Rebuilding isn’t often a word associated with Henderson County basketball, but that appears to be the task Tyler Smithhart is facing after graduating six seniors and 80% of the team’s scoring from last year‘s 13-12 squad that was knocked out of the region tournament by eventual champion University Heights Academy in the semifinals.
But of course, the cupboard is never bare at the region’s largest school. Junior Gerard Thomas averaged 12 points and six rebounds as a sophomore and looks to take his game to a higher level this year. Many have picked him as one of the region’s top players coming into the season.
Smithhart also returns sophomore Alec Satterfield, junior Jordan Wright, and freshman Cooper Davenport in the backcourt. Davenport could be a player to watch. He saw solid minutes as an eighth-grader on the varsity team last season, which is a rarity at Henderson County. He hit 12 of 32 shots from behind the 3-point line, and Smithhart said he had a “great summer.
The Colonels should get a boost on the front line with the return of 6-foot-5, 280-pound junior Saadiq Clements, a three-star football prospect who already has offers from Kentucky, Louisville, and Purdue. He could join 6-3 sophomore Omarion Barrett, 6-5 junior Jake Rideout, and 6-5 William Bird on the Colonel frontline.
Unlike last year when players dealt with Covid and injuries, Smithhart feels like he could play as many as 10 to 12 players on most nights.
“I’m very proud of the improvements our guys have made in their off-season training and conditioning,” he said. “Preseason practice has been fun for us as a coaching staff because we have spent more time teaching the game. This bunch is not taking their time on the court for granted. They are learning and competing every day.”
And that passion to learn will have Henderson County right back in the region hunt come March.
The Colonels open its 2021-22 season on December 4 when they host the region’s newest school, Heritage Christian Academy.
