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BKB Preview | Peebles sees promise in young Wildcat club

Carrier Mills-Stonefort head basketball coach Kiel Peebles has a very young ballclub. The coach, who is in his fourth year at CMSF, isn't young in age but is learning to become young at heart.

Peebles doesn't have any seniors and only two players that return with varsity experience, that being, 5-foot-11 junior Rostin Lewis and 6-5 junior DeAndre Moss.

The two are joined by classmates, Brandon Hambleton, David Leiter, Mason Gilliam, Colton Betz, and Trey Collins, while the sophomore class includes Jeremy Choat, Nathaniel Reed, Sotte Godsey, Eli Felty, and Rielly Ward. Rounding out the roster are freshmen Colton Mitchell, Zavier Rollins, Aidan Rollins, Caden VanMeter, and Nathan Collins.

"I really like this team," Peebles said. "We're young and that's going to be our Achilles heel. That being said, we are more athletic at every position and our freshmen is a good class wherein a couple of years, they should make some noise."

Last year, as eighth graders, the freshmen group lost just one game. But now, under Peebles, he's more worried about how quickly they can develop rather than how many games they can win.

"It's all about how fast can they mature," Peebles said. "One of the things I have been preaching this summer and this fall is how the game is so much faster than you are used to. I understand that group only lost one game - they are used to winning ‑ and think they are going to win. That's not a bad thing, but then the reality is playing against older kids with varsity experience matters.

Peebles is quick to admit that he's old school in his form of coaching and teaching. He is, however, learning to take a step back, because he realizes how the game of basketball is changing.

"I'm still old school," he said. "I like set plays, where you know who is going to shoot the ball and where he is going to shoot it at. The game is changing though and we are changing this year. Giving kids more freedom with a veteran team that knows what's going on isn't a bad thing, but for young kids to make decisions on the fly is something hard for us old coaches to try and have to swallow."

In the Greater Egyptian Conference this season, Peebles tabs Thompsonville and Gallatin County as two of the front-runners for the league title, but that doesn't also mean he doesn't expect to be in the conversation.

"For some reason in my time here at Carrier Mills, we always play our best basketball after Christmas. That being said, teams like Thompsonville, Gallatin County and maybe even Hardin County are the best teams in the league.

"I think there is a lot more parity this year and the league is more balanced. The rest of us are pretty well matched and for me, I want our kids to develop, understand the game and play hard. I think we'll win more than we did last year if we do that."

Spyder Dann covers prep and college sports for the Southern Illinois Local Media News Group. Follow him on Twitter: @spydieshooter.