Boys’ basketball preview: Tates Creek looks to rise after rough season

Last season: 6-22 (lost to Lexington Christian in first round of 43rd District Tournament)

Coach: Michael Allen (second year)

Three key contributors

Isaiah Patterson: The 6-5 senior is recovering from an offseason knee injury and expects to be back sometime in the middle of December. “I just can’t wait to get back out there so I can lead my guys and we can have a way better season than last year,” said Patterson, whose team struggled to find a rhythm last season. “He’s got some intangible gifts that make our team better,” Allen said.

Isaiah Allen: Colleges have started to express interest in the 6-0 sophomore son of Coach Allen, who called it a blessing to get to coach his son. “It was a learning experience for him just to separate coach from dad last year,” Michael said. “This year I’ve seen a maturation process for him on and off the court.”

Amari Taylor: A dynamic 6-0 freshman point guard whom Allen believes could be special. “I think this kid’s gonna be big-time,” Allen said.

Others to watch

Laron Warner and Darryl Bell, two junior football standouts who will bring athleticism and toughness to the Commodores. “If you look at the landscape of the 11th Region and just here in Fayette County, a lot of people lost a lot of players, so I think that helps us. From that standpoint I think I feel very comfortable that we’re gonna be more prepared.

Games you gotta see

The Commodores’ only city win last season was against Sayre, 71-69 in overtime. They’ll play Henry Clay, Lexington Christian and Bryan Station within the first two weeks of the season and quickly see where they stack up. A road game at Pendleton County will pit Tates Creek’s young guards against Dontaie Allen, a sophomore standout for the Wildcats.

Fast facts

Coach Michael Allen was a star for Bryan Station before playing collegiately at Connors State (Okla.) and Southwestern Louisiana, where he won the 1994 Sun Belt Conference player of the year award. He remains the Fayette County record-holder for career points with 2,408. ... Tates Creek’s last winning season was in 2010-11, when it went 24-5 and fell to Madison Central, 42-41, in the 11th Region semifinals.

This story was originally published November 26, 2016 at 11:23 AM with the headline "Boys’ basketball preview: Tates Creek looks to rise after rough season."