We continue our 2013-14 team previews with a look at Jeffersonville of Jeffersonville, Ind., a program looking to make a run at Indiana’s Class 4A state title. Throughout October, we’ll preview many of the top teams from across the country as a countdown to the release of our preseason 2013-14 Student Sports FAB 50.
Note: All information that follows came from a questionnaire that was sent to and returned by the school’s head coach. If you would like your school to be profiled, please return the questionnaire that was mailed out earlier this month or it can be filled out online.
The information can also be emailed to editor Ronnie Flores: ronnie@studentsports.com. StudentSportsBasketball.com thanks the programs that have submitted information.
Team Name: Jeffersonville (Jeffersonville, Ind.)
Head Coach: Matt Pait (0-0, 7-14 overall)
2012-13 Record: 24-4, 10-5 (J.V.)
Final Ranking: N/A
Returning Starters: 3
Returning Lettermen: 8
Players Most Deserving of Preseason Honors: G Myles Harvey 5-10 2015 (All-Conference, Honorable mention all-state), G Keenan Williams 5-11 2014 (All-Conference, Honorable mention all-state) F Drew Ellis 6-3 (Louisville commit for baseball).
Newcomers Who Could Make An Impact: G Chad Hudson 5-7 2015 (Transfer from New Albany), DeMarie Sims, Brandon Coleman, Isaiah Blanton.
Coach’s General Outlook: We have an athletic team and the returnees are good shooters. In fact, we have a good shooting team and we have good on-the-ball defenders. Our main weakness is we are very small for a team trying to compete for a state title. We don’t have anyone over 6-foot-3.
Events Scheduled To Play In: Bob Wettig Memorial Holiday Tournament (Richmond, Ind.), King of the Blugrass Classic (Louisville, Ky.).
Team(s) On Schedule Deserving of Ranking: Harrison (Evansville, Ind.), Columbus North (Columbus, Ind.)
StudentSportsBasketball.com Comments: Pait inherits a strong club from former coach Chad Gilbert, who coached the Red Devils to a 44-8 record in two seasons and a Class 4-A regional title in 2013. Jeffersonville lost to Cathedral (Indianapolis) 74-53 in the state semifinals and Cathedral finished No. 16 in the Midwest Regional Top 20 Rankings, so the Red Devils will have their work cut out for them to be regionally or national ranked. Pait, a former player at the school who coached the Jeffersonville girls last season, has a strong nucleus and added another piece to the puzzle in Hudson, a terrific ball-handler with quickness. Unfortunately, the additions and holdovers don’t solve Jeffersonville’s size problem, which was evident in the loss to Cathedral (41-25 rebounding margin). The Red Devils faithful are optimistic, however, especially since the quest for the state championship is wide open and Cathedral’s best player (Jalen Coleman) transferred to La Lumiere, which doesn’t compete for an Indiana state title.
Fast Fact: The Red Devils captured the program’s only state title in 1993, five years before Indiana eliminated the popular one-class state tournament. That team was led by McDonald’s All-American guard Sherron Wilkerson and forward Brien Hanley also played well in the state tournament.
Send corrections or comments to ronnie@studentsports.com and be sure to leave a comment that others can check out.
RELATED: FAB 50 Consideration Form
2013-2014 Team Previews
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