Video: Early Contenders - J.O. JohnsonMaxPreps 2015-16 High School Basketball Early Contenders, Presented by Dick's Sporting Goods and Under Armour
Head coach: Jack Doss (749-320 career record)
2014-15 record: 32-4, Class 5A state champions
State association: Alabama High School Athletic Association
Enrollment: 585
Head coach Jack Doss (third from left in first row) and his 2015-16 J.O. Johnson basketball players and staff
Photo by Joe Boyd
Players to Watch
Antonio Fletcher (6-4, Sr., F) … Transfer from recently-closed Butler High in Huntsville
Jarius Grayson (5-10, Sr., G) … Small school offers
Justin Hopkins (6-3, Sr., G/F) … Committed to Samford
Jaquavious Horton (6-3, So., G/F) … Doss believes could have Division I potential
Toradio Jamar (6-6, So., F) … Highly-touted middle school player
Devonte Lanier (6-7, Jr., F) … Returning starter
John Petty (6-7, Jr., G/F) … Reigning 5A POY, has offers from Kentucky and Kansas
Guard/forward John Petty
Photo by Joe Boyd
Key Dates
Nov. 27 – vs.
Starkville (Miss.) at Lighthouse Thanksgiving Classic
Nov. 28 – vs.
Callaway (Jackson, Miss.) at Lighthouse Thanksgiving Classic
Dec. 5 – vs.
Hopkinsville (Ky.) at Marshall County Hoopfest
Dec. 19-22 – Steel City Invitational
Jan. 15 – vs.
Madison Academy (Ala.)
Forward Antonio Fletcher
Photo by Joe Boyd
Jaguar Storylines
* In addition to his mind-boggling career win total of 749, Doss owns the unique distinction of winning state titles at three different schools –
Hayes (Birmingham), now-defunct Butler of Huntsville and J.O. Johnson. He was inducted into the Alabama High School Sports Hall of Fame in March.
* Much to the chagrin of J.O. Johnson alums and supporters, the school is closing at the conclusion of the 2015-16 school year. The plan is for pretty much the entire boys basketball team (including Doss) to move over to Jemison High School, which will open its doors for the first time in the fall of 2016. The new school was named after Mae Jemison, the first female African-American astronaut.
* The talent pool at J.O. Johnson is deep but much of the attention will be focused on Petty. Georgia's Mark Fox and Kentucky's John Calipari are among the Division I coaches that stopped by the J.O. Johnson gym this fall to check in on the slender wing player. Petty averaged over 18 points and seven rebounds per game during last year's state championship season, earning third team MaxPreps Sophomore All-American honors.
View gallery of preseason Early Contenders photo shoot with J.O. Johnson
