Defending Class 7A champ McGill-Toolen hoping to peak at the right time again

With only a month left until basketball area tournament play, the defending Class 7A boys champions are into what they call their “second season.”

McGill-Toolen defeated Foley 68-36 in its first Class 7A, Area 2 game earlier this week and hosts rival Murphy on Friday night.

The Yellow Jackets are 14-5 overall as they start the New Year.

“We’re in what we call our second season,” McGill coach Phillip Murphy said on theWNSP Prep Spotlight this week. “We had eight guys coming off the field after the title game for football. We’re actually transitioning to the third part of our season now with area play.

“We are still piecing stuff together. We are probably about three weeks behind most teams as far as determining team identity and rotations, but we are slowly getting it together and hope to be peaking at the end of this month.”

RELATED: Must-see Coastal Alabama boys games

That is exactly what happened to Murphy’s team a year ago.

The Yellow Jackets won 14 of their final 15 games after a Christmas Tournament in Atlanta and defeated then-No. 1 Central-Phenix City 79-75 to win the school’s first state boys basketball title.

“I really think we have the pieces to do it again,” Murphy said. “I don’t want to put any extra pressure on our guys, but we expect to be there. We’ve got guys who have been there (to the championship game) on multiple playing surfaces – on the football field and on the court. That experience should allow us to make another push. A lot of it is timing and hoping we can come together at the right point of the season.”

McGill lost several key pieces from last year’s 29-6 team, including point guard Rene Scott, forward T.J. Howard and versatile role player Paris Chambers. Murphy said his team’s biggest struggle so far this year has been finding a go-to guy in clutch situations.

“Really any struggles we’ve had thus far have been because we haven’t scored the ball consistently when things have broken down,” he said. “We haven’t necessarily had that guy who can step up and make plays one-on-one when things break down. We are kind of still looking for that, but that usually happens in time. This team is a lot like last year – fast, athletic. We fly around and try to create havoc, and we’re going to continue trying to do that and, hopefully, find an offensive identity as we move on.”

McGill has been pretty balanced so far. Though 19 games, Larry Rembert is averaging 10.6 points a game, while Marlon Williams, Manny Patrick and Matthew McNeeceare all averaging nine. Patrick also is averaging four steals, McNeece 10 rebounds and Williams eight rebounds and five assists.

“We know if we are going to make a run again we’ve got to have all these guys and have them clicking on all cylinders,” Murphy said.

In Coastal Alabama action on Wednesday:

Murphy 49, Fairhope 46 (Boys): The Panthers tuned up for Friday’s matchup with McGill. LSU football commit Neil Farrell led the way with 14 points for his team. Murray State signee Tevin Brown of Fairhope led all scorers with 21. The Pirates (9-9) host Foley on Friday.