2018-19 roster preview: Germantown Red Devils
Jon Lanter already knows the expectations he wants the Germantown Red Devils to achieve in his first season ever as a varsity basketball coach.
That is to compete on a nightly basis.
Lanter will learn a lot about himself as a basketball coach once the season starts. He will also learn more about his players as the season gets rolling. Lanter wants hard workers on his team. He wants players who are going to come into the gym each day with the mindset of getting better.
Lanter wants players who are striving to win championships. With this being year one for Germantown under Lanter, fans should be patient, keep the expectations low, and allow him to lay the groundwork for what’s to come in the future of Red Devils Basketball.
“We expect to compete on a nightly basis, to grow as young men, both as basketball players and high character individuals,” Lanter said.
The Red Devils have a roster full of sophomores with promising futures as basketball players. Jalen Tillery is a 5-foot-11 basketball player that’s expected to play on the wing this upcoming season alongside senior wing Jaylen Redd, who’s 6-0 and weighs 175 pounds.
Sophomores Garret Crume (5-10), Alan Boyland (5-10), and Manny Strickland (5-9) are expected to play in the backcourt for Germantown. The young guards will not be in the backcourt alone. Junior point guard Vincent Thomas, 5-6, 130, is expected to play a lot of minutes alongside Crume.
“Those four have really been working hard. In the weight room, they have been showing that they have been putting in the work to get extra shots up,” Lanter said about sophomores Crume, Boyland, Strickland, and Tillery. “You’re just seeing it in their evolution, both as a person and as a basketball player.
“They’re doing things now that we knew they couldn’t do in the spring. It’s a tribute to the hard work they have been putting in.”
The Red Devils are in the 15 AAA District with Collierville, Ridgeway, Kirby, Southwind, and Houston. The Jaguars are one of the early favorites to win the district title. The Cougars return two double-digit scorers from last season in senior forward Daquarius Harris and senior guard Dontae Horne. The Roadrunners are expected to be a top five team under head coach Wes Henning.
Germantown will be playing tough competition every night. It’s for the best because it will bring the best out of Lanter’s young players and put everyone on notice of how tough the Red Devils can be.