Photo: Gadsden State’s Mekhi Fitts (23) looks to move past Enterprise State’s Justin Miles during the Cardinals’ 84-59 win in mens basketball on Wednesday, Dec. 11 at Beck Gymnasium. (Chris McCarty/Messenger)
By Chris McCarthy, Publisher
When asked to identity the primary reason for his team’s string start to the season, Gadsden State men’s head basketball coach Deddric Tarver pointed to the mindset of the 2024-25 Cardinals.
“We’re playing with a sense of urgency every time we go out there,” said Tarver, who is in his ninth year at Gadsden State, eighth as the head coach. “Every guy is playing like it’s his last game. We’re also moving a lot better and making decisions more quickly. Both our offense and defense are definitely at a higher level than last year.”
The Cardinals are currently 11-1 and sit atop the Alabama Community College Conference Division I standings. Gadsden State’s lone setback was a 95-84 loss to Snead State on Nov. 18.
Last season, Gadsden State finished second in the conference standings with a 9-5 record (21-10 overall). The Cardinals lost to Wallace-Hanceville in the ACCC Tournament semifinals.
One area that Tarver identified as an issue with the 2023-24 team was the lack of a deep rotation, and he feels that problem has been addressed with four returning starters along with capable backups.
“Depth was our biggest problem last year,” he said. “We didn’t have a lot of it, which hurt us in a few close games. This season we have two guys at every position who can play major minutes.”
For proof, look no further than the postgame scoresheet, where at least four and sometimes five Gadsden State players finish in double figures. The Cardinals currently are second in the ACCC in scoring at 90.2 points per game.
“We’re pretty spread out, which makes it hard for the other team to defend. A lot of that has to do with rebounding. When you’re rebounding well, you’re able to get the ball out and run with it.”
The Cardinals are first in the conference in both offensive and defensive rebounds, resulting in very few one-and-done possessions while limiting the opposition’s chances.
“Last week against Wallace-Selma, I think we held them to one-shot possessions 82 percent of the time,” said Tarver. “If you can do that on a consistent basis, you’re giving yourself a good chance to win.”
Tarver provided a logical explanation as to why the Cardinals currently lead the league in field goal percentage at 51.2 percent.
“We’re not taking a lot of three-pointers; we’re taking the best available shot, so we’ve been settling for the high-percentage two-point [field goal]. But as we get down to conference play next month, we’ll be taking more [three-point] attempts, because those games will be a lot tighter.”
Sophomore forward Mehki Fitts is currently first in the conference in rebounding at 10.2 per game and seventh in scoring at 14.6.
“Mehki is bringing a lot to the table for us this year, star\ting with experience,” said Traver. “He started 25 games for us last year and started every game so far this season. He’s a double-double- machine who already is getting a ton of four-year offers.
“Mehki comes from Cornerstone Christian out of Birmingham, and no one wanted to give him a chance (in college) because it was a private school. When I was recruiting him, I told him and his family that one year with me would put him where he was supposed to be, and now he’s there.”
Sophomore point guard Shannon Jones is fourth in the conference in assists at 4.8 per game.
“Shannon is doing a great job of breaking the press and distributing the ball,” said Tarver. “He’s the Patrick Mahomes of our team. Last year he played more off the ball than at the one spot, and he’s adapted to the change and opened up the door to our offense.”
Conference play begins Thursday, Jan. 8 at Lawson State. The Cardinals’ conference competition also includes Wallace-Hanceville, Calhoun, Coastal Alabama South, Bishop State, Southern Union and Shelton State.
“Two things we need to work on during the [Christmas] break is free throw shooting and zone defense,” said Tarver. “The North Division games will be tight and slow-paced, so we might need to sit back in a zone to rest some guys. Pretty much all the conference games come down to two or three possessions, and we want to make sure that we’re physically and mentally ready for that challenge.”
