In this week's edition of the Warm-Up, I wanted to provide some teams and some key matchups that I am looking forward to seeing this month. The anticipation for this upcoming season is very high. 

The foundation for Alabama basketball was set this summer when we had the largest in attendance at this year's Alabama Preview Camp thus far. The state of Alabama is gearing up for an incredible season. 

Back to Back for Mountain Brook?

I was able to catch many games from the Spartans last season, and I immediately knew that this was the team to beat last year. Coach Davis did a fantastic job preparing this team for the great run they went on last season; this team is fast-paced and all about defense. These guys finished 30-6 and were crowned the 6A state champs. 

Mountain Brook lost some big-time seniors last year with Bo Barber and Rayven Turner. These two did a great job running the game’s tempo and were elite scorers for the team. But despite losing those two, the Spartans still have the same core of key players that contributed to last year’s success and have added some elite editions as well. Those three key pieces are soph. Ty Davis, jr. Julius Clark and senior Charlie McKimmon; a real hard-nose defender that does all the little things on the floor.

With some additions with elite guard Kyle Layton and big Brady Donlon, I am interested to see how this team can find their way back to the big show. 

Huffman Vikings 

Huffman had a pretty successful season finishing 22-5, and went undefeated in league play. Jaquarius Sword was one of the key players I saw, and I was impressed with his play on the court. He runs the floor very well, and at 6-foot-6, Sword is a solid rebounder. He finishes strong at the rim and has a nice pull-up jumper around the post. 

With an early exit in last year’s playoffs, we can expect a strong run with the return of Sword and the addition of CJ Blount at the point guard position. Blount is probably one of the best isolation players in his class. He uses his fancy handles to slash past any defender. Blount is very agile in attacking the basket, and it helps with finishing with contact. This team has some potential to do some great things.

Oxford Yellow Jackets

Oxford was another solid team that will be returning most of the players from the previous season. And one is the Lipscomb commit Rylan Houck; Houck is truly versatile; he can take defenders off the dribble, use his height to his advantage, and score in the post. He should not be taken lightly for the three-point line; his quick release compliments his nice stroke. He helped this team go 29-3 and was one of my favorite players to watch. I am looking forward to seeing how far this team can go, and they are my favorite for a deep playoff run.

Key Teams to Watch:

• Oak Mountain
• Spain Park
• Cullman
• Spanish Fort
• Fairhope
• Homewood
• Enterprise
• Lee
• Vestavia Hills
• Huntsville
• Grissom 
• Jacksonville

Key Games: November 2021

• Grissom Vs. Hazel Green - Nov. 4th
• Pelham Vs. Hewitt-Trussville - Nov. 9th
• Mortimer Jordan Vs. Mountain Brook - Nov. 9th
• Grissom Vs. Spain Park - Nov. 11th
• Oak Mountain Vs. Mae Jemison - Nov. 12th
• Huffman Vs. Hazel Green - Nov. 12th
• Jacksonville Vs. Spain Park - Nov. 16th
• Sparkman Vs. Lee - Nov. 16th
• Vestavia Hills Vs. Shades Valley - Nov. 18th
• Oak Mountain Vs. Spain Park - Nov. 19th
• Hueytown Vs. Winfield - Nov. 22nd 

Light House Classic - Nov. 26th