By Mike Hutchens, UC Schools Communications Director
Union City, Tenn.–Lofty expectations usually reserved for one Union City basketball team will accompany both Tornado squads into the 2020-21 season.
The UC girls return three starters and a top reserve from last year’s 21-win team that made the regional semifinals before being narrowly ousted by defending Class 1A state champion Gibson County. The Twister boys, meanwhile, likewise have plenty of experience returning from a year ago when they finished a 23-win campaign with a trip to the sectionals.
There’s individual star power on both teams with Arkansas State signee Jada Williams and silky-smooth Amari Bonds headlining a Lady Tornado unit while All-State guard Ben McMillan will lead a Purple and Gold boys’ bunch that has good seasoning as well as promising newcomers throughout the roster.
And if COVID-19 cooperates or at least is manageable, the prospects of both UC units playing well into March is a distinct possibility.
There will admittedly be somewhat of a transitional period for the girls’ team as Antawn Coby takes over as head coach after several years on the boys’ bench as an assistant.
There will be no such adjustment needed for the Twister boys as veteran Shane Sisco begins his 22nd year on the Union City sideline, having notched his 500th career victory there last season when he directed the program to at least the sectional round for the seventh time during his tenure.
With the coronavirus pandemic having robbed the Tornado squads of their first three games of the year with cancellations, UC will play its first doubleheader of the season tonight with a trip to Westview.
GIRLS
Coby steps into a good situation with the Lady Tornadoes as he has important pieces surrounding the dynamic duo of Williams and Bonds.
“I want to build on what is already in place here and I want the girls to add to their games individually as well,” he said. “I do believe I’ll bring new ideas and a new approach to the program, and I like the way the girls have responded to me presenting a different challenge to them every day.”
The versatility of Williams and Bonds will likely create matchup problems for opponents each night out as both are threats on the move and away from the basket as well as inside and around the bucket.
Williams (5-11, Sr.) averaged 11.8 points and 4.1 rebounds per-game a year ago, drawing next-level interest from the Red Wolves, with whom she signed grant-in-aid papers last month. Williams shot 72 percent from the free throw line and 34.4 percent from 3-point range, but will be expected to utilize her athleticism inside as well.
Bonds, the 5-9 freshman phenom a year ago who was at times unstoppable while averaging a team-high 17.6 points, is expected to take her game to an even-higher level this season. She shot 74 percent from the charity stripe, 34 percent from beyond the arc and was her best in the open court and in transition.
Those two might garner the majority of the headlines, but it will be the play of the surrounding cast that likely will determine UC’s heights.
Sophie Theobald (5-4, Jr.) returns for her third year as a starter, having quarterbacked the team the past two seasons. Heady and with coach’s mentality, she’ll be joined in the backcourt by her sister Marlee (5-5, Fr.), who will be expected to bring much of the same to the lineup.
Kylie McCadney (5-5), the only senior other than Williams, is ticketed as the other starter after bouncing between the lineup and a sixth-man role a year ago. She showcases great quickness and defensive tenacity in a sometimes-unnoticed role.
Depth will come from junior Khia German (5-9) and Jermyia Bonds (5-8, Fr.), with a number of young but promising players also vying for minutes and spots in the rotation.
“I believe we’re going to be able to play many different styles – depending on who we play,” Coby claimed. “We won’t be tied to one particular system and I think you’ll see us be able to do some good things against both quick teams and teams with some size.
“Because of the craziness of the offseason, we’ve had to mix a lot of the conditioning we would have done before now with the basketball part of things. It’s been a challenge, but we talk every day about the mentality of meeting things head on. We’re constantly harping on toughness and I think that fits right in with our motto of ‘No Excuses’ here at Union City.”
BOYS
With five state titles and approaching 1,000 (977) all-time victories in the program’s illustrious history, winning is expected in the Tornado camp.
This year should be no exception.
McMillan, the long-range sharpshooter, comes into his senior campaign both tested and eager to build on a resume’ that has seen him already join the 1,000 Point Club for his career and earn All State honors last season when he averaged 18.4 points per-game while shooting 45 percent from 3-point range. The object of all opposing defenses, McMillan also made a living at the foul line a year ago, hitting 84 percent of his charity tosses.
He’ll be joined by returnees Neil Brown (6-5, Sr.) and AJ Blackman (5-8, Soph.), starters last season in the post and at point guard, respectively. And while McMillan rightfully gets the bulk of the attention, the performances of Brown and Blackman, along with Carter Walton (6-1, Sr.), likely will be key in getting the Twisters back to familiar land of the elite.
Brown can be a force on both ends with his size and strength, while Blackman certainly gained seasoning and maturity from playing in 31 games and shining as both a distributor and occasional scorer last season. Brown was second on the team in rebounding a year ago with just over five a game, while Walton showed flashes of a break-out scorer at times and should help McMillan carry that part of the load.
Easily the wildcard of this year’s roster is senior Taylan Tribble (6-3), who suffered a season-ending knee injury before last year started. Tribble is expected to be cleared to play at some point and bring both a broad offensive skill set as well as size and power inside.
Sophomore Dominic Broadway (6-3) will likely fill out the starting five and has a huge upside, according to Sisco, whose team got an early start to the season with a late-scheduled game and loss to Briarcrest this past Saturday in Memphis.
“I really like our group,” Sisco said. “Even through all the uncertainty of the coronavirus and if and when we’d play, they’ve showed up every day ready to work. Their attitudes have been very positive and they’ve gotten a lot accomplished in the times we’ve been in the gym.
“We’ll try and play a little differently than we have in recent years. We’ll like a little bit faster tempo and will play more kids because we have some depth – even if some of it is unproven. It’s tough to simulate game conditions so we really don’t know what we have with some kids and what we can depend on night-in and night-out.”
Sisco rattled off a number of names and cited their positives when pointing to the team’s depth.
Among those were guard DJ Robinson (5-8, Soph.), senior forward Ben Martinek (6-1), sophomore Malaki Brooks (5-6) and sophomores Nolan Chandler (6-2) and Jackson Chism (5-8).
“Most of those guys just need game experience,” Sisco insisted. “And we have an even-younger group that I’m really excited about their potential, too.
“For this year, we have a handful of kids who’ve played a lot of minutes when you look at Ben (McMillan), Neil (Brown) and Carter (Walton). If they can give us what they’ve given us in the past and we can get the natural improvement of some of our inexperienced guys, I think the potential of this group can measure up with what we’ve accomplished in the past.”
