Trouble getting into the basketball groove?

You’re not alone. The seemingly rushed start to the 2014-15 basketball season in the Miss-Lou has been eerie. Because football extended past Thanksgiving due to multiple teams’ postseason success, basketball has had a cold shooting percentage in terms of excitement. Blame it on the weather.

That’s not to say the turnouts to games have been modest. I’ve been to some pretty packed gyms so far, and though the play on the court was sluggish in the beginning, the teams are starting to pick up the pace.

Despite the absence of hype to begin the season, there have been plenty of bright spots in the early goings. For instance, (8-4) Natchez High School’s point guard Daryl Jones has been the most impressive player I’ve seen thus far. Jones has the best handles in the area and understands what his coaching staff is asking him to do, which is to orchestrate the offense and get others involved, all the while beating presses and icing games with his great ball dribbling. Another player who has caught my eye is (7-10) Ferriday’s Dantreize Scott, who has lived up to the hype as a freshman. Going into the year, I kept hearing about how Scott drew a 4-star rating at LSU’s basketball camp during the summer, and after seeing him play in the post, and use his body to get leverage underneath the basket, I’m sold on the talent. In fact, I think we’re all getting a preview of a young player who will dominate the area for quite a while.

The most impressive team in the area could arguably be (13-2) Adams County Christian School, and I’m not just saying that because they’ve garnered a few No. 1 rankings in MAIS Class AA. Sure, the blowouts against less inferior talent suggest this team has a lot of potential, but the single-digit loss to Jackson Academy reveals that this team is poised to make a long playoff run. Brandon Brooks is another name folks should keep their eyes peeled for, as this Rebel big has a spot-on Anthony Davis impersonation, swatting away ball after ball near the basket.

And of course, there’s always the (9-6) Vidalia Vikings. Size or no size, under head coach Robert Sanders, the Vikings will always be competitive. Not so shockingly, the size isn’t there again, but the Vikings have one of the more impressive backcourts I’ve seen in the area, with Julius Wilson being one of the premier players in our backyard. If you haven’t seen the Vikings play, watching Wilson track down an opposing player on a fast break and swat the ball away from behind is worth the price of admission alone.

And you can’t forget about the ladies, especially when they pose some of the best teams around. The (12-1) Natchez Lady Bulldogs look primed to repeat as champions, while the (15-2) Ferriday Lady Trojans could have one of the best players in the area in Jada Griggs. Griggs is dropping 25-plus point performances like her cousin Shawn Griggs did back in the late 1980s. Pound for pound, these are probably the two most athletic teams in the area. Contributing to the slow build of the basketball season was Natchez head coach Alphaka Moore’s approach to the season, sitting her starters on frequent occasions. That’s not to say I didn’t enjoy the strategy. By doing such, Moore has already found ways to involve her role players, which will be extremely beneficial down the road.

The (13-2) ACCS girls are about what you’d expect from a Melanie Hall team — well coached and well disciplined. What makes them successful is the conviction each player feels to be the very best, and Hall can attest the girls are harder on themselves than she is.

Meanwhile, (4-3) Cathedral girls have a chance to make a run with a mix of veteran leadership and young athleticism with Marty Lewis and Grayson Bryant pushing to be starters. Trinity, on the other hand, has had a few hiccups with a 9-5 record, but I still like that lineup with Jasmine Ivory, Dionna Jackson and D’Asia Mitchell serving as a nice local Big 3.

Yes, it’s been a slow build for the 2014-15 basketball season, but with some hopeful big-time playoff players from every school, you can count on a much more heavily hyped ending.

JAKE MARTIN is the sports editor for The Natchez Democrat. He can be reached at 601-445-3633 or jake.martin@natchezdemocrat.com.