By Tripp Vistica
The Christian Brothers High School (CBHS) basketball team begins their season in three weeks with numerous uncertainties that threaten how the Brothers season will unfold, despite having one of their best teams they have had in a long time. Everything the Brothers hope to accomplish this season not only depends on how they play on the court, but mostly hinges on the COVID-19 pandemic.
This year’s CBHS basketball is loaded with talent, experience and depth. They have a senior point guard, Reese McCullen, who has already accepted a scholarship to play basketball at the University of Pennsylvania (Penn), to go along with, Chandler Jackson, a six-foot 5-inch junior shooting guard with scholarship offers from over 20 universities. Heading into the season the Brothers are picked to win their region, but their season could come to an abrupt end at any moment if COVID-19 affects the Brothers or any of the teams on their schedule.
The CBHS basketball team has to continue following all the protocols in place for the entire season to keep the virus from derailing their hopes of winning CBHS their first state championship in basketball since 1987, especially as the regular season comes to a close and the Brothers begin their attempt to win the state tournament.
The head coach for the CBHS basketball team, Bubba Luckett, knows that it’s going to take a lot of work off the court to help prevent the team from a COVID-19 outbreak. The Brothers have to wear masks at all times, except when they are practicing or having a scrimmage. Even then, all coaches and personnel must wear masks during practice. The only time a player can remove their mask is when they are on the court, but all the players on the sideline must keep their masks on during practice. Luckett has stressed to his team the importance of following all the protocols to the point that he believes his team is tired of hearing it.
“We’ve talked to the team about the importance of making the sacrifice if you want to continue to play you have to follow all the protocols when we’re not together”, Luckett said. “We don’t do that, at some point some individual is going to cause us by not being, you know by being negligent and not wearing the mask at a large gathering, it could cost us.”
Luckett acknowledges that the COVID-19 pandemic is the team’s biggest issue and toughest thing they have going on right now. The Brothers 2020 basketball schedule has already been affected by the virus, due to the Shelby County schools not playing basketball causing CBHS to cancel their season opener against White Station High School.
The CBHS basketball team is also making sure they maintain social distancing, and they have gone to many lengths to ensure they do. The Freshman are no longer allowed in the locker room and have to go to games already dressed in their uniforms, because the CBHS locker room is too small to properly social distance themselves from each other. CBHS has also added hard plastic on the sides of all the basketball team’s lockers for extra precaution, because the team is doing everything that they can do to help prevent catching and spreading the virus.
CBHS senior point guard, Reese McMullen, has already accepted a basketball scholarship to play at Penn. McMullen acknowledges that his scholarship has eased his mind and allowed him not to stress over whether his senior season at CBHS could be cut short due to COVID-19, because it will not be the end of his basketball career. McMullen knows that this will not be his last season playing basketball, and that he will continue to play basketball at the college level.
Without having to worry that this season could be canceled at any point, McMullen knows he can enjoy his senior year playing for the Brothers without the worry of never playing competitive basketball again, and can use this season to focus more on improving his game and not focus on what might or might not happen throughout the course of this season.
“I’m really fortunate to be in this situation. It takes a lot of pressure off of me just playing this season”, McMullen said. “I don’t have to fight for a scholarship or anything, but also, yeah. If this season is for some reason cut short, I do kind of like knowing that I’m going to play at the next level.”
Despite the uncertainty to the CBHS Basketball 2020 schedule, Luckett and his team are hoping for a steady season with little, if any, interference. On paper, the Brothers are the best team in their region, and they’re goal is to give CBHS their first state championship in 33 years and second in CBHS basketball history. The coaches, the staff and the players are all working hard toward their goal both on and off the court. They are following all protocols needed to elude COVID-19, and to keep their most talented roster in many years to win the 2020 basketball state tournament.
Although CBHS is picked to win their region, Luckett and the Brothers know that it means nothing on paper, and that they still have to go out and prove it on the court.
Tripp Vistica 