Whiteoak 2021-22 Boys Basketball Preview: Wildcats out to defend SHAC championship
Lead Summary
By
Stephen Forsha-sforsha@gmail.com
Last year for the Whiteoak Wildcats, they added to their trophy case by winning a Division II Southern Hills Athletic Conference title, but this is a new season with the same goals in place, starting by defending their championship.
Whiteoak head coach Ryan Barnett, who is entering his third season at the helm of the program for which he once played, said with his team, the expectations are to “always play hard and give 110-percent.”
“Our first goal this season is to win the SHAC, then win a sectional championship and then win a district championship,” Barnett said. “We had a very good summer, and the boys seemed to get stronger and have become more mature on the ball.”
The Wildcats enter this season with four seniors, and they are Brad Ashbaugh, Bryce Bailey, Connor Butler and Ethan Cummings. The junior class has a total of eight players, consisting of Landon Barnett, Logan Biehler, Evan DeAtley, Carson Emery, Wade Evans, David Kennedy, Luken Roades and Hogan Walker.
Whiteoak also has one sophomore on the varsity roster, that being Weston Blair.
The Wildcats are coming off the aforementioned championship season where they finished 9-4 in the SHAC and 13-10 overall. Barnett led the Wildcats in scoring a season ago, with the guard averaging 15.5 points per game, while also tallying 5.0 rebounds per game, 4.0 assists per game and 2.0 steals per game. Also at guard, Ashbaugh averaged 14.8 ppg., with 4.5 rpg., 1.4 apg. and 2.0 spg.
Barnett and Ashbaugh were both All-District selections, and both were also All-Ohio selections.
“I think Landon Barnett and Brad Ashbaugh will continue to lead and push the team to be better,” Barnett said. “They have done an amazing job in the previous years. We have everybody returning except two from last year’s team.
“I look for Luken Roades to have a good year. Carson Emery and Hogan Walker should come into their own. Bryce Bailey and Connor Butler will see significant time on the floor, and they bring a lot of energy.”
When it comes to repeating as SHAC champions, the Wildcats will have to face not only their counterparts in Division I of the conference (Fairfield, Lynchburg-Clay, Eastern, West Union, North Adams), but play Division II foes Fayetteville, Manchester, Peebles and Ripley twice in conference play.
“The SHAC is always very competitive. I think that if we play the way we can play, we should have a good chance to be at the top of the league,” Barnett said.
Whiteoak will play a non-conference schedule that consists of games with Felicity-Franklin, Glenwood New Boston, Piketon, Williamsburg, Northwest, Georgetown, West Union, McClain and a non-conference game with Lynchburg-Clay.
“We play a pretty good non-conference schedule that will challenge us to be better day-in and day-out,” Barnett said. “To be better, we need to get better at pushing the basketball up the floor. We need to play better defense this year, and we need to improve on rebounding.
“I am looking forward to this season because we have the opportunity to be very good. These kids have been playing together for a long time, and it will be fun to coach them and see what they can do.”
Whiteoak opens the season on Nov. 27 at home against Felicity-Franklin.
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Whiteoak head coach Ryan Barnett, who is entering his third season at the helm of the program for which he once played, said with his team, the expectations are to “always play hard and give 110-percent.”
“Our first goal this season is to win the SHAC, then win a sectional championship and then win a district championship,” Barnett said. “We had a very good summer, and the boys seemed to get stronger and have become more mature on the ball.”
The Wildcats enter this season with four seniors, and they are Brad Ashbaugh, Bryce Bailey, Connor Butler and Ethan Cummings. The junior class has a total of eight players, consisting of Landon Barnett, Logan Biehler, Evan DeAtley, Carson Emery, Wade Evans, David Kennedy, Luken Roades and Hogan Walker.
Whiteoak also has one sophomore on the varsity roster, that being Weston Blair.
The Wildcats are coming off the aforementioned championship season where they finished 9-4 in the SHAC and 13-10 overall. Barnett led the Wildcats in scoring a season ago, with the guard averaging 15.5 points per game, while also tallying 5.0 rebounds per game, 4.0 assists per game and 2.0 steals per game. Also at guard, Ashbaugh averaged 14.8 ppg., with 4.5 rpg., 1.4 apg. and 2.0 spg.
Barnett and Ashbaugh were both All-District selections, and both were also All-Ohio selections.
“I think Landon Barnett and Brad Ashbaugh will continue to lead and push the team to be better,” Barnett said. “They have done an amazing job in the previous years. We have everybody returning except two from last year’s team.
“I look for Luken Roades to have a good year. Carson Emery and Hogan Walker should come into their own. Bryce Bailey and Connor Butler will see significant time on the floor, and they bring a lot of energy.”
When it comes to repeating as SHAC champions, the Wildcats will have to face not only their counterparts in Division I of the conference (Fairfield, Lynchburg-Clay, Eastern, West Union, North Adams), but play Division II foes Fayetteville, Manchester, Peebles and Ripley twice in conference play.
“The SHAC is always very competitive. I think that if we play the way we can play, we should have a good chance to be at the top of the league,” Barnett said.
Whiteoak will play a non-conference schedule that consists of games with Felicity-Franklin, Glenwood New Boston, Piketon, Williamsburg, Northwest, Georgetown, West Union, McClain and a non-conference game with Lynchburg-Clay.
“We play a pretty good non-conference schedule that will challenge us to be better day-in and day-out,” Barnett said. “To be better, we need to get better at pushing the basketball up the floor. We need to play better defense this year, and we need to improve on rebounding.
“I am looking forward to this season because we have the opportunity to be very good. These kids have been playing together for a long time, and it will be fun to coach them and see what they can do.”
Whiteoak opens the season on Nov. 27 at home against Felicity-Franklin.
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