By Mike Hutchens, UC Schools Communications Director
Union City, Tenn.–Year in and year out, the names change with the Union City boys’ basketball program.
The expectations and lofty goals don’t.
The same is true entering the coming 2018-19 season.
“Every year, regardless of who we have coming back or who we lost from the year before, our expectations are to get back to the state tournament,” claimed Golden Tornado head coach Shane Sisco ‑ the program’s all-time winningest head coach with 453 wins ‑ who’ll begin his 20th season at the helm Thursday.
“This year, it’s no different.”
Sisco, who led the Purple and Gold to two of the program’s five state titles, 20 wins or more in 16 of his 19 previous campaigns and seven district tournament championships, knows there is an obvious difference between regular season success and advancing to the “Big Dance.”
“Last year is a good example. We had a pretty good regular season (24-6), won the district tournament championship and thought we were in a good situation by playing at home in the first round of the regional tournament,” he recalled. “But Humboldt came in here and absolutely shot the lights out and had one of those nights where they were unbeatable and our season was over prematurely and right there.
“No matter how much good we accomplished before then, it was still a little disappointing because we didn’t get back to the state tournament.”
That annual lofty challenge of making it to Murfreesboro will certainly be a formidable task in 2018-19.
UC lost its top three scorers, its best two rebounders and its team leaders in assists and steals from that year-ago team that triumphed in four-fifths of its games.
The cupboard isn’t bare, though, as some quality experience, better-than-usual size and good shooting returns a year older and wiser.
Tyler Walton (6-3), one of just two seniors on the roster, will be back for his third year in the starting line-up. A great long-distance shooter, Walton has become more comfortable putting the ball on the floor and getting to the basket.
Ben McMillan (5-9, So.) emerged as a big-time shooter and scorer down the stretch last season and will man the point-guard slot after playing the two-guard last season. McMillan shot a team-best 44.3 percent from three-point range as a freshman, but is expected to settle into the team’s quarterback role this season.
Sam Theobald (5-10, Jr.) “grew up” as the season went on last year and is also back to provide his heady play that goes along with a high basketball IQ.
And Neil Brown, a 6-5 sophomore with a big body and improving offensive skills around the bucket, certainly gives Purple and Gold fans reason to get excited about the potential of the coming season.
“This will be a little bit different type team from what we’ve had for a lot of reasons,” Sisco added. “We have some size in some spots where some guys can shoot it and we’ve got some depth in the post – which is something we haven’t had in a while.
“We’ll play a little different. We’ll still be three-point dependent, but I believe we’ll be able to play inside-out more than we ever have before.
“Defensively, we’ll have to change up some as compared to the past … we’ll play some zone and mix things up a lot. We’ll play some fullcourt man, but we’ll also play some varying halfcourt defenses – depending on who we play. Us being a bigger group could help us be a pretty good zone team.”
There are other pieces around the four aforementioned returning experienced players for Union City.
Tariq Broadway (5-8, So.) is one of the team’s better on-ball defenders and is a physically-strong player. Kaler Bobo (5-8, Jr.) is called “the most improved player on the team” by Sisco and is an athletic ball handler with good defensive skills in the backcourt.
Transfer (Fulton County) Jaxon Moran (6-0, Sr.) has some promise and could be a key addition to the equation at a wing spot when he returns from a knee injury in early December.
In the post, the trio of Taylan Tribble (6-0, So.), Hudson Calfee (6-1, Jr.) and Nick Sanders (6-3, Sr.) all will provide muscle and be in the mix until and after Brown joins the team from football.
Tribble isn’t afraid to mix it up and has improved his work around the basket, while Calfee has returned from a hip injury last season and will get after loose balls and rebound well. Sanders is long and athletic and could become a desperately-needed defensive presence.
“I’ve been real pleased with Tribble, Sanders and Calfee and the strides they’ve made,” Sisco said. “They could play really critical roles – either individually or as a group.
“And Neil (Brown) is such an important piece, just because he’s a big body and can do some different things.”
Carter Walton (5-10, So.) and Nolan Wilson (6-0, Jr.) are also vying for playing time – the former in the backcourt, the latter at a forward spot.
“It (our success) will come down to us taking care of the basketball and making shots,” Sisco concluded.
“There is some potential to do some good things.”
Union City opens its season Thursday night with the first of two Hall of Champions games against visiting Trenton and will play in holiday tournaments in Memphis and Carbondale while trying to defend its District 13A championship.
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