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November 18, 2009

TALKIN' PREPS: Looks like more basketball parity this season

By Justin Graves Staff Writer

ADDISON — No juggernauts. No clear-cut favorites. Just a bunch of basketball teams that could beat every other team in the area.

Parity was the name of the game last season when it came to Cullman County basketball in the prep boys ranks.

Will that change this year?

It’s hard to tell, especially since the season is only a few weeks old. The only thing that’s certain at this juncture is there’s some improved teams in the area.

Even though last season brought parity, it didn’t translate into success outside of the Cullman County borders. It was the first time in years that a county team didn’t advance to one of the Alabama High School Athletic Association regional tournaments.

That should change this season. There’s a few teams in the county capable of making postseason runs.

Teams like Fairview, Good Hope and Cold Springs. All three have promise … All three could be sitting in a regional this coming February.

Fairview may be the most complete team in the county. The Aggies have talented post players, steady guards and are always one of the better coached teams in the area.

But this isn’t the first time a Fairview team has been talented enough to reach a regional. The Aggies have had several strong squads in recent years.

The only problem was that those teams were placed in some of north Alabama’s tougher Class 4A areas. That hasn’t changed this season.

Columbia took eventual Class 4A runner-up Dora to the wire during last season’s Northwest Regional. The Eagles will be strong again this year.

Combine Columbia with Priceville — a team that always plays Fairview tough — and Douglas, and Fairview has a tough battle ahead in Area 13. But if the Aggies can advance, they have a strong enough team to make it to the Northwest Regional at Wallace State.

Same can be said about Good Hope and Cold Springs — arguably the most improved local team. Both have talented players … Both have the potential to reach the Northwest Regional.

But will one of these three teams emerge as the season’s local juggernaut, steamrolling through the local competition like the 2002-03 Vinemont team did? Or will this be another season of parity?

In this county, where basketball is a big deal, I’d put my money on parity. There’s too many good programs, too many good coaches and too many good players this season to have one dominant team.

But that regional shutout that occurred last season, there won’t be a repeat of that. At least two Cullman County teams should advance past the sub-state round.

Which ones will it be? Guess we’ll just have to wait and see.

But before you count a team out, just think back to what that underdog Hanceville team did in 2007, reaching the Northwest Regional with a mediocre record after pulling off upset after upset.

Now that was Cullman County basketball at its finest.

Justin Graves can be reached by phone at 734-2131, ext. 257 or by e-mail at jgraves@cullmantimes.com.

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