MATSON KEISER GETS UP HIGH DOWN THE LANE He is one of 10 junior playing for W-W this season. The Washington-Wilkes Tiger basketball teams will open their 2009-2010 seasons on the road next Tuesday, December 1, as they travel to Greene County for showdowns against their neighboring Tigers. Boys Head Coach Don Keiser reports that Greene should be down this year but then he said "they're never down down" and the game could go either way on a given night.

The following Saturday, December 5, Calhoun Falls will come to Washington for the Tigers' home opener in the new school's new gymnasium. (Fans should be cautioned, however, that as yet, no sound-dampening devices have been installed in the new gym and at times the noise level can be quite high.)

With 10 juniors, one sophomore, and only one senior playing for the boys, Keiser is looking at the possibiliy of a really good year. Returning starter Akeimos Coleman is the lone senior and, like many of his teammates, is coming to the court fresh off the football gridiron.

HEAD COACH DON KEISER offers instruction on technique as he prepares the Tigers for the 2009-2010. Keiser is excited about his team's talent level for this year but he is cautious about anticipating too much.

"We've got a lot of talent but we've got to put it together mentally," he said. "The mental element is what I keep challenging them about. Do the right things, go to the right places, think about what you're doing, everybody has to be in the right spot - that's what I'm preaching at practice."

Having coached through 10 seasons of Tiger basketball and having seen players like Franchot Brown, Denorio Quinn, and the ASU recordsetting Tyrekus Bowman, Keiser says, "Athletically and talent-wise, it's as good as I've had considering the team as a whole." Still, he throws in that qualifyer.

"How we play mentally is what's going to make the difference this year. If we do the little things, if we can handle adversity ...

"In a basketball game, things don't always go your way," the coach explained. "You might have to battle the referees or you might not be hitting that night. You're not going to get the ball every time it goes out of bounds. But we've got to start overcoming these little things. Last year, at least nine times, we were winning going into the fourth quarter and lost the game."

TERRY GRAVES looks for an opening to pass the ball but BOBBY DILL wants to make sure there's not one. Part of that problem, though, was that the Tigers were woefully shorthanded last season. The starters just didn't have much relief from the bench and they had to be getting tired late in the games. This year, that shouldn't be the case.

"One thing I feel good about is our depth," Keiser said. "Last year we didn't have very many players on the bench and I couldn't get much rest for the guys on the court. But this year we are literally nine deep."

The strictly-basketball players were joined at practice last week by those who played football. It was the first time since late spring they had all been together.

"So far our practices are looking great," Keiser said. "They've just got to learn to play together and to keep their heads. So far everything is right but we haven't played and we haven't had adversity yet. What happens when we have adversity is what I'm looking for."

THOMAS MORGAN takes the ball downcourt during basketball practice. Following the first five regularseason games, the Tigers will host the first ever Washington-Wilkes Christmas Tournament on December 19-19. He is one of 10 junior playing for W-W this season.