Bunn High on Guard!

November 19, 2009

Bunn High School

BHS' SHOOTING STAR
Senior Michael Collins is expected to be one of the area's top long-range shooters this season. 


BUNN -- Throughout the successful course of its history, Bunn High School's boys basketball program  has been blessed with a seemingly never-ending group of talented backcourt performers.

Look for this year to be no different.

But that's only part of the story at Bunn. For some reason, the Wildcats, at least the majority of the time, seem to struggle to find post players to complement its array of wing talents.

It's been a constant struggle for BHS head coach Gerald Melton during his decade-long stint with the Wildcats.

His teams have always been loaded in the backcourt but, with the exception of a few standouts, have been thin up front.

"Maybe it's something in the water,'' Melton said. "But it seems like it has always been that way. We've had so many good basketball players come through here. They all end up learning from the guys who played before them.

"But nobody really knows why we don't have a lot of size around here, and some of the teams near us don't seem to have that problem.''

Melton, however, thinks he has a solution to his guard-heavy roster this season.

He might just play them all at work -- using a small, press-oriented lineup to demoralize taller opponents.

"We'll probably have at least four guards in the lineup all the time,'' Melton said. "And maybe even five. We'll spread the court and try to penetrate on the dribble.

"We want to get inside, but not by pounding it in there. We'll just drive and hope to make a good decision -- either by kicking the ball out for a jumper, or going ahead and trying to score.''

Melton feels like he has the roster to do that. Returnees such as Quinton Cannady and Montrel Cooke are capable of taking opponents off the dribble, while Michael Collins is regarded as one of the area's top returning shooters.

Cannady has also been known to make his share of clutch jumpers during his three-year career on the Bunn varsity.  Though he's only a junior, Cannady has been playing extensively on the varsity since he was a ninth-grader.

If this were the National Basketball Association, Melton would probably try to use one of his backcourt assets to obtain a big man.

But Melton has no other choice but to go with what he has, beginning with Collins, who is BHS' leading returning scorer at a 12-point per game clip.

In addition to Cannady and Cooke, Bunn will welcome back defensive ace Raven Sills. Varsity newcomer Miles Clifton, a sophomore, has pure point guard skills, according to Melton.

That's important, as Bunn will certainly miss team leader and point guard Levon Stanley, who graduated after the Wildcats went 12-12 last season.

Stanley was a solid player who made good decisions, and his leadership and defensive abilities were invaluable.

Also gone is sharpshooter Clay Thorne, who is now playing at Sandhills Community College under former BHS player Aaron Denton.

"Obviously, we have to play at top speed,'' Melton said. "This is the fastest team I've had in awhile, and we have a deep bench. We're going to go 9-10 guys deep.

"All of these guards have similar abilities. But it's a good problem to have. Little things in practice could determine who plays more. We may not settle on a set lineup all year long

"Our main emphasis is defense. We've got some good defenders who can really get after it. It's going to be important for us to be very aggressive.''

Melton lost one of his best potential up-front players before the campaign began, as J.R. Barnes suffered a knee injury over the summer. Barnes was expected to see extensive minutes in the paint for the Wildcats.

Melton's frontline possibilities include Jeremy Melvin and Jaymes Kingsberry. Melton says that both players are much-improved this winter and should see considerable playing time for the Wildcats.
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