Van Buren girls primed for deep playoff run

Van Buren girls basketball coach Chris Bryant has all the pieces in place to make a serious state tournament run. But the biggest thing he has going for him is the one thing all coaches search for: everyone of his players is on the same page. The Lady Pointers open the 2016-17 season today at Conway. "Your expectations are probably based a lot on your (past) experience," Bryant said. "You're not trying to teach a group how to practice; they know how to practice now and how to get ready for games. "It comes down to each game and how you play on that night." "For us, it doesn't feel any different," Bryant said. "We practice now just like we did the two years before this." Jamilyn Kinney, a 5-foot-7 shooting guard, has blossomed off the court and on, Bryant said. And, while she'll garner plenty of praise and headlines, Van Buren's future doesn't rest solely on her. Seniors Taylor Sutton, Lani Snowden and Bailey Jones give the Lady Pointers good inside and outside balance as well. "That's what I liked about our group last year, and that's what I like about team this year — you're not going to know who is going to score on any given night," Bryant said. "It's going to be dependent on how teams play you; who they're going to take away. MORE VIDEO: SEN. JOHN BOOZMAN SPEAKS AT CRAWFORD COUNTY REPUBLICAN PARTY HEADQUARTERS "You can take away one player, you can shut down two players ... you can take away three players. But when you have a group that will share the basketball, the balance is going to be there." In the game of basketball, wins and losses are often determined by the little things, such as rebounding. Because Van Buren doesn't have as much height as some, like Har-Ber and Fayetteville, for instance, they'll have to play lights out. Sutton (6-foot) and sophomores Kayleigh Jackson (5-11) and Jentry Meyers (5-10) hope to do what last year's team did — prevent second and third opportunities. "It seems to come down to rebounding the basketball," Bryant said. "Last year, I thought we did a really good job last year of defending (opponent's) first shots. I felt pretty good about the shots people were taking against us. In a nutshell, for us, we have to keep people from getting second shots. Not only is it going to get you in foul trouble, but a high percentage of shots come from second chances. "If you can rebound on the first shot, it gives you a chance to get out on transition." Fayetteville, Har-Ber, Rogers and Van Buren figure to be among the 7A-West teams to beat. "Rogers, we played them in the state tournament last year and they return basically their whole team, so they're going to be good," Bryant said. "But in the West, there's no weak sisters. You have to play everybody at some point, and hopefully you're non-conference schedule prepares you for that."

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VAN BUREN GIRLS PRIMED FOR DEEP PLAYOFF RUN

KEVIN TAYLOR

Times Record | 11/22/2016