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36 2017 Northwest Arkansas Basketball Sunday, November 5, 2017 NWA Democrat-Gazette/CHIP SOUZA Pea Ridge senior Kobe Rose was named to the Class 4A All-State Tournament team last season after helping the Blackhawks reach the state championship game. ball-screens and trying to get other players involved. And he's still shooting the ball ex- ceptionally well." Pea Ridge was a senior-dominated team last season and rode that experience through the Class 4A playoffs all the way to the state title game in a 32-3 season. The Blackhawks fell to Baptist Prep 59-51 in the finals in a back-and-forth game. While players like Hall, Matt Thomas, Cole Wright and other seniors led the team, it was the perimeter shooting of Rose that helped carry the team in several key games. Rose (6-foot-3), went on a shooting tear in the postseason and earned a spot on the all-state tournament team. On the season, Rose averaged 8.3 points per game and shot 58 percent from the floor and 45 percent from behind the 3-point arc. He was named to the All-4A-1 Conference team. "The seniors last year, they taught me so much," Rose said. "They brought me in and taught me pretty much everything I know. They got me out of my comfort zone and made me a better leader. That showed me how I need to push my players and my team. " Rose said his confidence level grew game-by-game last season as his team gained more trust in his ability to knock down big shots. He wants to help this year's players elevate their play just like he did, he said. Loyd said he expects Rose to be able to handle the additional responsibilities that come with transitioning from a catch-and- shoot specialist to a floor leader "I think you're going to see him more active this year," Loyd said. "You're going to see him guard the other team's best player. You're going to see the offense go through him. He won't just be catch-and-shoot, it will be catch, penetrate, create. So the op- tions are going to be a lot more for him this year." The Blackhawks will have two players with experience returning in Rose and se- nior Hayden Holtgrew (6-1 senior). Loyd said newcomers to keep an eye on are guard Nick Coble (6-2 junior) and junior Landon Allison (5-9). The 4A-1 Conference will be tough again, Loyd said. He projected Gravette as the league favorite with two of the top returning starters in the region in seniors Dayten Wis- hon and Kelton Trembly. Wishon averaged 14 points per game last season and Trembly averaged close to 16. Shiloh Christian will al- so be an improved team with Jack Hutchin- son, who averaged 18 points per game last season, returning. In the 4A-4 Conference, Subiaco Acade- my will be a team to watch as junior point guard James Taylor returns for the Trojans. Class 3A will have a different look this season as Charleston is without graduated scoring machine Brandon Fenner. Chip Souza can be reached at csouza@nwadg. com or on Twitter @NWAChip. Rose v Continued from Page 35