Second in a series of reports on local basketball teams …

 By Mike London

mike.london@salisburypost.com

MOUNT ULLA  — West Rowan point guard Kayvone Norman also is a physical running back.

When he suffered an ACL injury in August’s Rowan County Jamboree, it was feared it might be a season-crusher for West basketball.

But Norman isn’t done. The senior, who is a college prospect, is determined to hoop. He’ll be wearing a knee brace that may slow him down a little, but having his head and his heart and his experience on the floor is worth a lot to the Falcons.

“He’s done rehab and he’s been practicing and looks good,” West Rowan head coach Dadrian Cuthbertson said. “The biggest thing is his defense. He’s so strong that he can guard just about anybody.”

With Norman directing things, the Falcons turned in a quality season in Cuthbertson’s first year at the helm. The Falcons were undersized, but Cuthbertson held them together through a snake-bit 0-5 start that included three losses that were decided in the final seconds.

West’s 15-10 final record included a 15-3 stretch. In that 15-3 stretch, two of the losses were to a Central Cabarrus squad that was going to hammer just about any high school team in the world.

So West flew under the radar, but got mostly positive results. There were a lot of stout teams in the South Piedmont Conference. Central Cabarrus was the only one the Falcons didn’t beat at least once. West went 10-4 in the league, placed third and made the playoffs.

West also beat Carson in an entertaining final to win a five-team Christmas tournament.

The Christmas tournament will be back to full strength this year, but the Falcons won’t give up the title quietly. They’ve got a chance to have a special team.

The return of Evan Kennedy is going to be huge. Kennedy is strong and fast and may be the school’s best athlete. He had surgery late in the 2022 football season and missed all of the 2022-23 basketball season, but he just finished a super junior football campaign and is going to make an impact on the hardwood.

“He probably would’ve started as a sophomore, so it was a big loss, but now he’s a big addition,” Cuthbertson said. “He’s smart, tough, strong and athletic. He makes us a lot better defensively.”

Will Givens returns to spark the offense. He’s a deadly shooter who made eight 3-pointers in West’s playoff loss to Crest. He scored in double figures in 21 of West’s 25 games and averaged 17.0 points. He’s not big, about 6 feet tall, but he’s getting college offers and has the GPA to pile up academic scholarships. He might be a perfect fit for a D-III school.

“Everyone knows he can shoot it, but he’s gotten more athletic,” Cuthbertson said. “He works hard at the game, and he can score in more ways than 3-pointers.”

Elijah Holmes is a returning starter, a small forward type at 6-foot-2. He’s a football receiver and like a lot of his teammates, he’s added muscle and weight in the past year. He averaged about 7 points last season and had his moments.

“He’s a player who could have a really big year,” Cuthbertson said. “He’s shooting with confidence, and he’s a very good defender.”

Brant Graham started for the Falcons as a freshman. There were nights when he played like a freshman, but there also were nights when he looked like a future star. He averaged 6.3 points. He’s a three-sport athlete and was the varsity football quarterback as a sophomore. He’s got good length and a nice-looking shot.

“He did well to be a freshman in the league we play in,” Cuthbertson said. “We’ll look for him to keep getting better.”

Besides having four returning starters and adding Kennedy to the mix, the Falcons have most of the players who contributed off the bench returning.

Romir Hairston played varsity as a freshman and contributed 12 big points in a win against North Rowan.

“He shoots well and plays as hard as anyone,” Cuthbertson said.

Deiondre Martin, Tyrin Little and Israel Ford are active, high-energy guys and good rebounders, while Tyler Walker is a hustling guard who can handle the ball.

A couple of sophomores could be important as this season goes along.

Josiah Young has grown a lot in the last year to 6-foot-5 and is a long lefty with 3-point range.

Ja’mih Tucker might get some experience on the jayvees this year, but he’s a tough defender and a pass-first point guard who has a bright future.

The way West finished last season provides reasons to be enthusiastic about what’s ahead. Givens finished his junior year with a 32-point outburst. Holmes scored a career-best 20 in the SPC tournament loss to Carson. Norman had a 22-point game on the final night of the regular season. Graham tossed in 25 against Central Cabarrus.

But those are offensive achievements. Cuthbertson talks mostly about defense because that’s what separates the pretty good teams from the champs.

In West’s playoff loss to Crest last season, the Falcons scored enough points to win most games, but the Chargers shot 53 percent from the field and won 75-69.

More stops were needed. With the addition of Kennedy, the Falcons might get those stops. Cuthbertson plans to “get after”opponents with relentless defensive effort.

“We’re excited,” Cuuthbertson said. “Robinson is in our league now, so it gets even tougher, but our guys understand that every game matters and we’ve got to be ready to go every night.”

 

WEST ROWAN BOYS

Coach: Dadrian Cuthbertson (2nd season, 15-10)

2022-23: 15-10 overall, 10-4 3A South Piedmont Conference (3rd)

Playoffs: Lost to Crest in first round

Top returners:  Will Givens, Kayvone Norman, Elijah Holmes, Brant Graham

Key addition: Evan Kennedy

League: 3A SPC (Robinson, South Rowan, East Rowan, Carson, Lake Norman Charter, NW Cabarrus, Central Cabarrus, Concord)