Tiggs tries to put the pieces together at Bob Jones
Luther Tiggs with Sam Barr (10), Trey Graham (24), Deonte Gray (2), Chase Fiddler (1), Jaquille Lewis (5), TD Farris (23) (Record Photo/ Lindsay Vaught)
MADISON- Luther Tiggs is unfazed about bringing Bob Jones basketball back to respectability. The path forward will not be easy. Last season Bob Jones was 5-25 and did not win an area game.
Tiggs finalized his roster last week and it includes nine football players who will be practicing football for another week as the playoffs start this Friday. They have already missed two weeks of basketball practice. The team has been using freshman and sophomores at practice with six varsity basketball players (pictured).
“I’m not going to allow wins and losses to define Bob Jones early in the season,” Tiggs said. “We’re limited with numbers, I’ve had six varsity players practicing and we don’t have our post player here so its hard and you don’t want to get to far ahead of yourself because you would end up having to come back and reteach everything. It’s going to be a step by step process, we’re hoping to turn the corner by January.
Chase Fiddler is a college prospect. He has tremendous upside, he’s very skilled. We will have to build around him early on. I’ve always been a defensive minded coach so even if things don’t go well you can defend and stay in games. Hopefully the offense will catch up.”
Tiggs will have to find a new point guard.
Deonte Gray will start at point guard early on. Jaydon Hill and Brad Anderson also can play that position. Fiddler (6-foot-3, Jr.) is listed as a guard. He can do anything Tiggs needs him to do from handling the ball out top to shooting three’s to rebounding.
“We will move him around, he is a matchup problem.”
Among the football players, Demontrez Brown has experience on varsity level. Brad Anderson and Kendall Randolph were not on basketball teams at Bob Jones last year. Gavin Lewis played varsity and will get playing time in the post. Milkyle and Milkhi Stewart (both 6-foot-1, Sr.) played on varsity last season and are on the roster. Sam Barnes and Isaiah Hatchett were both JV players last year.
TD Farris got limited playing time on varsity last year and is listed as both guard and forward.
“We need leadership from TD and he needs to step up and fill in where ever we need him,” Tiggs said.
“We are going to be guard oriented. The football guys bring a level of toughness we need. We are going to be uptempo and push the ball every opportunity.”
Bob Jones first home game will be on Nov 15 against Austin High.
