By Gary Lloyd
MOUNTAIN BROOK — Second-year Hewitt-Trussville varsity boys basketball coach Mike Dutton is a fan of sports metaphors.
He displayed a couple of them Wednesday at Birmingham High School Basketball Media Day at Mountain Brook High School. Dutton had an interesting way of talking about the new Class 7A, Area 6, which Hewitt-Trussville is a part of with Mountain Brook, Spain Park and Vestavia Hills.
“We’re playing in the SEC West of high school basketball here,” Dutton said. “We’ve got to line up with Mountain Brook, Spain Park and Vestavia.”
Mountain Brook is the back-to-back Class 6A state champion. The Spartans were 34-3 last season. Spain Park last season posted an 20-11 record, falling in the Sweet 16 of the state tournament to Central-Phenix City. Vestavia Hills posted a 10-18 record last season, but is usually a contender under George Hatchett, the Rebels head coach since the 1979-1980 season.
Hewitt-Trussville last season went 16-12 after a 12-2 start. Injuries hampered the Huskies.
The Huskies will be young this season, but fortunately for them area play doesn’t begin until Jan. 6, 2015. Hewitt-Trussville will play its three area opponents two times each during a stretch between Jan. 6 and Jan. 23.
“We’re going to be running through Amen Corner starting Jan. 6,” said Dutton, referencing a tough stretch of holes, Nos. 11-13, at Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Ga., the site of The Masters.
Dutton said the young Huskies should be competitive and more mature by area play. Hewitt-Trussville will run a Loyola Marymount fast break offense, made famous by former coach Paul Westhead.
“We’re really going to play fast,” Dutton said.
Dutton said the goal is to get the ball inbounded and up the floor quickly, shooting it in fewer than seven seconds. He said the Huskies at times will look like the worst-coached team in America.
“Basketball purists will probably be falling out of the stands watching us play, because we’re going to shoot it quickly,” he said. “When our offense is clicking and running, it’s fun to watch.”
Contact Gary Lloyd at news@trussvilletribune.com and follow him on Twitter @GaryALloyd.