Social media chatter doesn’t faze Drew McBrayer.
In fact, the New Hope High School boys basketball coach eschews all of the back and forth that goes with the banter usually found on message boards and on Twitter.
But that doesn’t mean McBrayer is immune from technology’s reach. It just means that McBrayer’s players typically are the ones who inform him when people are talking about the New Hope boys basketball.
Plenty of people have been talking about the Trojans in the past few months.
Prior to the season, New Hope attracted a lot of attention when Magnolia Hoops.com predicted New Hope to win Region 2 en route to capturing the Mississippi High School Activities Association Class 5A State title.
McBrayer heard about the hype and didn’t pay it any mind.
“We are just now really getting back into shape and getting back into the flow of things,” McBrayer said. “The kids have been back (from football) for the last two weeks, so we are really just now getting back into basketball shape, and we are not really there yet. But it is getting better.”
McBrayer faces similar hype this week as his team prepares to play Chalmette (Louisiana) at 4:30 p.m. Friday in the fourth-annual Lighthouse Thanksgiving Classic.
The two-day, 23-team tournament features some of the top schools from the state of Mississippi, including Mississippi State signee Nickolas Weatherspoon and Velma Jackson High, as well as teams from Tennessee, Arizona, Georgia, Alabama, Louisiana, and Canada.
Action kicks off at 9 a.m. Friday with a game between Alcorn Central and Houlka.
Reigning Mississippi High School Activities Association Class 6A State champion Columbus will play Southwind (Tennessee) at noon Friday. Columbus also will play Spain Park (Alabama) at 5 p.m. Saturday.
McBrayer said he and the Trojans (3-2) have tried not to think about all of the talk about their program. He said his players hear and see nearly everything, which makes it difficult to remain focused. McBrayer said he has tried to stress to his players that the only thing that matters is what the team does in March.
While not wanting to pay attention to all of the talk, McBrayer said he wants the Trojans to embrace the lofty expectations.
“When we do things right and we do things well, we can be good enough to (win a state title),” McBrayer said. “It is going to take a lot of patience (to win a state title). We have some mismatches on the floor that we can find at different spots.”
McBrayer said this year’s team is different from ones in the past in that its strength is not as an up-and-down team. He said the Trojans can play that style of basketball if they need to, but he said they are better playing a slower tempo that allows them to exploit potential mismatches with players like 6-foot-4 guard Terryonte Thomas, 6-7 forward Tyler Stevenson, and 7-foot center Andrew Junkin. The Trojans also can rely on guards Jay Shinn and Kyree Fields and forward JaQuante Bell, a transfer from West Lowndes.
All of those pieces were on display Tuesday night in a 69-54 victory against Louisville. McBrayer said Thomas, who started his career as a post player but has blossomed as a guard, sets the tone with unselfish play that is a calling card for this year’s group.
“They know we have some weapons on the floor that if we are patient with the ball and move it around, we’re going to able to find a good shot,” McBrayer said. “With our size, if we are patient and take good shots, we have a chance for second shots if we are in position for it.
“This is not a selfish team. We just need to stay that way.”
McBrayer said the emergence of Stevenson has bolstered the Trojans’ hopes. He said he has been trying to tell people since the summer to look out for Stevenson.
Stevenson stayed busy during the summer with the Caledonia Kings’ 16- and 18-and-under Amateur Athletic Union travel teams. Fields joined Stevenson on the 16-U team that also featured players from other area schools, as did the 18-U team.
“The more he plays, the better he gets and the more comfortable he gets out there,” Stevenson said. “He is long, and he scores well. He can change some shots defensively. We can change shots defensively if we play with some energy.
McBrayer also looks to Thomas to play a key role in that area. Thomas said he has tried to make his mark on the team whether it has been at the point or at the wing.
“There is more chemistry and the team is closer and everybody comes together when things get hard,” Thomas said. “It has helped up a good bit because after we lost the first game of the season against Starkville, we just came together closer and it pulled us back together. We are on the right track. We are getting better every day.”
Columbus coach Gary Griffin, whose team is coming off a loss to Callaway on Tuesday night in Jackson, said the games are part of a packed schedule he hopes will test his players for another postseason run in 2017.
“Winning the state championship really changed the perception of our program,” said Griffin, who was an assistant coach to Luther Riley on last season’s state title team. “It has created some new opportunities but also some new challenges. We haven’t backed down from anybody even though we have a young team. Our youth and inexperience shows through in some games, but you have to play these games because they are great opportunities for the kids.”
Even with a young team — junior Robert Woodard II is the lone returning player who saw significant playing time last season — Griffin said the Falcons haven’t backed down from challenges. He feels the chance to expose the players to great competition and environments — like the one in Corinth — only will help the players and the program moving forward.
Senior Chris Blair echoed those thoughts and said he and his teammates are excited about the opportunity to represent Columbus and the state of Mississippi against high-caliber competition.
“We know it is one of the premier tournaments,” Blair said. “It’s not only a great opportunity for Robert (Woodard), but it is a great opportunity for the rest of the team. We just have to come out and play with a lot of intensity. We can’t let the other team attack first.”
Follow Dispatch sports editor Adam Minichino on Twitter @ctsportseditor
Adam Minichino is the former Sports Editor for The Commercial Dispatch.
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