Local high school basketball teams are using the free time they have this summer to prepare for a tough grind in the winter months.
The Harmony Grove Hornets hosted a two-day basketball where 14 teams participated in mini-game simulations played and officiated under regular rules. Teams came from across the state to play in more than 50 games.
The purpose of this camp was to get the teams more conditioned and sharp by adjusting to the different matchups and opponents being faced.
“I would say the biggest goals for everyone is development,” said Harmony Grove head coach Eddie Potts. “They want to see where they are, what they have improved on and what they need to work on or continue to work on. Everyone is just trying to figure out what they need to practice the rest of the summer. It’s a great opportunity for all the teams to practice, come play, and then be able to go back and practice again with new knowledge on what they need to fix with their team.”
The Arkadelphia Badgers and the McGehee Owls came out as the winners at the camp. In the junior boys’ teams, the Drew Central Pirates went undefeated throughout the camp.
The Hornets are working to create a winning culture where they can rise from the bottom of the barrel in their conference. While there is still some ways to go, the Hornets are taking their development seriously. The Hornets went from a 2-19 team in the 2021-2022 season to an 8-18 record this past season under Potts’ direction.
“I was proud of our team,” Potts said after the camp. “I saw a lot of good things, but also several things we need to work on and get better before we play in more team camps in July. I feel like we learned a lot about ourselves as a team. In the summer, we aren’t worried about winning and losing, but rather a focus on development and finding a rotation. I feel like if we haven’t learned anything else, we have found some guys that can really help us this year and give us a deeper rotation to be able to play this year.”
One of the top players in the camp for Harmony Grove was junior guard/forward Za’Kyus Smith, who averaged a team-high in points per game (15.5) and rebounds per game (7.4) this past season. Smith displayed great speed, solid shot decision making and tremendous athleticism on both ends of the court. Other players that played well in multiple games were senior center Quinten Jones and senior forward Harry Nix.
Two of the top guards on the team in seniors Caleb Johnson and Landon Garrett were out due to special football workouts. Potts said this allowed him to explore new options on the team and focus on other players’ development so the Hornets will have a more impactful bench when the season starts.
Photo By: Michael Hanich
Harmony Grove guard Damariyon Billingly looks for a play in the game against Monticello.