Senior A.J. Hollowell is one of Caldwell's top scoring threats this season.
Caldwell County’s girls don’t exactly return the team they thought they would have — but the Lady Tigers are hoping two returning seniors and a stingy defensive effort will make them competitive in 2022-23.
Caldwell was expecting a strong sophomore class this year led by last year’s top rebounder and second-leading scorer Katy Smiley. However, Smiley’s family moved during the summer and she is now on the Lady Purples basketball team at Bowling Green High School. Smiley got 10.4 points and 8.3 rebounds a contest a year ago as the Lady Tigers went 11-18.
Meanwhile, two other sophomores who were potential starters elected not to return this season.
That has left Chuck Mitchell looking to retool his lineup as the 2022-23 season opener approaches.
Mitchell will look for leadership from senior starters A.J. Hollowell and Presley McKinney.
The 5-7 Hollowell can play three spots and is the top returning scorer at 5.4 points last season. She will need to increase her offensive output this season.
The 5-9 McKinney was right behind Hollowell at 4.8 points a game and, likewise, will be counted on for more scoring from either the three or four spot as Caldwell tries to make up for the loss to graduation of leading scorer Parris Gray and her 13.2 points a game.
Hollowell can play the two or the three and will also run the point some for Caldwell.
Look for an eighth grader, KaMyiah “Tink” Clark, to probably start at the point. Clark got into 17 varsity games as a seventh grader and has been running the point for the middle school team for over a month now.
Another youngster, eighth grader Medeline Thomas, might give the Lady Tigers an extremely youthful backcourt. But the 5-5 Thomas is athletic and a good shooter, and could take over the two spot.
If Clark and Thomas start, that pushes Hollowell to the three spot and McKinney to the four.
KeDarriah Thompson, a freshman, saw some varsity time as an eighth grader and is also a strong candidate to join the starting unit.
Jakhia Copeland, a 5-7 junior, also has starting potential after playing in all 29 games last season.
Jordan Ortt, a 5-8 junior, and Nyla Sykes, a 5-7 sophomore will both see action as well.
While there’s not much height in that group, Mitchell likes the athleticism of his squad.
“That’s a group you can press with,” noted Mitchell, whose preferred style of play is full-court pressure. “You can run-and-jump out of a zone and really do a lot of things with that group.
“A.J. and Elvis (McKinney’s nickname) are going to have to rebound for us, but we’re excited about what we can do defensively and we’re ready to get the season going.”
Caldwell hopes its youth comes together by the end of the season in time to mount a challenge in the district, but Mitchell notes that Madisonville-North Hopkins and Hopkins County Central are the favorites.
“It’s a tossup between those two,” said Mitchell. “You’re going to have to bring your ‘A’ game every time you play them. And Dawson Springs is going to be better this season too. We don’t have any easy games.
“But I like the attitude our kids have showed so far. They’re fighting tough and they’re fighting for each other. We’re ready to go play.”
The Lady Tigers begin the regular season on Tuesday with a trip to University Heights Academy in Hopkinsville.
