Knox leads way as Colonials look to improve
The Albert Gallatin boys basketball team looks to replace four starters who they lost to graduation.
Even with a senior-laden team last season, the Colonials went 3-16 and 2-10 in Section 1-AAAA.
“I was a little disappointed in last season,” head coach Shea Fleenor said. “The one positive that came out of last season is we won two section games, which we haven’t done in a while. Overall, I was a little disappointed with our win total.”
Brandon Paroda, Sam Haines, Nick Groover and Michael Lewis, who was a Fayette County Coaches Association All-County selection, are the players Fleenor is looking to replace this season. Fleenor said that task could be difficult, as the Colonials return only three players with varsity experience.
The best of those three, Fleenor said, is 6-foot-3 senior point guard David Knox, who led Albert Gallatin in points, rebounds and assists last season. Knox was named to the FCCA All-County team along with Lewis and is entering his third season as a starter for the Colonials.
“David can do it all,” Fleenor said. “He can shoot from the outside; he can get to the basket. Obviously being a bigger guard, at 6-3, he can post up. He rebounds well, being a point guard. He just does everything for us. We’re going to need him to do everything.”
The second-leading scorer for Albert Gallatin last season was then-sophomore Tavian Mozie, who averaged 11 points per game off the bench for the Colonials. Fleenor is looking for the 5-9 junior shooting guard to take an even bigger role this season.
“We were pleased with the season he had,” Fleenor said. “We think he’s gotten a lot better since last year. We’re expecting big things from him.”
The other player who had varsity experience last season is forward Tanner Kutek. Fleenor said the 6-2 senior is very important to the team, since most teams will key on Knox and Mozie.
“Probably whenever he struggles, we will struggle, because it’s going to be hard to find that third guy,” Fleenor said. “It’s going to be important that he step up into a role that he hasn’t really been in yet. We’re going to have to be patient as he grows into the position.”
The two other starters, who Fleenor said the team will also have to be patient with, are 6-2 senior forward Hunter Moody and 5-9 senior guard Paul Bunham. Moody missed all last season due to a hand injury playing football, and Bunham has not played basketball for Albert Gallatin since his freshman year.
Fleenor said despite losing four starters from last season, he thinks other than Latrobe, any team can beat any team in the section.
“Getting one of the four playoff spots out of our section, I would consider that a successful season,” Fleenor said. “I want to build off three wins and two section wins last year.”
Albert Gallatin will host Uniontown on Dec. 4 in its first game. Tip is set for 5:45 p.m.
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