5 bench players that could have a successful season
Being in the starting lineup on your high school basketball team is a great accomplishment. It means you outplayed the competition. It means your head coach saw the need to put you on the floor to start the game.
It means you’re a valuable piece to your team’s success. But what about the players coming off the bench? Are they important? Can they play a pivotal role in the team’s success?
Absolutely.
Guys coming off the bench can be valuable because they give the coach options for different lineups. Every basketball team needs a solid bench to have a deep run in the postseason. For example, when the Golden State Warriors won their first NBA Championship under Steve Kerr in 2015, they had eight different starting lineups.
Kerr was able to have eight different starting lineups because of the depth on the bench. A starting five eventually becomes sluggish and makes mistakes on both ends of the floor.
From the five schools I have seen thus far, there are some nice players who aren’t starters but could have a positive impact coming off the bench.
Here are five non-starters that could have a successful season:
Tony Farrar, Hamilton Heights
Sophomore point guard Tony Farrar will play behind 2020 point guard Jordan Rawls, who’s very athletic and difficult to stay in front of. Farrar is only 6-foot but can score the basketball from different areas of the court. Farrar will only blossom from this point on because Rawls will push him to get better.
Nick Floyd, Lausanne
Junior guard Nick Floyd, a transfer from St. George’s Independent School, will not play with the Lynx until December. He’s 5-10, with solid ball handling skills. Floyd will play behind guards Alden Applewhite and Sky Forest. Floyd is known for his passing but will need to provide some scoring in the backcourt, at times, when Applewhite and Forest are on the bench.
Will Farris, Bartlett
Farris is a rising sophomore point guard at Bartlett High School. Farris gives the Panthers much-needed depth in their backcourt. Bartlett already has junior point guard Sylvester Thompson and senior point guard Jefferson Walker. Farris is quick and drives aggressively to the rim.
Kenneth Lewis, Center Hill
Lewis will not start in front of senior point guard Calvin Temple unless Temple suffers a season-ending injury. That doesn’t need to happen to the Mustangs. Lewis is active on both ends of the court. He loves to attack the basket and always finds himself around the basketball. Newton Mealer loves these type of players.
Hayden Ledbetter, Lausanne
Ledbetter is only a freshman, with potential to be a starter for the Lynx one day. As of right now, he will come off the bench. It’s unclear how much playing time Ledbetter will get this upcoming season with Nick Floyd, Alden Applewhite, and Sky Forest in front of him. Head coach Marvis Davis is excited about Ledbetter’s future. Ledbetter loves competition, which is a sign for good things to come.