North looking to get over hump, win region crown

Nov. 28—LONDON — All eyes are on North Laurel this season, and deservedly so.

After finishing as 13th Region runners-up for the past two seasons many believe the time is now for Nate Valentine's Jaguars to take the next step.

But it's easier said than done with three-time defending champion Knox Central returning its entire roster while teams such as Corbin, Harlan, Harlan County, and South Laurel will be right in the mix.

With that said, the Jaguars have something no other team in the region possesses — a five-star player that's nationally ranked as 17th best in his class which is of course junior Reed Sheppard.

Sheppard led the state in scoring g last season with a 30.1 scoring average while also pulling down 7.1 rebounds per game and close to 10 assists per contest. He turned in a fantastic summer and is ready for the 2021-22 season to tip-off.

But Sheppard isn't the only talented player on the roster. The Jaguars return a solid nucleus of players that are ready to take the next step and make a deep run in the postseason.

"We are once again very optimistic about this year's team," Valentine said. "We return all five starters as well as several other guys that got meaningful minutes last season. I have been pleased with our team's improvement so far. The guys are working hard and are excited to have a full season with fans. I'm excited for them to get to play in a normal high school basketball environment."

With Sheppard returning to the mix, North a Laurel possesses a player that can do it all on both ends of the floor.

"Reed is a tremendous talent," Valentine said. "I'm really glad he's on our team. He's worked his tail off to get where he is and he deserves every ounce of credit that comes his way. I'm proud of the way he's handled it. He's the same kid now that he was two years ago before he had an offer from virtually every high major in the country. He stays coachable and has a desire to continue to improve every day."

Joining Sheppard as starters are Ryan Davidson (20.2, 6.9), Caden Harris (2.8, 4.2), Clay Sizemore (11.4, 1.6), and Brody Brock (11.8, 2.8).

"Ryan added 15 pounds to his frame in the offseason after having wrist surgery from an injury sustained towards the end of last season," Valentine said. "Clay improved his ballhandling and getting in the paint. He's an excellent outside shooter while Brody added 10 pounds of muscle in the offseason. He has improved his body, and I'm excited to get Caden in the gym after football season."

Chase Dotson (3.0, 0.5), Sam Kreis, Kyler Elza (1.8, 0.9), Cole Messer (0.9, 1.6), Colton Rawlings, and Jacob Jones are also expected to contribute.

"Chase is having an outstanding preseason," Valentine said. "He stands out in practice right now. I'm pleased with his play to this point. Sam is a 6-4 freshman expected to make an impact. He has great hands and feet. He will add some much-needed size. Kyler Elza continues to improve. He's an excellent defender and turning into a very good outside shooter. We are excited to get Cole Messer back in the gym from football. He's added strength that should help him be a factor this season.

"Colton Rawlings is a hard-nosed freshman that will do whatever it takes," he added. "He's a good defender and rebounder and continues to improve offensively each practice. Jacob Jones joins our team after being homeschooled. He's a warrior inside. He battles for rebounds and physical. Hw will add some much-needed size in the post."

A challenging schedule will prepare North Laurel for the battles they are expected to have once postseason play begins.

"We just have to continue to improve each day throughout the season," Valentine said. "Our schedule is going to challenge us and make us better. This year's schedule is exactly what we need. If we aren't ready to play, we probably aren't going to like the result. I'm a firm believer 'Iron sharpens iron.' To get where we want to go with this program, we must continue to play our best.

"Our schedule is extremely challenging," he added. "Outside of a very talented 13th Region schedule, we are playing in two of the best tournaments in the state — The King of the Bluegrass hosted by Fairdale and the Traditional Bank Classic hosted by Lexington Catholic. They both boast many teams that will be featured in the top 25 statewide rankings. We will also play Louisville Ballard, who many consider being the frontrunner in the state along with Madison Central and Covington Catholic — both will be ranked in the top 10 in the preseason. I hope this schedule will help prepare us for postseason play. We wanted to play the best of the best, and see where we are."

So the big question is can North Laurel take the next step and win the 13th Region title?

"The 13th Region will once again be very challenging," Valentine said. I would consider the 13th to be one of the best in the state this season. Whoever wins the region tournament is going to have to play three really good games to advance. Our guys are a year older now and have matured in their approach to the game. They know what's at stake and what it is going to take to get this program to the next level. I'm proud of the culture of our locker room and the character of our players right now. This is a fun group to coach and grow with. We are looking forward to spending the next five months together to see where this thing ends.

"Our goals and expectations for this program will always be the same," he added. "We want to be in that region final every year and be one of the two teams playing for a chance to play in Rupp Arena. That doesn't change or deviate based on our roster. That's just how we do it here. So the pressure and expectations from outside sources doesn't exist. I know our coaching staff and players will work as hard as they can this season and hopefully we'll get another shot at it. We just try to take care of the guys in our locker room and handle our own business."