My next “summer spotlight” for one of our teams: McMinn County boys 🏀 It’s a new-look Cherokee squad for the most part, especially in the summer. They graduated key seniors, specifically key senior scorers. But there will be no rebuild year, IMO. Junior guard duo of Jaxson Gonzalez and Madden Cobb is as good of a scoring combo as you will find in the area. Gonzalez provides a steady presence as the lead ball handler while Cobb is just a born scorer at the two. Gonzalez and Cobb were both not playing in the scrimmage I went to, so I got to see a few of the others. Some thoughts: Abe Reinbold, a Cleveland transfer, is immediately a unicorn in Athens. Has the size to defend any big but has guard skills. Big, big boost to take pressure off the aforementioned junior scoring duo. Bryson Womac and Beau Harbin really impressed me at TWU camp. Seniors who simply outplay anyone on the floor. Always on the floor. Always forcing jump balls. Can score, but look to help the team first. Sophomore Dax Pennington is hurt, but I am pumped for his year two. Incredibly gifted ball handler and floor general with a knack for scoring. Maddox Frazier’s ceiling is the best-in-the-area level. Size, scoring, versatility. All of it. I am leading the Maddox hype train. Lastly, I’m excited about freshman duo Nate White and Lincoln Pettitt. White looks like a linebacker and yet plays nothing like it. You’d think he’d be a bruiser, and yet he has one of the purest shots in the area. Every time he shoots, it looks good. Pettitt is simply a coach’s perfect idea of a young guard. High IQ always-makes-a-play guy that will play varsity as a freshman. @keesbasketball

Officially official: McMinn County gets Cleveland’s Abe Reinbold as a transfer for his senior year. Reinbold will immediately provide an impact with scoring, size and versatility for the Cherokees.