Indians eager to live up to high expectations
When he stepped on campus at Pinson Valley High School as the boys basketball program’s new head coach, Darrell Barber quickly noticed something: high expectations.
The Pinson Valley football program brought home its first state title last fall, and the boys basketball program has risen to prominence over the last two years under the guidance of Cedric Lane.
Last winter, the Indians posted a 22-11 record and advanced to the Class 6A Northeast Regional for the second consecutive season, after dominating Area 12 and winning by 50 in the sub-regional round.
Enter Barber, who is the perfect coach to manage expectations. He was hired in May, coming from Midfield. He coached there for more than a decade, piling up three straight state championships with the girls program (2007-09) and three more with the boys team (2012, 2014, 2017).
“Everything’s been going well,” Barber said, prior to the start of official practice in October. “I’ve gotten in, gotten my feet wet, gotten adjusted, hit the ground running. ... The guys are buying in and working hard.”
As is the case with any coaching transition, plenty has changed with the Pinson Valley program. But Barber said “the goal is still the same.” That goal is to win a state title.
“That’s part of the reason I came here,” he said. “That’s my ultimate goal, to bring the city of Pinson a basketball state championship.”
That is something that’s never been done before, but he believes the Indians have the pieces to make a run at it this winter. The Indians had several graduations and top player Colby Jones transferred to Mountain Brook during the summer, but dynamic guard Kam Woods transferred to Pinson Valley from Midfield and joins a core that is “hungry.”
The Indians have six seniors, but Geordon Pollard is a power forward who has been a big-time player already. Barber is excited about the prospects of Vic Smith, Mason Rudolph, Horace Wilson, Micah Mitchell and Timothy Moneyham stepping up in a big way.
“Five of those guys are seniors, and I call them the unknown,” Barber said. “Nobody knows them, and they love the training, the skill development. … By midseason, people are going to be asking, ‘Where did these guys come from?’”
Pollard has continued to improve his game, Barber said, becoming a better ball-handler and shooter. Smith’s ability to man the point guard spot will allow Woods to play off the ball and Mitchell’s 3-point shooting ability will stretch many defenses.
GaQuincy McKinstry made a name for himself last year as a freshman, and Barber said he is a “matchup nightmare,” while DeMarques Densmore, Marques McConnico, Jo Jo James and Morrez Calloway will contribute for the Indians this season as well.
“I think we’ll be exciting and fun to watch,” Barber said. “We’re going to get out on the break, a lot of high-flying plays. We’re going to shoot the ball, and we’re going to defend.”
The Indians opened the season in November and play tournaments in Louisiana and Mississippi in December, along with playing in the Memphis/Atlanta/Birmingham Challenge.