Goldsboro boys eager to play perennial power Kinston

By News-Argus Staff
Published in Sports on January 17, 2014 1:47 PM

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astevens@newsargus.com

Goldsboro High head varsity boys' basketball coach Russell Stephens won't have to wait long to find out how his team stacks up against the measuring stick of the Eastern Carolina 2-A Conference.

The Cougars get their first crack at defending 2-A state champion Kinston tonight.

Stephens' squad spent the past four seasons as the hunted in the Carolina 1-A Conference. The Cougars went 34-6 in regular-season play and captured a pair of conference tournament titles.

"It is a little bit different," Stephens said. "We're bringing our conference championship into a 2-A conference where Kinston has dominated this thing for a while and everybody that is in the conference with them knows you're going to have to be prepared and ready to play when you play them."

Now, Goldsboro must transition into a competitive six-team league.

Kinston (9-4 overall) has lost just two conference games during the past four years and won three state titles. The Vikings are led by 6-foot-8 junior Brandon Ingram, who nearly averages a double-double -- 20 points, eight rebounds -- a game.

"With Kinston being in the conference you just have to say they're there and you have to go out and play them," Stephens said. "I think our guys are ready to play them. Our guys are excited and I'm excited to coach in that atmosphere because you're going to have a big crowd there.

"The motivation is already there, and you just have to take your talent and what you've been taught and just be ready for it."

The Cougars (10-3, 1-0) opened conference play with a victory over twice-beaten South Lenoir. Ayden-Grifton and Greene Central each have eight wins, while North Lenoir is 5-10.

Stephens expects teams to give Goldsboro their best shot.

"The fact that you have teams like South Lenoir in the conference, you can't just say, 'we'll be ready when we play Kinston'," Stephens said. "You've got to be prepared and ready to play every night in this conference. The conference is going to be a little tougher than people think.

"Ayden-Grifton, North Lenoir and some of those other teams ... they all play different styles."