Experience, tough defense Eagles’ strengths

You might look at an Oak Mountain boys basketball score on any given Saturday or Wednesday morning and from the low-scoring result figure the Eagles are playing a slow-down game.

That’s not necessarily the case, said coach Chris Love, heading into his sixth season as head coach.

“I think we are just a better defensive team more than a team that slows it down. We want to make the opposition work for a good shot. I think the low scores come because people may not realize how good we are defensively. We try to be really sound in the half court,” Love said.

The Eagles were 14-13 a year ago and lost in the area tournament. They are in a difficult 7A area this year with Tuscaloosa County, Hoover and Thompson. The Wildcats and Buccaneers will likely be ranked in the top 10, and Thompson could be there as well before long. “It’s stacked,” Love said.

Four seniors return, led by Chris Lamb (6-2, 235). Lamb was one of the leading scorers and rebounders on last year’s team. Point guard Garrison Banks, forward Harold Shader and guard CMack Roberson also return. Junior shooting guard Warren Shader, small forward Payton Youngblood (6-2) and post player Tyler Chery (6-4, 200) are also key players. 

If he had to start today, Garrison, the Shader brothers, Youngblood and Lamb would be Love’s starting five. Of course, if he had to start today, he’d be without the Shader brothers, who are stars on the Eagles’ outstanding football team, so he will have to wait for them. 

“We’re not real big, but we do have some length,” Love said. 

“We expect big things from Payton Youngblood,” the coach said. “He’s up from the junior varsity and had a really good summer for us. We need him to play well for us. CMack Roberson has played very well in the early practices.”

The Eagles will try to be a little more inside-out than last season.

“Last year we were very much a 3-point shooting team,” Love said. “We feel better about our post play. We need to get it inside, but at the same time we’ve got some guys who can really shoot it,”

Despite missing some football players, Love likes where his team is after early practices.

“I was telling the kids, I think we’re further along at this point than where we’ve been the last several years. We’re not having to start from the ground up in teaching them.

“These kids love basketball and have a great work ethic. We tell them we want to be relentless in how we play. They’ve bought in completely. We know we have to bring great effort every night.”

“I think we’re going to a be a very solid team.”