Coming into last nights game it was a story of two very different teams.
Muhlenberg County was a team returning several key pieces from a squad that made the sweet sixteen, won both the district and region tournaments, and was looking to take the next step this year.
Christian County finished last season, disappointedly, thirteen games under .500 and lost in double OT in the district final before falling in game one of the region.
A news season means a fresh start though and before the game head coach Toby Miles was excited about the Colonels.
As you can hear, Coach Miles certainly believed in his team and believed this year could be different.
Those first several minutes would be crucial though, as would Derrell Bateman according to Coach Miles. Both lived up to billing.
Running out to a fifteen plus point lead and showing this is not the same Colonel team, at least not early in the year as they were last season.
Intense and pressure filled defense, aggressive rebounding mentality, and a desire to fly up and down the court; this is also just a fun brand of basketball to watch.
Bateman was the catalyst as Coach Miles predicted. He had two emphatic dunks in the first half, played elite perimeter defense, and even showed an ability with his size and length to extend the floor and make the jumper and the three.
As the game progressed both teams settled back to the median. The Colonels struggled when the Mustangs went to a zone defense, and Muhlenberg started make shots offensively and getting to the line.
A 51-46 final that for much of the game was not that close.
The other thing that stands out for the Colonels in game number one, is their depth. While you can only start five guys, obviously, Christian County boasts eight or nine quality players who could be interchanged in the starting lineup dependent on matchup. Need size? Then you start Bateman along with George Sanders. Want to go small ball? That is even easier because then it is just choose literally anyone of the eight or nine guys.
The only player I would argue is a starter regardless is Bateman and that is because he is not only a hybrid in terms of positional ability, but he is what Coach Miles called him; the leader. He wants him to “lead the charge” as you heard, and he certainly did that last night and projects to do it most every night, barring foul trouble, going forward.
The Colonels next take on Oldham County on Saturday as a part of the BGO Classic at Lexington Christian.