CLASS 2A BOYS Hornets seniors are expecting more of themselves this time

By Chris Cocoles

Posted: November 8, 2009 at 4:57 a.m.

• Print item
• E-mail
• Share
• Tweet

LITTLE ROCK — Ryan Roberts and Jesse Williams kept their expectations conservative last year as first-year starters at Hackett.

That was understandable, considering the previous Hornets team, dominated by seniors, left quite a legacy by going 30-3 in 2007-2008 and advancing to the semifinals of the Class AA state tournament.

One starter returned last season, which put plenty of pressure on newcomers like Roberts and Williams to perform as juniors.

“I personally didn’t think we were going to be that great,” said Williams, a 6-0 forward.

It turned out that Williams was wrong.

Hackett went 33-2, returning to the semifinals of the Class 2A state tournament, missing the final only when host Melbourne won 50-44 in overtime.

That’s how far Williams and Roberts had come.

“I just know the only reason we went that far was the close bond we had with each other,”Williams said. “Every one of us believed in what we could do.”

Now, Williams and Roberts look to take the next step and make the state championship game as seniors.

“We’re really motivated and excited to play,” Roberts said. “We just hope everything works out.”

There are several key players back at Hackett, but Williams and Roberts are chief among them. Williams is an inside player who is just as comfortable taking it on the perimeter where he’s turned into a proficient outside shooter.

Roberts, 5-9, forms half of a point-guard tandem. He and senior Blake Branham are both capable floor leaders, but are effective enough outside shooters to not skip a beat in either role.

Roberts said he prefers to distribute the ball and defend than worry about how many points he scores. He said he knows with the ball in his hand regularly late in the games he has to make his free throws. He’s also become a more complete player on the defensive end.

Coach Tim Branham said he was “tickled” with how much Williams and Roberts came into their own last season, when they were unknowns in Hackett’s puzzle.

“Nobody expected us to come in last year and have the kind of year we had since we were starting four new guys,” Tim Branham said. “That’s why our expectations this year are so high. These guys came in and started meshing as a team.

“We’ve got a lot of unselfish kids. The way we play is we’re a patient team. We’re going to take high-percentage shots, so there’s a lot of team stuff that has to go on there.”

Neither Roberts nor Williams is required to be spectacular in the scorebook. Blake Branham leads a balanced team that can beat opponents in different ways. Roberts and Williams need to just fill their roles and contribute in scoring,rebounding and assists without producing in bunches.

“Everybody can shoot outside, and most everybody can play inside, which is really good because teams can play man or a zone and we can beat them both ways,” Roberts said.

Special, Pages 94 on 11/08/2009

Comments

To report abuse or misuse of this area please hit the "Suggest Removal" link in the comment to alert our online managers. Please read our comment policy.

Use the comment form below to begin a discussion about this content.