By John Henson
Sports Writer
In the 1960s classic movie Cool Hand Luke, Paul Newman’s character was told time and time again he had to “get his mind right” if he was going to change his ways.
Pineville basketball coach Brad Levy has spent much of the offseason trying to change the way his Mountain Lions look at basketball. Pineville was good a year ago with an 18-14 record, but with a senior-dominated lineup returning in 2025 it’s clear that good just isn’t good enough anymore.
The Mountain Lions lost a heartbreaker in the 51st District Tournament finals for the second straight year, falling 78-77 to Knox Central a year after losing 53-51 to Barbourville in the championship game. Pineville also suffered a disappointing double-overtime loss to an underdog Harlan squad in the semifinals of the 13th Region All “A” Classic, which was a tournament the Lions were the preseason favorite to win.
“We talked at our first team meeting this fall that to do different we have to be different, and we’ve went about our work very well in our preseason practices,” Levy said. “Our mindset is different this year in a good way. We have a couple of goals this year, and we’re on a mission. We have a window of time as a program with these guys and we want to capitalize on it. We’ve come up short by one bucket in the district the last two years. We want to break through that door, and we know it would be big for our school. I’m really pleased with where we are now compared to previous years. Our mindset is a lot better than in previous years.”
Pineville will bring back a seven-man senior class led by two of the region’s top 10 players in Sawyer Thompson (23.8 points per game last year, 8.3 rebounds per game) and Ashton Moser (20.4 ppg, 7.3 rpg).
“They have stepped forward and taken on expanded leadership roles. They have also taken on the kind of roles we want on defense. They are trying to be disruptive and make things happen,” Levy said. “They get the praise for their scoring abilities, but we know if we are going accomplish to what we want they have to lead us on the defensive end also. They are buying into those roles.”
Thompson is a five-year starter for the Lions and is in position to finish his career as one of the school’s all-time greats.
“Sawyer really makes us go. He gets us into our offense and creates for himself and other guys as well. He does a lot for us, and I also think he’s an underrated defender. We’ve asked him to guard one through five, and he does a good job,” Levy said.
Moser, at 6-6, is described by his coach as a three-level scorer, and he came up big in clutch situations last season.
“He’s always been one of the better scores in the region in his class. He has also stepped forward defensively,” Levy said. “He can also score at all three levels, and he hit some big shots at big moments for us last year.”
Zander Garrison (4.0, 4.8), a 6-6 senior, gives the Lions a threat in the post.
“Right around Christmas last year he really stepped forward,” Levy said. “He plays well off Sawyer and Ashton. He’s also a good rebounder and a long presence inside who can alter shots. He’s versatile defensively.”
Kaiden Robbins (4.6, 3.0), a senior who is also a standout running back, moves into the lineup after providing a lift off the bench last year where his gritty style helped the Lions in pressure situations.
“He’s a sparkplug for us. You know something is going to happen when he’s on the court,” Levy said. “He creates havoc and pressures the ball and gets out in transition. He gave us a spark several times last year, getting a steal or a rebound or starting our break.”
Cameron Puckett, a 6-2 senior who transferred from Berea, will give the Lions another scoring threat who can play multiple positions.
“He can guard 1 through 4 with a nice mid-range game. He can slash and create his own shot,” Levy said. “He’s also a good interior passer and makes great decisions. He will help us defensively quite a bit as well.”
Dylan Abner, a 6-3 senior back with the team after a season away, provides a physical presence in the post.
“Dylan is a beater and banger and a bruiser type,” Levy said. “He’s real strong and physical and not afraid to stick his nose in there and mix it up. We’ll rely on his physical presence in the paint.”
Preston Zachery, a 5-9 freshman guard, is being counted on to provide an offensive boost off the benchin the backcourt.
“He’s a gifted young offensive player who is figuring out the intensity of the game on the varsity level,” Levy said. “I’ve told him he needs to be ready to catch and shoot and knock down open 3s. We also need him to guard well on the perimeter.”
A big part of the mindset change for the Lions is a renewed commitment to an improved defense.
“We’ve really focused on the defensive end in the fall. We know that in previous years we were considered a finesse team who liked to score and sometimes didn’t put in as much effort on defense,” Levy said. “Our guys are veterans now and have seen what wins in the big moments. We need to find those one or two plays that win close ball games and come up with them.”