Leaving the King of the Bluegrasss in Louisville in December with two losses that were easily avoidable, Newport’s boys basketball team fine tuned some things a bit.
First it was a late lead that slipped away against No. 1 Great Crossing, up three in the final minute before a late turnover did them in followed by a Warhawks 3-pointer. Then the Wildcats led Trinity by 15 in the fourth with five minutes to play before a meltdown and a loss.
Enter Griffin Starks into the starting lineup, the 6-foot-8 freshman with a big wingspan and the Wildcats haven’t lost since with 24 straight wins and a 32-3 record headed into the KHSAA Sweet 16 state tournament at Rupp Arena on Thursday against Campbell County.
“Griffin really accepted that role and bought in and let things happen the way they happen,” Wildcats coach Rod Snapp said. “A big help defensively, makes his free throws, just a big addition.”
With the high-flying, dynamic players Newport has, one would think Newport likes to have games in the 80’s and 90’s. Not this bunch. And that’s where credit is due to not only the coaching staff, but the buy in from the players on the defensive end.
Since that 76-71, overtime loss to Trinity on Dec. 23, the Wildcats haven’t allowed more than 66 points in a game and only three teams have cleared the 60-point marker on them, one of those in overtime when Newport took down Evangel Christian in the All “A” state championship, 69-62.
They allow 48.7 points per game, good for sixth in the state and the best in the state tournament field.
“Practice is where it really happened, we sit back and don’t have to say as much,” Snapp said. “We’ll put up a time and see how patient they are. It’s a beautiful thing to see for sure, things are really clicking and doing well in practice.”
So what’s the difference in this year’s team compared to last year that lost in the first round of the state tournament to Lyon County? Obviously, answer No. 1 is maturity. James Turner gained about 15 pounds and can really handle the physical nature of what it takes to battle in the post. Then factor in Taylen Kinney’s explosiveness and ability to get to his spots when he needs to. Both made leaps and bounds from their freshman year to their sophomore season.
Take in Deshaun Jackson’s poise and ability to get into the paint with his patented floater when he wants. When the game gets big, Jackson gets bigger, putting up vital performances in victories over Lyon County in the All “A” state semifinals and the big time performance against Cooper in the region finals. Jackson wasn’t with the Wildcats last season, a transfer from Taft (Ohio).
But the unsung hero may just be Jabari Covington. His maturity from his junior to senior year has certainly caught Snapp’s eye. He may be quiet and mild-mannered off the court, but on the court Snapp sees a different person.
“He corrals kids around and is a great verbal leader,” Snapp said. “He may get on his teammates, but they know he does it in a good way. He’s been huge.”
And then there’s the depth, Amontae Lowe has been key in late game situations as another ball-handler and without his two big buckets before the end of the first half against Cooper in the region final, the Wildcats may not be here right now. DaShawn Anderson’s on-ball defense can help flip a game, his defensive prowess helping Newport rally against Ryle in the first round of the region tournament while Noah Silverton provides some key intangibles off the bench.
The Wildcats are eight-deep now, where as last year it was maybe six-deep.
That number Thursday could be seven-deep, however. Kinney’s status is up in the air after suffering a hamstring injury in the first minute of the region championship against Cooper. He’s a game-time decision for Thursday at 8:30 p.m.
“We don’t know yet. We’ll try to run and move him this week,” Snapp said. “We’ll see if he can run. You just feel bad for any kid in that situation. Right now we’re practicing and preparing as he’s not playing.”
One thing Newport certainly can’t do is overlook Campbell County. The Camels will provide a challenge with their ball movement and ability to share the ball.
“Obviously, we have to shoot it well,” Camels coach Brent Sowder said. “We have to be ready to execute the game plan, offensively have to move the ball. No moment is bigger than the team we have here. We can’t let the moment be bigger than the team.”
The Camels have had the Wildcats number over the years, Campbell County 25-5 against Newport since 1997. Campbell County has won 10 of the last 11 in the series, including a 61-40 victory last season in December 2022. Take that result with a grain of salt as Covington wasn’t available yet awaiting his eligibility status and Kinney was injured in the contest. Also have to factor in Jackson and Starks weren’t with the team.
“Sat with them at NKAC banquet. Good kids,” Snapp said. “We’re 15 miles apart so maybe that’s a good thing. With it being an 8:30 game, we’ll need to do some things and get them amped up. We’re excited about it.”
The two were scheduled to play during the season, but with Newport running up against it’s regular season games limit due to their All “A” run, they were unable to fit the Camels in.
