5A East Boys

[godeep]

Predictions this year.

[sevenof400]

Bad weather forces postponement of two (or more) playing dates.

[godeep]

FC beat LR  Central in their opener 87-65. Glasper had quiet 37.

[Grond]

Paragould lost 2 starters. Main scorer, Brandon Clifford, returning.

We should be at least as good this year as we were last year, should make playoffs. (Paragould finished 3rd last year, I think.)

Several D2 and NAIA colleges looking at Clifford. 

[ASURedWolf6]

Clifford is a stud. Can score from just about anywhere and scores in bunches.. Definitely an exciting player to watch!

Prediction would be VV/FC battling for the conference title with Paragould/Nettleton as potential conference champs, but definitely not the favorites. Blytheville/Wynne/Batesville/Tech rounding out the rest.

[godeep]

ASU I agree with you Clifford a stud and Coach Lindsey does great job each year. Nobody in conference plays FC tougher than Paragould since Lindsey been there.

[Grond]

ASU I agree with you Clifford a stud and Coach Lindsey does great job each year. Nobody in conference plays FC tougher than Paragould since Lindsey been there.

Lindsey does a really good job of managing a game. One of the interesting things I have seen him do is wait until AFTER halftime to make an adjustment. That way, it is harder for the opposing team to counter his move.

[Grond]

Clifford is a stud. Can score from just about anywhere and scores in bunches.. Definitely an exciting player to watch!

Prediction would be VV/FC battling for the conference title with Paragould/Nettleton as potential conference champs, but definitely not the favorites. Blytheville/Wynne/Batesville/Tech rounding out the rest.

I agree with your analysis of the 5A East.

Valley View and Forrest City have the best TEAMS; if a star player has a bad night, there are others to make up for it.

Paragould goes as Clifford goes: Hot, or NOT Hot. There is no Plan B. Which is why Paragould will see a lot of Box-and-1 and Triangle-and-2. 

Nettleton.....I don't know. They seem to always have talent, that can't quite overcome their own coaching. 

It will be interesting to see where Blytheville fits in all this.

[Chief-Chickasaw]

Blytheville lost their coach a few weeks ago.  That loss may be a gain with Bill Tyer and David Hixson coming out of retirement.  The boys seem pumped for the season and they have looked good.  Talked to Hixson and he feels this group can be "Special" and he usually doesn't say things like that.  It's usually well we will need to work maybe a 4 seed but he seems to like the team. 

My personal prediction is Blytheville will be the 3 or 4 seed. 
I think the conference will go 1.Forest City, 2. Valley View, 3. Nettleton, 4. Blytheville, 5. Paragould, 6. GCT 7. Wynne, 8. Batesville.  I really feel 1-6 can beat anyone in conference on any night.  This is gonna be a fun season.

[Chief-Chickasaw]

I wasn't able to go to the game but the Chicks were able to hold their own even leading by 9 in the 4th qtr at Sikeston who is usually one of the best teams in Missouri.  Chicks ended up losing by 7 but this makes me even more excited for the season.

[Grond]

Blytheville lost their coach a few weeks ago.  That loss may be a gain with Bill Tyer and David Hixson coming out of retirement.  The boys seem pumped for the season and they have looked good.  Talked to Hixson and he feels this group can be "Special" and he usually doesn't say things like that.  It's usually well we will need to work maybe a 4 seed but he seems to like the team. 

My personal prediction is Blytheville will be the 3 or 4 seed. 
I think the conference will go 1.Forest City, 2. Valley View, 3. Nettleton, 4. Blytheville, 5. Paragould, 6. GCT 7. Wynne, 8. Batesville.  I really feel 1-6 can beat anyone in conference on any night.  This is gonna be a fun season.

I agree that a change in coaches might work better for Blytheville. I thought the 2014/2015 team might have performed better with more of a "motion" offense (more movement to take advantage of their athleticism).

Keep in mind that Paragould is returning the Conference MVP (Brandon Clifford), who is a senior this year. Paragould looks to be better offensively than they were last year......and possibly not as good as we were defensively. 

Nettleton is always a question mark. They always have talent, but I often get confused by their coaching decisions.

[Chief-Chickasaw]

Blytheville lost their coach a few weeks ago.  That loss may be a gain with Bill Tyer and David Hixson coming out of retirement.  The boys seem pumped for the season and they have looked good.  Talked to Hixson and he feels this group can be "Special" and he usually doesn't say things like that.  It's usually well we will need to work maybe a 4 seed but he seems to like the team. 

My personal prediction is Blytheville will be the 3 or 4 seed. 
I think the conference will go 1.Forest City, 2. Valley View, 3. Nettleton, 4. Blytheville, 5. Paragould, 6. GCT 7. Wynne, 8. Batesville.  I really feel 1-6 can beat anyone in conference on any night.  This is gonna be a fun season.

I agree that a change in coaches might work better for Blytheville. I thought the 2014/2015 team might have performed better with more of a "motion" offense (more movement to take advantage of their athleticism).

Keep in mind that Paragould is returning the Conference MVP (Brandon Clifford), who is a senior this year. Paragould looks to be better offensively than they were last year......and possibly not as good as we were defensively. 

Nettleton is always a question mark. They always have talent, but I often get confused by their coaching decisions.

Yeah I kinda forgot how good that Clifford kid is.  I watched Nettleton early and liked their movement that's probably why I put them at 3.  I truly feel 1-6 are ridiculously tough.  Next year when we lose Batesville and add West Memphis, Jonesboro, and Marion we may be the toughest basketball conference in the state crazy.

[hogfan7]

I can't see the East ever having the toughest conference because you are forgetting about the Little Rock schools.  They dominate the state tournament every year.  It will be a good conference, yes.  But the best??? Not even close.

[Dragon77]

How may 5a state titles would you consider to be domination, over the past 10 years ?               

[Easy]

I know of at least 5 state titles in the boys from the 5A east in the past 10 years! There may be another.  I would say that might be a few more than the other conferences!

[AT]

2015 - Little Rock McClellan (Central)

2014 - Forrest City (East)

2013 - Jacksonville (Central)

2012 - Sylvan Hills (Central)

2011 - Alma (West)

2010 - Little Rock McClellan (Central)

2009 - Greene County Tech (East)

2008 - Siloam Springs (West)

2007 - Greene County Tech (East)

2006 - Blytheville (East)

[Chief-Chickasaw]

2015 - Little Rock McClellan (Central)

2014 - Forrest City (East)

2013 - Jacksonville (Central)

2012 - Sylvan Hills (Central)

2011 - Alma (West)

2010 - Little Rock McClellan (Central)

2009 - Greene County Tech (East)

2008 - Siloam Springs (West)

2007 - Greene County Tech (East)

2006 - Blytheville (East)

Now add very tough Jonesboro, West Memphis, and Marion to that and I would say that's pretty tough.

[NEAbball12]

any word of how Batesville or wynne will be this year?

[Chief-Chickasaw]

any word of how Batesville or wynne will be this year?

Batesville girls are really good.  The boys are 2-3 I think.  I don't have any incite other then that.  I haven't heard anything on Wynne.  Traditionally their girls aren't very good and their boys teams are good enough that you have to take them seriously but not good enough to compete for a playoff spot.

[MDXPHD]

any word of how Batesville or wynne will be this year?

Batesville girls are 7-0 and the boys are 2-3. Batesville will be better than they have been the last several years, but not on par with the rest of the conference. They will finish toward the bottom again.

[Neers34]

Batesville boys are 3-3. With hot springs lakeside this Friday and Sheridan this Saturday.

[Neers34]

Batesville boys 78-75 over Sheridan

[godeep]

FC 8-3 for non-conference

[MDXPHD]

Batesville boys are 6-5.

[MDXPHD]

Cedar Ridge is 3-0 against the 5A east boys with Austin Reaves scoring 73, 49, and 56 against FC, Nettleton, and Valley View.

[Danold Dump]

Brandon Clifford is gna light it up....Paragould...dump out

[hogfan7]

The 5A East, other than Forrest City, can not compete with the other 5A conferences.  GCT did until Scott Bowlin left and Wynne did until Bobby Gross left.  But this conference has the weakest teams in the state, BESIDES Forrest City.

[Dragon77]

I value your opinion, but watch out for the poster who stated earlier,in this same thread, that the Little Rock schools dominate the state tournament, every year......

[MDXPHD]

The 5A East, other than Forrest City, can not compete with the other 5A conferences.  GCT did until Scott Bowlin left and Wynne did until Bobby Gross left.  But this conference has the weakest teams in the state, BESIDES Forrest City.

That's not true. Valley View can compete with a lot of the teams this year. You will see when the playoffs start.

[hogfan7]

The 5A East, other than Forrest City, can not compete with the other 5A conferences.  GCT did until Scott Bowlin left and Wynne did until Bobby Gross left.  But this conference has the weakest teams in the state, BESIDES Forrest City.

That's not true. Valley View can compete with a lot of the teams this year. You will see when the playoffs start.

Wait until Little Rock Mills, McClellan, Jacksonville, or Sylvan Hills gets them.   

[MDXPHD]

The 5A East, other than Forrest City, can not compete with the other 5A conferences.  GCT did until Scott Bowlin left and Wynne did until Bobby Gross left.  But this conference has the weakest teams in the state, BESIDES Forrest City.

That's not true. Valley View can compete with a lot of the teams this year. You will see when the playoffs start.

Wait until Little Rock Mills, McClellan, Jacksonville, or Sylvan Hills gets them.   

We hear this same stuff every year. The central is better at basketball recently, so you may be right. I don't think the east is too strong.