HOOPS PREVIEW: White, Miller Grove face lofty expectations

Coming off a third straight state championship and gaining further national recognition, you wouldn’t think there would be much more for the Miller Grove Wolverines to prove, but don’t tell head coach Sharman White that. Currently ranked second in the ESPN Powerade Fab 50 Preseason Rankings, the Wolverines are continuing their national prowess and are aiming to climb even further up the rankings.

White is well aware of his team’s expectations, but he knows his team is prepared and can live up to the immense pressure that many are placing on them. “We have a veteran team that puts in the work and embraces these expectations,” White said.

The Wolverines will need to embrace that challenge as they face two national powerhouses during the season in Oak Hill Academy, who is currently ranked third, and Neal F. Simeon Career Academy, the nation’s top team.

With games against the country’s elite, it’s hard not to look past the region games, knowing the challenges that await the team outside of the Georgia borders. Once again, White feels that his team’s experience on the national scale allows them to stay grounded and take it one game at a time.

“We play in one of the toughest regions in the state, which prepares us for the national schedule,” said White, “so you can’t overlook anyone.”

Among those who are expected to shoulder much of the load for the Wolverines is highly-touted big man, Tony Parker. With schools such as Duke and Georgetown in pursuit of him, Parker has maintained his team-first mentality and wants to finish his Miller Grove career on top. “He’s not hard to coach at all,” White said. “He’s a great kid who always works hard and puts the team first.”

Parker, along with Georgia-commit Brandon Morris, lead the veteran squad that’s looking for its fourth consecutive Class AAAA title and furthering its reputation amongst the nation’s best teams. If all goes according to plan, the game against Neal F. Simeon could be a battle to determine the top program in the country.

With expectations soaring higher than ever for the Wolverines, the team remains focused on each task at hand and is motivated to take the program to even newer heights.