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By John Henson

Contributing Sports Writer

Even with the loss of star guard Jordan Akal to King College after the 2022 season, the Harlan Green Dragons found a way to earn a ranking among the state’s best teams when they were 9-0 at midseason last year. The Dragons made their seventh straight trip to the 13th Region Tournament under coach Derrick Akal and fourth straight trip to the state All “A” Classic, in addition to winning the county’s first WYMT Classic boys title.

The challenge to extend those streaks is growing even more difficult going into the 2024 campaign with the graduation of guard Kaleb McLendon and forwards Jaedyn Gist and Will Austin, taking with them over 40 points and 25 rebounds per game.

“These guys are used to being on winning teams, and sometimes that helps a lot,” Akal said. “We lost a lot the last few years, but these guys will compete and play hard and be the best version of themselves. That’s all we expect from them. It’s hard to compare teams or replace the talent we lost, but we have to do it another way.”

Senior guard Kyler McLendon (22.3 points per game last season, 3.5 rebounds per game) enjoyed a breakout season last winter and is ranked as the 13th Region’s third-best player going into this season. He will be an even bigger target for opponents, with three of his teammates moving on to the next level.

“He has to be more of a leader. We lost a lot of leadership from last year’s squad,” Akal said. “I think he’s ready for it. He’s one of the top two or three of all the players I’ve coached. He will be a handful for anyone to guard one-on-one, so I’m sure he will see multiple defenders. He’s also an underrated passer, so I think he will find the right guys.”

Trent Cole (6.7, 2.5), a 5-9 freshman, earned a starting spot last year and provided a long-range threat. He’s being counted on to provide a more varied approach on offense this year, as he demonstrated in last year’s district tournament.

“He spent a lot of time in the weight room, so he’s not the same kid people saw last year,” Akal said. “He showed last year that he could do some things off the dribble, and he will get more opportunities to do that this year. Everyone already knows he’s a great shooter.”

Nate Montanaro, a 6-1 junior, is expected to win a starting job at guard after playing in a reserve role last season.

“He’s one of those guys where it takes a little while coming from football,” Akal said. “He’s a super talented and athletic guy. We hope to get him going a little quicker this year. He’s one of the more talented guys on the team.”

Juniors guards Dylan Cox (2.9) and Connor Daniels will compete for the final starting job in the backcourt. Cox was a 3-point specialist last season, and Daniels is coming off a strong season in football.

“Dylan was the sixth man of the WYMT tourney. He’s our Swiss Army knife because he can guard the best player on the other team and will make 3-point shots. He’s one of our best competitors,” Akal said. “Connor is a strong kid and another one who just came off the football field. He’s a good shooter and not a bad rebounder for his height and a decent ball handler.”

Expected to split time inside are 6-2 senior Matthew Pennington (2.1) and 6-3 junior Hunter Clem. Jacob Clark, a 6-1 sophomore, will also see action in the post.

“Hunter is very physical and not a bad basketball player. He’s not spent much time with it, but he has a good basketball IQ with good hands,” Akal said. “Matthew has been with the team for five years and gave us good good minutes last year. He’s a good rebounder and our best shot blocker. We have to replace about 25 rebounds, so we need more rebounding out of both of them.”

Harlan County knocked off the Dragons in last year’s 52nd District finals and is the favorite to repeat, even though Harlan, Bell County and Middlesboro should all be competitive. Harlan will face challenges from several sources in the All “A” Classic with no clear-cut favorites at this point.

“It will take us a while to make up for the rebounding we lost, so we have to play better defense. We had some great rim protection last year, so we have to get that another way this year,” Akal said. “Our focus will be on defense and competing each night. We have to get better every game. I know coaches say that all the time, but it’s true with this team. We have to get better every game and focus on each game and get ready for the All ‘A’ and the district tournament.”