Lithia Springs boys basketball coach Keith Simmons is looking for big things from his Lions in 2024-25.
Simmons brings back seven seniors to a team that went 13-13 in a tough region last year. The fourth-year coach said his seniors are special.
“We've had some great classes come through since I've been there, but the thing about your fourth year when you're somewhere is these are the guys I came in with,” Simmons said. “So a lot of the stuff that you look to build in a program, they've been there from the beginning.”
Speed on both ends of the court will be a strength for the Lions this year, while team defense is an area Simmons said he hopes can be a strength.
Simmons highlighted the seven seniors and what they bring to the team during the recent Winter Sports Media Day:
• Tayshaun Buford (Sr. Guard): “Looks to get downhill, plays great defense, looks to get everybody else involved.”
• Peter Takim (Sr. Guard): “Our lockdown defender … really is our head and shoulders and our voice out there on both ends.”
• Dorian Jackman (Sr. Forward): “Plays 2 through 4, rebound, high flier, looks to rebound and get it pushing all the time.”
• Jalen White (Sr. Forward): “Utility guy … plays down in the post some for us, can shoot it, but he can do everything that we need him to do.”
• Ziair Finch (Sr. Guard): “Four year starter, he's the brains of the operation, can get going at any time, but also likes to get all of his teammates involved.”
• Kevin Gibbs (Sr. Forward): “Our Dennis Rodman of the team, looks to get everything, gets all the 50-50 balls and he is really the energizer. And he, in an expanded role this year, has really shown a lot over the summer.”
• Domani Weems (Sr. Forward): “He is also one of the guys that can pull it from deep, but also can rebound well, and he also is a great communicator on the defensive end.”
“With seven seniors, it's always a gift and a curse,” Simmons said. “You know, having seven people with leadership and guys that genuinely like each other and genuinely hang around with each other a lot, it makes it easier at practice. So a lot of times when we do blow the whistle on something that needs to be fixed, before I can even talk about what needs to be fixed there, they're talking about it amongst themselves, and a lot of them feed off of each other. And the thing about having seven is it can be any five any night, you know, and this isn't even our juniors that we have and our sophomores that we have that are going to step up.”
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