Story by Rusty Ellis
The Upperman Bees saw their season come to an end in the Murfreesboro last season, falling in the quarterfinals to eventual champion Greeneville 47-46.
What followed was a mass exodus of graduation, as the Bees return a single starter from last year’s team.
“It’s not the first time that we’ve ever had to reload,” said UHS head coach Bobby McWilliams. “We lost seven seniors last year, and I’d have to look at the percentages, but probably over 90% of our scoring and rebounding and assists and everything…we’ve just got to fill some holes.”
McWilliams named A.J. Nash and Rex Davis as the only two members of the current roster who saw playing last year, meaning it’ll be almost an entirely new cast in Baxter.
“We’ve got pieces to put together, and we’ll see what we can make out of it,” McWilliams said. “It’s going to be a different look and a different team for sure. We’ll be playing a different style so hopefully as we go, we’ll be better than we are at the end of the year than we are at the beginning.”
The district changed as well, though a tough district isn’t anything new at all for Upperman. The biggest differences is that they added White County, Cumberland County and Stone Memorial to an already loaded field of teams.
“We’ve traditionally played White County from year-to-year,” McWilliams said. “They’ve got good coaches and good players, and it’s going to be difficult when you’re dealing with those teams that traditionally have good teams year in and year out…it’s definitely not easier. I think, night in and night out, even the bottom part of our league is better.”
McWilliams points out the traveling as a positive of the new league as well.
“The traveling got a little easier,” McWilliams said. “Distances got shorter for us, so we can pull out a positive on that…it’s a tough district and we’re looking forward to the challenge.”
For the Bees to continue their trend of making deep runs into the postseason, it’ll take a collective team effort.
“We’ve got several kids that we’re hoping are able to play,” McWilliams said. “We’ve got to put them on a little bit faster timeline than what they had anticipated, so we’re looking at some sophomores and juniors that are going to have to step up and see where they’re at. Every position is open, they’re just trying to fill in the best they can.”
Constant improvement is the main focus for the team right now, as McWilliams want them to be playing their best basketball of the season come tournament time.
“That’s where we’ll have to start,” McWilliams said. “We’ve got some kids that are with us right now working, and we’ve got several kids that will see playing time that are in football, and that happens every year here…our goal is where we’re at now is not where we’re at come February and March.”