Mountain Brook High School’s boys basketball team is not hitting reset this winter. The Spartans are entering the new season with an experienced group that still feels the sting of last year’s postseason exit.
Head coach Tyler Davis brought senior guards Trey Davis and Parker Wright to the inaugural Under the Lights Basketball Media Day before the season, and it was easy to see why.
“These two guys were huge for us last year. Between the two of them, they hit over 140 3[-pointers]. Both shot over 40% from the 3, they’re hard workers, gym rats and we expect them to have huge years for us,” the head coach said.
Mountain Brook posted a 26-6 record last season and reached the Class 6A Northeast Regional before falling to Oxford. For a program used to playing deep into February, the early exit was a jolt.
“I would just say it kind of just leaves a terrible taste in your mouth,” Wright said. “The legacy that we have going on here, going to state championships, just letting those guys down before us is terrible. That’s kind of what we’re striving to get back to this year.”
“It’s getting 1 percent better [each day], and making sure that doesn’t happen again,” Trey Davis added.
The roster is built to make a push. Mountain Brook carries 15 players, including 10 seniors. Ten players return overall, giving the Spartans plenty of continuity.
“There’s a lot of experience there with that,” Tyler Davis said. “A lot of these guys, especially in the senior group, have won on all levels they’ve been in from junior high up, and so they understand the winning mindset and being successful.”
That competitive edge shows up even when the lights are off.
“Definitely really competitive. It’s been intense,” Trey Davis said of offseason pickup games. “You’ve got to win every play and can’t give up on anything.”
“Coaches are really hard on us, and none of our guys like to lose,” Wright added. “It’s just that bad taste in your mouth after losing each game. It’s terrible.”
Davis expects this group to evolve stylistically. Senior Hill McCluney will step into the starting center role, and his versatility allows the Spartans to lean further into five-guard concepts within their dribble-drive attack.
“We will go to a little bit more five out,” Tyler Davis said. “We want to shoot the 3, but we don’t want to live and die by it.”
Trey Davis and Wright have focused on expanding their games accordingly.
“I’ve gained some weight, and that helps me get to the paint more,” Trey Davis said. “I felt like I was strictly a 3-point shooter last year, so I’m working on getting in the paint and getting to the free throw line.”
There is depth behind them, too. They have seen steady growth from John Stephenson, Drew Johnson and Porter Perry, players who had smaller roles a year ago but are now ready to shoulder more.
The roster also features seniors Rocco Gray, Braden Little, River Parant, Maddox Brown and Miller Lee, along with juniors John Colvin, Griffin Allen, Frank Druhan and JD Oliphant.
At this point, the standard doesn’t need much explaining.
Mountain Brook faces Pelham, Homewood, Clay-Chalkville, Chelsea, Tuscaloosa Academy and Madison Academy before closing the calendar year in Pensacola. In January, the schedule features more tough teams like Bob Jones, Vestavia Hills, McAdory and others, in addition to area foes Huffman and Woodlawn.
