The fact that Kell began the season with a 1-3 record was never construed as a sign of weakness. The Longhorns are loaded and more than capable of defending their state championship.
Those three losses came against Class 7A No. 2 McEachern, Class 7A No. 5 Newton and Class 7A No. 1 Grayson. And since then coach Jerome Sellers team has won six straight, including a victory over fellow Cobb County team and reigning Class 7A champion Wheeler, ranked No. 4. Kell also has a win over Class A Division II No. 4 Greenforest.
The final two wins in the streak came at the Kreul Classic in Coral Springs, Fla., a showcase that featured 18 of the nation’s top teams. Kell beat Hudson Catholic of Jersey City, N.J., 83-70 and North Broward (Fla.) Prep 62-59.
The Longhorns are led by holdover C.J. Brown, ranked as the No. 1 point guard in the state. Brown was an all-state player last year and has signed with South Florida.
He’s far from the only standout on the roster. Jaylen Colon is a highly-regarded shooting guard; the Alabama A&M signee scored 19 against North Broward. Cannon Richards is the No. 3-ranked power forward by Sandy’s Spiel. Aaron Smith is ranked No. 14 among shooting forwards and Sahmir King is ranked No. 7. Junior Chris McLavish is a tough 5-foot-8 point guard who moved in from Michigan and can drop the 3.
Notably missed is Peyton Marshall, a power 7-foot, 300-pound center, who left the school to join Overtime Elite. Marshall originally committed to Auburn, but flipped in the fall and signed with Missouri.
Kell will get another stiff test when it competes in the Arby’s Classic in Bristol, Tenn, Dec. 27-30. The tournament is one of the most competitive in the country. Kell will open the tournament against the Greeneville (Tenn.) Greene Devils.
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