Prep Hoops: Peebles returns, looks to build footing with Wildcats

Keil Peebles recently retired in April and knew he was going to need something to get him off the couch in the winter.

Carrier Mills called at just the right time.

After Denny Anderton vacated the post of boys' basketball coach after just one season, CMSF administration went searching for a suitable replacement.

Peebles said they called and he listened.

"I've always had the itch to coach a little bit again and my wife said 'Hey if you never try it, you're going to wish you did.' So that was one factor that got me back in and then when the administration called me and talked to me about it, it kind of lit a fire a little bit more and I'm really pleased to be here. People have really opened their arms and been very cordial to me and we're working really hard at it to win some ball games."

With that comes a lot of learning on the job for Peebles, who after 10 years and last coaching at Johnston City, is getting back into the business and learning about his team, while they are learning about him.

"I really think we're going to be better than what people would think," Peebles said. "I know the kids are working real hard and they have done everything we've asked them to do. I expect us to play hard and compete in every ball game."

The Wildcats went 11-13 a year ago under Anderson and lost seven players to graduation, leaving Peebles not a lot of varsity experience as he'll roll out the ball this week when CMSF opens the season at the Vienna Classic.

"We've got two seniors Rahman Fann and Micah Childers. They played a little bit last year, but none really to speak of. They're probably going to start - one of them at the forward and one of them at the guard position. Justice Hill, is probably going to start for us, of course he's a junior in the center position, and Brody Walker saw some action last year and he'll be a guard. Dylan Schwartz will start at the other guard. All five of those, with the exception of Justice Hill, Justice saw more playing time than any of them."

With not a lot of returning experience, the Wildcats don't return a lot of size either.

"We don't have much height," Peebles said. "Our biggest kid is about 6-2 or 6-3, although he plays a little bigger than that. We're not too overly concerned with what size we do have some quickness in our guards. The lack of putting the ball in the hole is a little bit of a concern from my standpoint on the outside, but I'm hoping to improve on that as the season goes on."

If there is one thing that Peebles will try to hang his hat on this season, it will come from the defensive end.

"Well I told them from day one - the first day that I met them or saw them - we were going to have to depend upon our defense. We've got to be sound defensively and try to score points off of our defense. I think that's still going to hold true for us throughout the season and we've got some big tests the first week, so we're really going to know where we are at the first two or three games."

Michael Dann covers prep and college sports for the Harrisburg Daily Register. Follow him on Twitter: @spydieshooter.