Huckabee hoping to turn things around in Forsan

November 19, 2010

HERALD Photo/Adam Coleman — Forsan head coach Gary Huckabee hopes to get the Buffs boys basketball team rolling this season. The Buffs will try to create an up-tempo style this season, utilizing their speed.

FORSAN — Gary Huckabee has been around the Forsan boys basketball team for five years, and for the last two, he’s seen the Buffaloes fail to reach their potential.

As an assistant those last five years, Huckabee helped develop players, but now in his first season as head coach, he plans on doing something to turn things around.

“I really feel like we’re at a pivotal point right now where you can go two different directions with the program,” Huckabee said, as the Buffs face Monahans at 6:30 p.m. today in Forsan. “You can run it into the ground or you can really build it back to the good things that have happened here in the past.”

Things got off to a rough start with a season-opening 64-36 loss to Grady Tuesday. Huckabee said that was to be expected against one of the best teams in the state, though. Now that he’s at the helm, the Buffs are learning a new offense that suits their strengths.
There isn’t a lot of size on this Forsan team, with Bracken Schreiner as one of the tallest players at about 6-foot-3.

There is speed, though, and what the Buffs hope to do is force opponents to keep up with them. If his team can dictate the pace in games, then Huckabee’s squad have a chance. There won’t be much relying on points in the paint from the post.

“We’re changing things up quite a bit,” Huckabee said. “I’ve got a different philosophy. Different way of attacking. I think with the style of players we have right now, we’re smaller, but we’re pretty quick. We’ve got some good quickness. We’re going to try to utilize that.”