PINEVILLE — After a 26-7 campaign that included a strong 12-4 record against 13th Region competition, the Bell County Bobcats enter the new season with high expectations—and plenty of reasons to feel confident. With several seasoned starters returning and a roster built around size, versatility, and toughness, head coach Brad Sizemore believes this group is equipped to take another major step.
“We are very excited about our team for this upcoming season,” Sizemore said. “We think we have several returning talented players, with a lot of big game experience under their belt and we hope this is going to be very beneficial for our guys at the end of the year.”
Strong Summer Sets the Tone
Few teams statewide matched Bell County’s summer workload.
The Bobcats participated in two team camps, competed in the NCAA event in Lexington, and played roughly 35 games—many against elite opponents.
“We had a great Summer, we played around 35 games, participated in two team camps and the NCAA event in Lexington,” Sizemore said. “We were able to competed with some of the top teams in the state and hopefully was a preview of what these guys will be able to do at that level this season.”
Experienced Starters Return
Bell County brings back four veteran starters—three of whom will be entering their fourth season in the starting lineup—along with a highly talented freshman who will round out the first five.
Cayden Huff – 6’2 Senior
“He will be a 4 year starter for us. He is our glue guy. Cayden is always willing to do the dirty work to help our team. He sets great screens, battles on the boards and is a great athlete who can get up and down the floor. He has also shown the ability to score the ball, driving to the rim.”
Jaxon Thomas – 5’8 Junior
“This will be his 3rd year in a row being a starter, he is a great shooter and one of the best defensive players we have on our team. He has had a great offseason and we look for him to become a bigger scoring threat this season.”
Ethan Buell – 6’5 Junior
“This will be his 4th year starting for us. He has gotten a lot stronger and more athletic this offseason. He continues to improve his overall ability to score the ball, we think we will be able to use Ethan a lot of ways. He is a great shooter, someone who can attack the rim and go into the post. We look for him to have a big year.”
Blake Burnett – 6’2 Senior
“This will be his 4th year starting, we think Blake will have a great senior year. He has the ability to score the ball in a variety of ways. He has continued to get stronger this year and we will think it’s going to make it even tougher for teams to keep him out of the lane. He worked a lot on his outside shot and we look for him to become a serious threat from the outside this season.”
Braxton Ferguson – 6’2 Freshman
“He will be our 5th starter this season. He has a chance to be a special player and we look for him to have a breakout year on the varsity level, he has the ability to get to the rim, shoot the ball from the outside and is a very physical player on both sides of the ball.”
Added Depth and New Contributors
Behind the starting unit, the Bobcats will rely on a rotation that Sizemore believes could go eight deep.
“We have a lot of returning experience that we will mix in with some talented new players,” he said. “We think we have 8 kids who could be in our varsity rotation. We have added size (Gavin Barton), a few more ball handlers (Kaleb Cornett) and another great young defensive player in (Dalton Black).”
Key Subs
• Gavin Barton – 6’7 Junior, Post
• Kaleb Cornett – 6’2 Sophomore, Combo Guard
• Dalton Black – 5’10 Sophomore, Guard
Sizemore noted that Barton, who transferred in, has the potential to be a major difference-maker.
“Gavin Barton—transfer from Cumberland Gap, TN. Big strong, super athletic post player, we think can really help us on the boards and give us a post presence. He is still getting accustomed to our system but we think he has a lot of potential and could really help us down the road.”
Team Strengths
Bell County will look the part of a contender physically and stylistically. The Bobcats enter the year with size, athleticism, versatility, and battle-tested veterans.
“We are going to be strong, with a lot of size across the board, our guys are experienced and tough,” Sizemore said. “We think we will have multiple guys who are going to be able to attack the rim and space out make 3’s. We expect our defense and rebounding to be a better from the standpoint we are another year older and stronger.”
Areas of Improvement
Despite the optimism, Sizemore said there are clear areas the team must refine.
“We have to continue to become a better overall rebounding team,” he noted. “We have to continue to improve our ball handling and be able to take care of the ball against other teams pressure. We will have a handful of new guys that will have an adjustment period to the speed of the varsity games, but we fully expect that to not be an issue.”
Keys to Success
“Keys to our team is to continue to stay hungry, make improvements weekly throughout the year, we need to be playing our best basketball when the post season rolls around, and stay a close knit unit on and off the court,” Sizemore said.
One of the State’s Toughest Schedules
Sizemore didn’t shy away from challenging his team—calling this winter’s slate the most difficult he has ever assembled.
“This could be the hardest schedule I have ever put together,” he said. “We are playing several preseason #1 teams from various regions, top 20 teams in the state and going to a loaded holiday tournament in Kingsport, TN. We think this schedule is going to prepare us to make a deep post season run and we think our guys are ready to take on this challenge.”
District and Region Outlook
Bell County expects to contend for a district crown, but Sizemore knows the 52nd District will be competitive.
“We think we have a good shot at winning the district and that is one of our major goals for this years team,” he said. “With that being said, Harlan Co will be the team to beat until someone can prove they can take them down when it counts. Harlan City will be much improved with so many younger returning players. Middlesboro has a new coach with a lot of returning kids and we know that will always be a competitive rival game.”
The challenge, he added, is staying sharp every night.
“We have to be on our game every district game and not overlook any of the teams because we know they can give us problems if we do.”
