2021-22: 16-9 (7-3), 1st in CAP 6, 2nd Round of Playoffs (L to Apex Friendship 61-64)
Key Losses
Elijah Harris - 14ppg, 8rpg - Graduated - Playing Football at Chowan University
Shaun Kenedy - 12ppg, 6rpg, 5apg, 2spg - Graduated - Playing at Southern Virginia University
Chandler Olokor - 4ppg, 2rpg - Graduated - Playing at HA Prep (Durham)
Russell Ange - 3ppg, 3rpg - Graduated - Playing Football at Lenoir-Rhyne University
Key Returners
Jani Vanholten - Senior - 8ppg, 2apg
Dynaven Lyons - Senior - 6ppg, 2apg
Noah Hinton - Senior - 6ppg, 2apg
Anthony Jamison - Senior - 6ppg, 4rpg
Zyion Cooper - Senior - 4ppg, 3rpg
Projected Rotation
Storylines
The Jaguars finished last season with 2.71 Wins Over Average (WOA) which was good for 7th in Wake County, 17th in 4A East, and 32nd in 4A overall. They return 47% of their points and 49% of their field goal attempts from a year ago.
Coming off of a CAP 6 regular season title, the Jaguars are looking to replace three starters. They rank in the middle of the pack in terms of returning production across the county. Like a lot of teams, Athens Drive has a proven 4-6 players and is searching for the end of their rotation and for that hidden production that is so valuable throughout the season.
One of the biggest holes to fill this year will be the one left by Elijah Harris. The 2nd Team All-District big man from last year is now playing football at Chowan. Elijah accounted for 14 points and 8 rebounds per game and the Jaguars have two great options to fill his shoes. Zyion Cooper is a strong, skilled, big man that provided solid relief off the bench last season. Zyion is a lineman for the football team and he uses that to his advantage on the court. He is a big body with good footwork and passing instincts and is also a valuable rebounder. Anthony Jamison is the other big man who will help replace Elijah’s production. Anthony is also a lineman on the football team and he put up very similar stats to Zyion last season. Anthony and Zyion have similar skill sets and bring similar things to the table so it will be interesting to see how they are both used this year. Last season saw the occasional lineup of two big men on the court at the same time, Elijah and one of Anthony/Zyion. I would expect we see a little bit more of that this year with both of them being top 5-6 players on the team.
After Elijah, they need to replace their team MVP from last season, Shaun Kenedy. Shaun was the do it all lead guard for this team a year ago and Dynaven Lyons is the best option to fill his shoes. Dynaven is a shifty guard that had a solid year last year as a starter. He shared the lead guard responsibility with Shaun last season and will more than likely shoulder the majority of the load this season. I like Dynaven as a finisher, specifically because he can create paint touches seemingly at will. He has to improve as a passer as he had a negative A/TO ratio last year. While that stat isn’t everything, you don’t want your lead guard in the negatives. If Dynaven can improve as a creator and a little as a shooter, he could easily be an all-conference talent.
Dynaven’s backcourt mate this season will be Noah Hinton. Noah is the Jaguar’s resident shooter and will be relied upon a lot to produce from the outside. He is the only returner that shot any significant volume from 3 last season and it looks like that will only increase. Noah will also need to develop into more of a creator to take some weight off of Dynaven’s shoulders.
The best player for Athens Drive this year will be Jani Vanholten. Jani is a wiry and athletic wing/forward that can score at multiple levels and has great instincts as a defender. Jani is the leading returner in every major stat and will be expected to increase that production. I love Jani as a finisher, especially in transition, but the area that I think he can improve is his shot. Jani has great shot mechanics from mid-range and from deep. Last season he rarely shot from the outside and I think that if he increased his volume he could be extremely dangerous. You can read more on Jani in the article below.
The Jaguars will need inexperienced players to play large roles this season. I would expect a combination of Charles Carter, Caleb Lynch, Carson Parrish, and Derek Crumpton to step up into major roles. If at least two of these guys, and maybe another one that I have not mentioned, can provide valuable minutes in a bigger role, this team will be steadier and a lot more confident.
Expectations
The Jaguars had a great season last year that ended with them hosting a playoff game before losing in the second round. I don’t think that this year’s team is as talented but I am high on a lot of their pieces and see them having a similar ceiling as last year. I don’t think that the perception of them will be very high going into the year, but I think this is a playoff roster and I wouldn’t be surprised if they did a lot more than that.