CHARLOTTESVILLE — Eastern Hancock has a rarity when it comes to its boys basketball team.
The Royals are very young, but they are also very experienced.
Eight of nine regulars that played on last years’ 12-11 club are back for the 2020-21 season. Still, the Royals have just two seniors on their 12-player varsity roster.
The upcoming season can not only be one of high expectations — with so many veterans returning from a winning season — but also still build for the future.
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“We’ve got around 90 percent of our scoring back and close to that (percentage) of our rebounding returning,” Eastern Hancock head coach Aaron Spaulding said. “We’ve got a lot of people that played varsity basketball and we also have some kids up from JV that will be good contributors this year.”
The Royals had a winning record in the Mid-Eastern Conference, too, finishing 5-4 and in fifth place. They were just a bucket or two away from having an even better mark, both overall and in league play. They lost three games, including one MEC contest, by two points or less and another in overtime.
A more-veteran group could turn those close losses into a few more marks in the win column.
Last year’s club set a school record with 220 made 3-pointers. The Royals also took care of the basketball, averaging a school-record low 9.04 turnovers per game.
“We’re excited and think we can be a very good basketball team,” Spaulding added.
Junior guard Landon O’Neal (6-0) is a three-year starter and the team’s top returning scorer, averaging 14.9 points per game as a sophomore. Cole Rainbolt (5-11) was a regular in the rotation as a frosh and is a junior forward that is coming off a year that saw him score 8.2 points and grab 4.0 rebounds per contest.
As a frosh, O’Neal set the single-game record for 3-pointers with nine. He has 130 3-pointers in two seasons, already No. 5 on the school’s all-time list.
Twin sophomore guards and coach’s sons, Silas Spaulding (5-11) and Jacob Spaulding (5-11) gained valuable experience in their freshman seasons. Silas averaged 6.3 points, while Jacob scored at a 5.2 clip.
“We’re going to expect (Landon and Cole) to step up and be even better this year,” coach Spaulding said. “Jacob and Silas are a year older and a year more experienced, so we’re going to expect them to step up, too.”
Junior Cyrus Burton (6-2) and senior Drew White (6-2) shared the 5-spot last year and combined to average 7.4 points and 9.9 rebounds. White was last season’s leading carom grabber at 5.9 per contest. Burton scored at a little higher clip at 3.9 per game.
“We’re not real big, but they’re our definition of big men,” coach Spaulding said. “I expect a lot out of them.”
Junior guard Zach Arnold is another returning starter. The speedy 5-6 running back from the Royals’ football team also averaged 5.1 points last season.
Joining White from the senior class is another strong perimeter shooter in guard Cameron Wise, who came off the bench last year to average 3.4 points per game.
Sophomore guard Edric Miller spent most of last season on the junior varsity, though he was part of the team’s sectional roster and did play in a couple varsity games.
“All of those kids, we’re expecting good things from,” coach Spaulding added.
Juniors Isaac Lewis and Griffin Brown and sophomore Grant Gray, the tallest player at 6-3, are expected to split time on the varsity and junior varsity this season.
“There’s never a substitute for experience. I don’t care what year you’re in,” the coach said. “There’s so much advantage that can be taken from people that have been there and experienced that.”
He believes that with COVID-19 stipulations that experience is even more crucial. With the possibility of having players miss time due to illness or contact-tracing quarantine, he’s hopeful that having a larger pool of varsity veterans could be beneficial.
The Royals schedule has had one change related to COVID-19 quarantines.
The season opener on Wednesday, Nov. 25 at Centerville was called off by the home team. Eastern was fortunate to find a replacement and will travel to Adams Central on that same date.
The Royals also have Hancock County rival New Palestine returning to the schedule. They will visit the Dragons on Dec. 4, the second game of the season.
New Palestine is one of two Class 4A schools on the 2A Royals schedule. Eastern Hancock will visit Pendleton Heights late in the year, a team it beat in double-overtime last year in Charlottesville.
The home and MEC opener is scheduled for Saturday, Dec. 5 against Wes-Del.
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DATE;OPPONENT;TIME
Nov. 25;at Adams Central;6 p.m.
Dec. 4;at New Palestine;6 p.m.
Dec. 5;vs. Wes-Del ©;6 p.m.
Dec. 11;at Northeastern;6 p.m.
Dec. 12;vs. Randolph Southern ©;6 p.m.
Dec. 18;at Knightstown;7:30 p.m.
Dec. 19;vs. Cambridge City Lincoln;6 p.m.
Jan. 2;at Daleville ©;6 p.m.
Jan. 8;at Wapahani ©;6 p.m.
Jan. 15;vs. Hauser;6 p.m.
Jan. 16;at Heritage Christian;6 p.m.
Jan. 22;vs. Monroe Central ©;6 p.m.
Jan. 23;at Shenandoah ©;6 p.m.
Jan. 29;vs. Lapel;6 p.m.
Jan. 30;vs. Union County;6 p.m.
Feb. 4; vs. Tri;6 p.m.
Feb. 6;at Cowan ©;12 p.m.
Feb. 12;vs. Morristown;6 p.m.
Feb. 16;vs. Blue River Valley ©;6 p.m.
Feb. 19;vs. Union ©;6 p.m.
Feb. 23;at Pendleton Heights;6 p.m.
Feb. 26;at Hagerstown;6 p.m.
© MID-EASTERN CONFERENCE GAME
* Schedule subject to change
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