams who most experts would consider to be among a short list of favorites to either win the state championship or come pretty dog-gone close. Those two teams are ridiculously talented and do just about everything right. The Patriots are a tad quicker, but the Trojans have more size and depth. They’re both insanely good in their own ways. But they’re not alone locally, and both will be challenged heavily throughout the year. In Class 5A, Thibodaux is good, and H.L. Bourgeois is really solid, as well. People sleep on Terrebonne, but the Tigers are really good in 2015-16, as well. All three can make the playoffs if the chips fall in the right places. In Class 4A, South Lafourche has Harvey Allen back, as well as virtually its entire rotation from last season. They will give teams fits all season. So, too, will E.D. White in Class 3A, who can beat anyone on any given day. Houma-Thibodaux boys’ basketball has never been better. It’s absolutely loaded.

2. Does Dixon still have the magic? – No matter how the 2015-16 basketball season shakes out, it doesn’t change the fact that Ellender girls’ basketball coach Kenneth Dixon is a local legend. But this season could add some sparkle to an already diamond-clad resume. Dixon retired as coach of the Lady Patriots after the 2013-14 season, but has returned in 2015-16 after a one-year hiatus. The team Dixon inherited is top-notch, but was in need of a push. The Lady Patriots have made several-straight early postseason exits. Does the ol’ wizard have one trick left in his magic wand? Time will tell.

3. Old versus new in Class 4A boys – With the exception of Ellender coach Cornell Scott, every, single head coach in District 7-4A is a newcomer to the district in 2015-16. Sure, South Lafourche has a veteran head-man with Brian Callais, but remember that this is South Lafourche’s first season in Class 4A, so they are new to the district. Add in first-year head coaches at Assumption (Jordan Johnson), Morgan City (Robert Lee), South Terrebonne (Caleb White) and Vandebilt (Drew Robison) and you have a league filled with both parity and also uncertainty. Any of these teams can beat any other on any given night.

4. Harvey, Harvey, Harvey – South Lafourche senior guard Harvey Allen is lucky to be alive. The Tarpons standout athlete was badly injured in a severe car crash that occurred just before the football season. A star quarterback, Allen didn’t get to play a single snap in his senior season as he recovered from a fractured pelvis and punctured bladder. But after a four-plus-month recovery and rehab, Allen is back in action – now on the basketball hardwood for the Tarpons. Harvey, himself, admits that he’s a little bit rusty, but he’s not missed a beat. In the Tarpons season opener against H.L. Bourgeois, he made several big plays.

5. Houma Christian making hits – A storm is brewing down on Valhi Boulevard in Houma. The Lady Warriors basketball team is beastly in 2015-16 – a team which is the odds-on favorite to win District 8-1A, but which is also capable of making a push in the playoffs. The Lady Warriors have a ton of talent for a Class 1A team – a pool of depth not often seen in high school basketball. Need proof of the team’s success? Just look at the schedule. The Lady Warriors played nine Class 5A teams and one Class 4A team in their first 10 games. They won five out of the 10, including victories over Helen Cox, Dominican, Central Lafourche, Higgins and Hahnville. The Lady Warriors also lost close to Slidell, Walker and Mount Carmel. •