By: Brian Crawford
Reflecting back on the fall semester of Region 14 basketball, the North vs South zone matchups consisted of highly competitive and exciting basketball. I still can recall my times at Navarro College being on the sideline in those heated battles, fighting for position in the standings right before the Christmas Break. At this point I’ve watched 8 of the 14 teams in the league and two contests have stood out to me and that was the heated battles between Angelina and Tyler Junior College, followed by the Lee College versus Kilgore College. Both bouts went blow for blow, round for round, like a heavy weight fight that resulted in one team landing the final blow to seal the victory. The league is still filled with great coaches and many talented athletes, so I am excited about the upcoming Spring semester of Region 14 hoops as well. Notable prospects such as Micah Thomas for TJC has been impressive showcasing his skill set mixed with his athleticism and size. Gilbert Thomas for Angelina is a high motor forward that is good for a double double every night and Davon Newton for Kilgore College has produced on both ends, showcasing his impressive leaping abilities and improved ball skills. To date the overall standings are as follows; Trinity Valley, Paris, and Bossier Paris are tied for first with a 3-0 record. They are followed by Navarro and Tyler that sit at 2-1 for second place, and Angelina, Blinn, Coastal Bend, San Jac, Kilgore, Lee, Jacksonville, and Panola are all at a multi-team tied as well sitting at 1-2. Now speaking from my 3 years of experience at this point of the season, these records indicate nothing, as each program has to continually fight through injuries, player academic short-falls, and off the court matters that take place not only junior college, but collegiate basketball as a whole.
Some of my favorite upcoming matchups that I am excited to see, as we embark upon the second half of season are Blinn versus TJC on January 8 at Tyler, followed by San Jac at Trinity Valley on January 13. I’ll be looking to see how player’s such as Brian White for TJC brings in the second half of the season as he has been effective as a playmaker, shot creator and defender. Panola’s super-athlete Marlon Taylor will also be fun to watch again, as he aims to lead his team back to the National Tournament again this year. Last but definitely not least, the talented Trinity Valley team will be a force to be reckoned with, as they are lead by Baylor transfer Wendell Mitchell, who has a great supporting cast with Andres Ibaguen, Jaime Echenique, and Robinson Idehen. The Spring semester heading into the tournament for each team will be hard fought and tough contests night in and out, and I am looking forward to seeing the other teams and talented players this semester, as tournament play vastly approaches us.
Edited by AB