Patriots on upset alert in Area 15 Tournament
Bob Jones boys begin their quest to get back to Birmingham and play for a state championship on Friday night. The Patriots have earned the right to host the Area 15 tournament but their first round opponent is a dangerous team that came within one point of defeating the Patriots at Bob Jones gym on Jan. 13. Decatur took an undefeated Bob Jones team to overtime and would have won if they had hit some key free throws in the last seconds of regulation and again in overtime.
“Our area is really tough,” said Bob Jones coach Danny Petty. “Any team in our area can beat any other team in our area, they are that good.”
To make matters more worrisome for Petty, Decatur seems to be playing their best basketball of the season. In their final home game of the regular season last Friday night, Decatur dominated Hartselle 74-27. Decatur coach Jamie Lee said that game was the Red Raiders best performance of the season. Decatur enters with a 15-11 record.
“In the playoffs it doesn’t matter that our record was 27-1,” Petty said. “Everybody is starting out 0-0. This is a go-home game so we’ve got to win and we play a tough Decatur team. They gave us fits both times we played them.”
Decatur has one of the top post players in the area in Darius Nelson. Nelson gave Bob Jones matchup problems in the game back on Jan. 13 as he scored 11 points and pulled 8 rebounds. He had a big fourth quarter as Decatur wiped out a 9 point Bob Jones lead to tie the game.
Bob Jones used a combination of Reggie Ragland and Jemel Harper to try to contain Nelson.
“He’s just tough for us to guard so we are going to have to gameplan for him. Other than that just play tough defense, get the fast break going, keep turnovers down and rebound well,” said Petty.
Point guard Deondre Dancy had 16 points in that game for Decatur and he comes in hot again.
One Bob Jones player tough for any opponent is the Patriots leading scorer Jeffrey Moss. On senior night Moss had his usual efficient 20 point game. Moss averages 17 points per game on the season but has gone over 20 points in the last 6 games and did it again Monday night. He was 2 for 2 from behind the three-point line, and 8 of 14 overall including 2 of 2 from the free throw line.
Moss also hits the boards and pulls an average of 6 rebounds per game. He also leads the Patriots in minutes at over 27 a game.
“When it gets down to crunch time the cream will rise and Jeffrey has always come through for us. When we had to have something he was there for us. Him and Reggie both,” Petty said.
“We have to be at the top of our game and mentally ready to play,” Petty added.
If Bob Jones last game of the season is any indication, the Patriots are peaking at the right time. The Patriots had an offensive explosion and put up their highest point total of the season in a 78-60 thrashing of Huntsville on Senior Night.
The Patriots have battled injuries all season and enter the playoffs at less than 100 percent healthy. Senior post Reggie Ragland limped off the court Monday night against Huntsville in the third quarter favoring a foot.
Ragland later returned but Petty admitted “we’re not 100 percent but we are pretty healthy.”
“We got some guys banged up a little bit but we get a few more days rest since we don’t play until Friday. We have developed some depth throughout the season with all of our injuries. Hopefully that is going to help us.”
Ragland’s health will be a key for the Patriots. He averages 15 points per game and 8 rebounds. He has not missed any games due to injury but has missed four games due to football commitments. He should be available throughout the playoff run.
Six players on the current Bob Jones roster were on the 2009-2010 team that won the state championship.
Bob Jones-Decatur will tip at 7:30 Friday night.
On the other side of the bracket is No. 7 ranked Austin who comes in on an eight game winning streak. They will play Florence in the first game on Friday night. That game will tip off at 6 p.m.
