BENTONVILLE — Nobody is probably more ready to get the regular season started than Bentonville High boys basketball coach Jason McMahan.

The Tigers’ offseason has been brutal enough.

NWA Democrat-Gazette/MICHAEL WOODS ¥ @NWAMICHAELW Springdale's David Carachure (2) tries to get past Bentonville defender Jordan Hemphill (3) during their game Tuesday, February 16, 2016 at Springdale High School.
NWA Democrat-Gazette/MICHAEL WOODS ¥ @NWAMICHAELW
Springdale’s David Carachure (2) tries to get past Bentonville defender Jordan Hemphill (3) during their game Tuesday, February 16, 2016 at Springdale High School.
Jordan Hemphill suffered a broken leg, and Chip Pratt was severely injured in an automobile accident. If that wasn’t enough, Asa Hutchinson had to have shoulder surgery, and Trey Costantini did likewise with his knee.

“There’s no question you can’t have that happen and not be a setback,” McMahan said. “We just looked at it as an opportunity for a great comeback in each of those situations.

“We’ve seen it so far in Asa and Jordan in practice. We know it will happen to Trey and Chip down the road in their time, but there’s no question when you lose that much to injury that it changes your offseason.”

NWA Democrat-Gazette/BEN GOFF @NWABENGOFF Asa Hutchinson of Bentonville dribbles down court on Saturday Jan. 23, 2016 during the game against Rogers in Bentonville's Tiger Arena.
NWA Democrat-Gazette/BEN GOFF @NWABENGOFF
Asa Hutchinson of Bentonville dribbles down court on Saturday Jan. 23, 2016 during the game against Rogers in Bentonville’s Tiger Arena.
Hutchinson and Hemphill — two of Bentonville’s returning starters — will be ready to go when the Tigers tip off against Little Rock Mills in their season opener Saturday night, and they will be joined by a third returning starter, Aaron Estrada, once his duties with Bentonville’s football team are completed.

McMahan is hopeful Costantini will be cleared in early January, just in time for 7A-West Conference play, while Pratt’s recovery remains a work in progress as Bentonville prepares for the new season.

“Our team has changed, and we evolve every year,” McMahan said. “This year, we’ve evolved and restructured to fit the players we have, with the core of the foundation being Jordan Hemphill and Asa Hutchinson.

“I think our chemistry has been great, and I’m really proud of where we are.”

Hemphill, a 6-foot-5 senior guard, averaged 10 points and Hutchinson, a 6-6 junior forward averaged 6.5 points per game last season, and both players are expected to improve on those numbers with increased roles. McMahan knows his team faces a tough task of matching last year’s offensive numbers, when Bentonville averaged a conference-best 70.1 points per game en route to a state runnerup finish, but believes the Tigers can be successful with a 60-point average per game.

McMahan is high on Michael Shanks, a 6-5 sophomore guard who many consider one of the state’s best in his class and who has already received an offer from Central Arkansas. Arman Akbar, a 6-5 senior forward, will step up into a bigger role this season, and players such as Luke Blackmon, Alihi Keliiliki, Kurt Jarrett, Brody Walker and Cole Phillips are battling for playing time.

“I think we will be a good offensive team that has a lot of shooting,” McMahan said. “I think people will enjoy watching us play because there will be so much player involvement and ball movement that takes place. I think it will be an exciting style of basketball.
“I think we also have good length. There’s lineups out there where everybody on the court will be 6-foot-4 or above.”

While the players and the team structure have evolved, something that didn’t was Bentonville’s difficult schedule.

The Tigers open with Mills, then will face Bryant in the Crabtree Invitational and face Fort Smith Northside and Little Rock Christian. Bentonville will also play two games in Memphis and play in a holiday tournament in Nashville.

“We found that to be fun — just to play the best,” McMahan said. “It’s fun to beat the best, and we still think we can. We’ve seen that and know what it takes.

“Mills is probably one of the top two or three teams in the state, and Bryant is a top-five team in the state. We have a top-25 team in the country at Memphis in Bartlett, and the next day we have a top 50 team. We don’t have any easy games on our schedule, then we go into the 7A-West.”

Henry Apple is a veteran sports reporter for the Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. His primary beat is Bentonville, as well as Gravette and topics that include state schools and the Arkansas Activities Association. During the spring, he handles high school track in Northwest Arkansas. He is a lifelong Arkansas resident.
