Knoxville Webb trying to stay level-headed after last season’s title run
Knoxville Webb went 30-6 last season in route to a victory in the Division II-A Boys State Tournament Championship game over Tipton-Rosemark Academy. But, last year was last year. What the Spartans were able to accomplish in the 2018 season…
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Continue ReadingKnoxville Webb went 30-6 last season in route to a victory in the Division II-A Boys State Tournament Championship game over Tipton-Rosemark Academy.
But, last year was last year.
What the Spartans were able to accomplish in the 2018 season won’t mean a thing in the 2019 season. Yes, Knoxville Webb went from being the hunter to being the hunted. Now, every team will look to play their best against the defending DII-A state champs. So, what can the Spartans put in place to possibly repeat?
The answer is simple. Just stay level-headed and humbled.
The pieces are there as Knoxville Webb will have guards Luke Burnett, Tariq Daughton, Emory Lanier and forward Uriah Powers back this upcoming season, but everyone will have to buy in and not get comfortable with happened back in early March.
And Lanier admitted it has been difficult.
“I think this summer has helped, because we have beaten some good teams,” Lanier said. “We have gotten beat a couple of times, but I think it’s good for us, because it’s a little bit humbling. Like, it’s reality. You’re not going to win every game.”
The core of Burnett, Daughton, Lanier and Powers give Knoxville Webb solid production on both ends of the floor. Powers, at 6-foot-4, plays inside-out. The Spartans don’t possess a big man, so Powers picks up the slack and guards the opposing team’s post player. He can guard other positions on the floor as well. Burnett, at 6-2, is a lethal shooter from 3-point range. Daughton is unstoppable in transition as he passes the ball extremely well and has a nice finishing touch at the rim.
As for Lanier, 6-4, he’s one of Knoxville Webb’s best perimeter defenders. The rest of the team will just need to fall into place if the Spartans are hopeful for a repeat. Knoxville Webb’s head coach Richard Norris isn’t the type to coach that likes to reflect a lot on accomplishments in the past.
Norris is all about starting over with a clean slate as if nothing has been accomplished.
“It’s a blank slate, and he’s basically been trying to get that out of our heads, and he’s been doing a really good job with it,” Lanier said. “He’s just saying it’s not the same year, it’s a different year. We had to overcome things last year, and we’re going to have to overcome things in the coming year.
“So, all of the trials and tribulations that we go through are going to be different; they’re going to be new. So, we can’t worry about what we did last year. That’s history. We have a great run, a great season. We can reflect off that, but we can’t worry about it anymore, because that’s the past.”
Here’s a glimpse of how good the Spartans can be offensively: Burnett had 25 points in the state title game. Powers added 19, and Daughton provided 14. Each player shot at least 60 percent from the field.
Knoxville Webb shot 66.7 percent (16 for 24) from the field in the first half, including 58.3 percent (7 for 12) from 3 to grab an early double-digit lead. The Spartans have an unselfish group of players, which equals balance all over the floor.
With Knoxville Webb returning four important seniors from last season’s title run, it’s safe to say for right now that the Spartans are preseason favorites, and at least the team realizes it won’t be easy getting back to where they were just four months ago.