Man Hillbillies' season preview

MAN - Man Hillbillies' head coach Garrin Blankenship is in the third year of a rebuild that has seen the team dramatically increase its number of wins through the first two seasons. In 2023, the Hillbillies won just a pair of games. In 2024, they won 8 games. In 2025, they won 12 games. The plan is to increase the win total and advance in the regional championship during the 2026-27 season. Here are the girls who will help the Hillbillies and would like to play in college or who coach Blankenship believes could play in college:    Smith is building a solid repertoire. So far, she handles the ball well. She owns a solid jump shot. She can play anywhere on the floor. Her basketball IQ is high. And, she isn't afraid to go to the rim. The next four years will be intriguing for this freshman.     Booth is in the midst of constructing a solid bag to be a 3 or 4 upon completion of her four years of high school ball. She has the confidence to step out and shoot the basketball, and she can push the ball up the floor and pass the press. She is a rim runner. She has spent her summer working on post moves, particularly a drop step and inside hook. I am excited to see how Booth develops over the next four years.       Mullins would excel on a team that likes to break zone pressure. She is great in the half court set. She possesses a solid mid-range game, loves to hit jumps from the elbow and foul line extended. She is a wonderful passer, the kind of player you could run an offense through because of her passing skills. She is working on her on-ball defense, but she is a stellar off-the-ball defender. She may even see time as the 5 in Man's 1-3-1 zone.       Reyes is a classic floor leader. She can handle the ball and has a great basketball IQ for a sophomore. She can facilitate the offense with no problem. She owns great court vision and she is willing to push the ball up the court. It is unknown if she would like to play at the college level, but she has a solid foundation to build from at the 1 spot.     Wheatley is a trooper. Her athleticism is off the charts, and she enjoys using it to make other teams uncomfortable. She is working on her offensive game, mostly baseline jumpers, head fakes, put three dribbles on the floor and get to the rim. She can catch and shoot if need be, but she's better down on the block. Once she masters things on the offensive end, she is going to be a talented, all-around player.       If you are a coach in need a fast defender, who can leak out in transition and grab 12 to 14 points a game on the fast break, look no further than Julious. She is a "flat out" defender, who moves her feel well laterally and is often going to guard an opposing team's best guard. She projects as a nightmare for another teams post player on the defensive switch. She is wanting to improve her offensive game, but if Man spends a lot of time in transition, she may be able to get her points as she flies down the floor.

MAN - Man Hillbillies' head coach Garrin Blankenship is in the third year of a rebuild that has seen the team dramatically increase its number of wins through the first two seasons. In 2023, the Hillbillies won just a pair of games. In 2024, they won 8 games. In 2025, they won 12 games. The plan is to increase the win total and advance in the regional championship during the 2026-27 season. Here are the girls who will help the Hillbillies and would like to play in college or who coach Blankenship believes could play in college: