With transition on the sideline and the graduation of four of last season’s top-five scorers, the Hopkinsville Tigers enter the 2021-22 season with lots of questions that they hope to answer with a mix of returning talent, a handful of transfers, and players that have waited their turn to make an impact.
Coach Anthony Babb, an assistant on the boys’ side for 10 seasons, takes the reigns after six years as the girls’ coach at Hopkinsville. He compiled a 98-73 record and won three district titles with the Lady Tigers.
Larry Miller left Hopkinsville to coach Evangel Christian after three years and a 37-36 record with the Tigers. In his final season in charge, the Tigers were hit hard by Covid, finishing 7-5 and bowing out in the 2nd Region semifinals against Madisonville-North Hopkins. After winning six-straight district titles from 2011-17, the Tigers haven’t claimed the trophy in four seasons.
Babb will be searching for offense after the graduation of three double-digit scorers and point guard Arthur McKnight. Alijah Watts led the team with 15 points per game to go with four rebounds, followed by Jamarcus Burks with just under 12 points and 4.7 rebounds per outing. Reece Jesse pulled down a team-high 6.7 rebounds per game with a scoring average of 11 points.
As he did with the Lady Tigers, Babb expects to play up-tempo and pressure the opposition all over the court, and he has a pair of two-sport athletes perfectly suited to that style of play in Daisjaun Mercer and 6’5” senior forward Kensington ‘KC’ Cabiness. Mercer is the lone returning starter after averaging just over 9 points, 2.4 rebounds, and 5 assists as a sophomore, with fellow Tiger football player Cabiness providing a mobile presence in the paint.
A pair of transfers from cross-town rivals Christian County will help to fill the scoring void, with junior guard DeTravious ‘Bubba’ Leavell joining the Tigers after leading the Colonels with 8.6 points per game last season. Senior guard DeBryan Johnson also traded Red and Blue for Orange and Black after averaging 4.5 points last year for the Colonels.
Another former Christian County player, Olajuwon White, figures to have a big impact for the Tigers. The 6’5” senior posted averages of 10 points and 6.6 rebounds as a sophomore with the Colonels, before appearing in three games with the Tigers last season.
Babb feels the Tigers can go at least ten deep, with four juniors expected to be in the rotation. 6’3” shooting guard Jacob Gavin provides an outside scoring threat and excels on the defensive end, along with KeiMarion Smith, Isaiah Manning, and Gavarion Northington.
6’5” sophomore guard Antonio Williams has been impressive in the preseason, with Babb stating he has the potential to become one of the top players in the area.
The Tigers are scheduled to open the season on Tuesday at Livingston Central and won’t play their first 8th-District game until a trip to Christian County on January 21.
A busy holiday period begins with a matchup with Bowling Green at the Sparty Classic at South Warren on December 11. They will host the City of Hopkinsville Toyota Holiday Classic on December 20-22, before heading to Eastern High School for the City of Middletown Holiday Classic from December 28-30.
