Lewis' Nichols expects Big 10 to have another big year

By JOE ALBRIGHT   Josephpalbright3@gmail.com   WESTON – The Big 10 made a big mark on the 2022-23 West Virginia high school girls' basketball season. The conference qualified four different teams for the Class AAA state tournament. Two of those teams, North Marion and Philip Barbour, played for the state championship. North Marion and Mike Parrish emerged victorious.   One Big 10 coach believes the league currently sits in a good position to experience another competitive year both league-wise and beyond.   Lewis County head coach Joe Nichols says the 2023-24 version already shapes up as a minefield.   “It is going to be tough, very tough,” he said.   Nichols points out that the league's strength starts at the top and goes through the entire field. He gives several specific examples of teams that look to continue their success from a season ago.   First off, he says that while North Marion lost Olivia Toland and [player_tooltip player_id='384128' first='Emma' last='Freels'] is now looking for her own [player_tooltip player_id='384128' first='Emma' last='Freels'], the Huskies remain a threat in the classification.   “Coach (Mike) Parish just does an amazing job and North Marion doesn't really rebuild as much as they reload,” he said.   The Huskies aren't alone as a viable option to return to the state championship game. Nichols says the Colts won't lack options as they step onto the floor with a mix of volleyball players and athletes.   “They have one of the best eighth-grade classes, they will reload quickly, and the Sparks twins and Carpenter are great shooters,” he said. “They have athletic post players who are great athletes and volleyball players, too.”   Then, of course, there are his Lewis County Minutemaids.   One year after his group ran from a hot start to a state quarterfinal, the pieces are in place as his group seeks to push into new territory in November and beyond.   What does his team have to do to stay on top of things in such a competitive conference?   “We have to stay healthy and get rid of the bumps and bruises,” he said.   East Fairmont and head coach James Beckman sit in a very similar situation. The Bees return plenty of pieces, including all-state honorees [player_tooltip player_id='379505' first='Kenly' last='Rogers'] and [player_tooltip player_id='570290' first='Kailee' last='Haymond'].   “They go ten deep and Beckman does a great job with them,” Nichols said.   What about Grafton, all-state honorable mention forward [player_tooltip player_id='385110' first='Kenna' last='Keener'], and the rest of the Bearcats? After the group made some noise, especially in the postseason, does Nichols see them upping the ante in 2023-24?   Absolutely.   Boosted by the transfer of Liberty's Jazzy Ray, he says the Bearcats own a solid trio in Keener, Ray, and [player_tooltip player_id='979253' first='Hadley' last='Horne']. “They are going to make some noise,” he said.   Another team who closed the season in a strong way, Lincoln, also can't be underestimated, according to him. Rob Hawkins and company finished a game away from the state tournament, and Nichols expects Hawkins to keep doing a great job. They also return all-state first-team player [player_tooltip player_id='379503' first='Ashlyn' last='Riley'].   Questions about Robert C. Byrd may have been asked later in the conversation, but Nichols stated he believes the Flying Eagles have a great duo in [player_tooltip player_id='379508' first='Martina' last='Howe'] and [player_tooltip player_id='384297' first='Carleigh' last='Curotz']. He thinks they can aid the group to overcome the loss of Division I signee Avery Childers.   Elkins and their point guard, [player_tooltip player_id='722410' first='Gracelin' last='Corley'], received a shout-out as a team that brings relentless energy to the floor.   “She is a fast slasher and they are so relentless any time you are at their place to play a game,” he said.   Further into the conversation, Nichols lays out his expectations for Buckhannon-Upshur, Preston, and Bridgeport to have great years as well. Even with the Indians' loss of Gabby Reep to graduation, and the Bucs' loss of [player_tooltip player_id='391468' first='Kenna' last='Maxwell'] to the transfer portal, he says the coaches and players continue to work hard on daily improvements.   All of these positive developments lead Nichols to conclude one thing: Watch out for the Big 10, especially in the postseason.   “I would be surprised if the Big Ten did not put four of the 8 teams in the state tournament again,” he said. “There is so much talent and I may be a little biased because I play these guys night in and night out, but I would not be surprised if there were another four in the tournament.”   “It could be really ugly come state tournament time,” he finished.

By JOE ALBRIGHT