HOT SPRINGS – For Pine Bluff basketball coach Billy Dixon, coaching is about listening just as much as teaching.
Dixon and the Zebras won their second-straight Class 5A state championship Friday when they defeated Benton 68-63 at Bank OZK Arena in Hot Springs, but that win didn’t come easy.
Benton (29-5) led by as much as 37-23 in the second quarter, but the Zebras were able to fight back and enter halftime trailing by single digits — 37-32.
Dixon said he reminded the players they were still in the game, but he often doesn’t have to say much. The players already know.
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“A lot of times, I don’t have to make the adjustments, because they’re making those adjustments themselves,” Dixon said. “They understand who we are, what we do, and they were talking about the facts.”
Benton called two timeouts in the third quarter and two in the fourth as Pine Bluff (24-6) fought back and eventually took the lead. Each time a timeout is called, regardless of who called it, Dixon said his players already know it is time to adjust.
Dixon said at one point, senior Braylen Hall came to the sideline and explained why he should put Austyn Dendy into the game, so he did.
“If you’re a decent coach, you listen to your guys,” Dixon said. “Especially if you know they’re right.”
Dixon said he and his players get into debates from time to time, and voices may be raised. He recounted a time recently he and Hall got into an argument. He said he and senior Courtney Crutchfield have done it, too. But while some coaches would assert their authority and shut those things down, Dixon said he doesn’t mind being around strong-willed guys.
“These guys put in a lot of work,” Dixon said. “They put in a lot of time. They make a lot of sacrifice and commitment. I’ve been in their shoes, and I know how you feel as a baller, and sometimes the coach is not taking you in a direction you really want to go. I tell my guys, ‘It’s not what you say to me. It’s how you say it.'”
That trust and partnership between Dixon and his team have paid off. It has led this group of Zebras to back-to-back state championships, and Dixon said he maintains relationships with players long after they graduate.
Deriyon Graydon was one of the few juniors on a senior-heavy team. The forward said the players have a good relationship with Dixon.
“We been around him so long, so we pretty much know what he thinking about the game,” Graydon said. “He know what we thinking. It’s just about that relationship.”
Zebras didn’t need 3-ball
The 3-point shot can be a big aid for a team seeking a comeback. Pine Bluff didn’t need it.
The Zebras won their 15th state championship without making a single shot from beyond the arc. Pine Bluff missed all eight of their 3-point attempts in the first half. The Zebras did not attempt one in the second half, but still came back to win.
Dixon said the Zebras’ success comes from downhill scoring, not deep shots.
“That’s who we are,” Dixon said. “Transition. If we have transition, then we’re going to be effective… These guys will tell you, that’s what I say. That’s what I preach. ‘Hey guys, why y’all taking a 3-ball? We don’t need that. Let’s get downhill. Let’s execute and make a difference.’ So, nah, not surprised about not making a 3-ball.”
The Zebras scored 38 points in the paint and scored 24 points in transition. They also got to the free throw line more often than Benton and made 24 of 33 attempts.
Benton made six of 19 3-point attempts.
“Peanut” Hickman comes up big
Pine Bluff senior Jamaal Hickman doesn’t usually get as much attention as his teammates, but “Peanut” made a big impact Friday.
His layup with just over a minute to play gave the Zebras a 65-63 lead they would not relinquish. Benton didn’t score again, making Hickman’s shot the championship winner.
Dixon said Hickman has been a big contributor not just Friday, but throughout conference play.
“This young man at 5-8, we was in Hot Springs,” Dixon said. “He go down the middle of the lane, right in traffic, two-hand dunk the ball, pull the rim down like Shaq. Tonight, blocking shots, flying out of nowhere. Defensively, getting rebounds.”
He finished with 12 points, four rebounds and two blocks.