Boys’ basketball preview: Retooled Bryan Station hopes to disrupt 42nd District

Last season: 10-19 (lost to Henry Clay in semifinals of 42nd District Tournament)

Coach: Tommy Johnson (third year)

Three key contributors

David Demarcus: A 6-3, 200-pound senior who shot 45 percent from long range last season. “As of right now in our district I think we’re pretty underestimated,” Demarcus said of Station’s chances this season. “The rest of the schools have lost a lot except for Scott County. They’re gonna be our biggest challenge.”

Terrance Clayton-Murphy: Junior slasher who’s improved his basketball IQ and is “ready to take his game to the next level,” Johnson said. He likes the chemistry on this year’s squad. “We’re really just coming along together,” Clayton-Murphy said. “Boss (Eric Boone) knows where I’m at all the time, he knows where David’s at all the time. We just know where we’re at at all times.”

Eric Boone: Johnson called the Tates Creek transfer an “excellent point guard” who will have a breakout season as a junior. Boone, an honorable mention on last year’s All-City team, is elated to be back at Station, where he played as an eighth-grader. “Whoa, it’s love,” said Boone, who described himself as a pass-first guard. “But when I get hot, y’know, I go Klay Thompson-Stephen Curry style.”

Others to watch

Jalen Burbage, a 6-2 sophomore who quarterbacked Station’s football team this season. Johnson believes the youngster will bring leadership and maturity from the gridiron to the basketball court. ... Braden Warren, a 6-7 senior who could be a “game-changer” on defense. ... Nathan Mack, a 6-4 freshman whom Johnson thinks has the intangible qualities to quickly make an impact at the varsity level.

Games you gotta see

Bryan Station was swept by district rival Henry Clay last season and took one of two matchups with Scott County, which is considered the favorite in the 11th Region this year. The Defenders host Henry Clay on Dec. 6 and go there on Jan. 10. Station hosts Scott County on Jan. 31 and makes the return trip on Feb. 11.

Fast facts

Burbage is the son of former University of Kentucky standout Cornell Burbage, who played in the NFL. ... Bryan Station lost 16 of its last 19 games last season in part because featured senior Deandre Dishman, who’s now at Eastern Kentucky, was sidelined with a leg injury and never returned to full strength.

This story was originally published November 26, 2016 at 10:39 AM with the headline "Boys’ basketball preview: Retooled Bryan Station hopes to disrupt 42nd District."