The 2022-2023 high school basketball season can officially kick off Thursday across the state of Alabama.

No one is happier to be back on the sideline than Theodore coach Philip Roebling.

When Roebling’s Bobcats lost to rival Baker in the Class 7A boys regional final last February, the veteran coach was battling colon cancer. Looking back today, he admits he didn’t expect to be back coaching this year.

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“Not with the way my health was looking,” he said. “At the time, I had just received the news that the cancer had come back and that it had spread. To be fair and honest, I didn’t know if I was going to be alive.

“I was certainly hoping and praying I would. Everything my doctor told me has worked out thank the good Lord. Right now, I have plenty of energy, and I haven’t missed any work. I’m doing good and looking forward to the season.”

Roebling said in September that he was officially cancer free. Last week, he reiterated that his prognosis still was good. He will indeed be on the bench for his 18th season as Theodore’s boys basketball coach when the Bobcats open the year at Baldwin County on Nov. 10.

“To be honest, I think that night I will be overwhelmed with emotion,” he said. “I never really got upset when I get the diagnosis. When I get emotionally upset is when I think about all the Lord has done for me.

“When we tip off that first night, I’m going to be filled with emotion, and it’s just going to be an overwhelming since of joy and gratefulness. He saved me. When I think of all the people along the way that checked on me and prayed for me, it’s just overwhelming. I don’t know how else to say it.”

Roebling said he will continue immunotherapy treatment for the next two years. He said it is a 30-minute procedure once every six weeks.

“I haven’t had any side effects from it,” he said. “I don’t feel bad or anything. It’s a complete blessing.”

Roebling also is excited about the potential of his team.

The Bobcats went 17-12 a year ago and return all five starters. He said the team, which drops from 7A to 6A this season, may struggle early while the No. 1-ranked Theodore football team is still in the playoffs. Brayden Jenkins, Trey Glover and Kamrean Johnson are stars on both squads.

“I feel like this is a complete team,” he said. “We have three senior guards and there is nothing like experience. We have a 6-foot-5 big man in Kam. This is a group that has experience and has played together. I think it has the potential to be the best team we’ve had since (former Mr. Basketball) Dazon Ingram was here.”

Here are a few other boys basketball storylines to follow as the season tips off Thursday.

Mr. Basketball

With the state’s reigning Mr. Basketball and two-time Gatorade Player of the Year Barry Dunning Jr. now at Arkansas, the Alabama Sports Writers Association will crown a new Mr. Basketball in the spring.

There are multiple contenders starting with Baker junior point guard Labaron Philon and Grissom senior point guard RJ Johnson.

Philon is the reigning 7A Player of the Year. He averaged 24.4 points, 5.0 rebounds and 2.5 assists in helping the Hornets to the Class 7A final four a year ago. Philon also hit 77 3-pointers and had 79 steals. He is the only returning member of the ASWA Boys Super All-State team.

Johnson, who committed to Alabama in August, is the latest star to play for legendary coach Jack Doss. He was a third-team Class 7A All-State selection as a junior. Johnson averaged 16 points, 6 rebounds and 2.4 assists for the 24-6 Tigers. He also had 67 steals. He already has scored more than 1,000 points in his career.

The list of contenders only starts with those two, however.

Westminster returns 6-foot-5 junior Chase McCarty, who averaged 19.7 points and 7.2 rebounds a year ago and was a first-team Class 4A All-State selection. Vestavia Hills returns 6-foot-4 senior guard Win Miller, who averaged 16.8 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists with 58 steals for the 29-5 Rebels. He has 1,262 career points.

Other first-team All-State players returning this year are Ramsay’s Kerrington Kiel and UMS-Wright’s Bridges Simmons in 5A, Jacksonville’s John Broom in 4A, Piedmont’s Alex Odam and Cottage Hill’s Trent Thomas in 3A, Highland Home’s Keldric Faulk in 2A and Autaugaville’s Jaden Nixon in 1A.

Another player to watch is Pinson Valley senior guard Terry Coner Jr. He averaged 15.9 points, 4.7 rebounds and 2.8 assists with 94 steals for 24-8 Indians a year ago. Mountain Brook junior Ty Davis was the AL.com Birmingham Newcomer of the Year in 2022 averaging 14.5 points, 4.6 rebounds and 5.7 assists with 67 steals for the 29-5 Spartans.

Changes in Jacksonville

Last winter in Birmingham, the Jacksonville Golden Eagles dominated Escambia County in the Class 4A championship game, capping a 28-5 year with an 85-49 championship coronation. It was the first boys basketball state title for the school.

There have been some significant changes in Jacksonville since that win, however.

South Alabama commit John Broom, who scored 21 points in the title game, returns, but running mate Cade Phillips is not back. The 4A tournament MVP and Tennessee commit is now at Link Academy in Branson, Mo.

That’s not the only change. Head coach Shane Morrow was surprisingly relieved of his duties this summer and replaced by girls coach Tres Buzan. Even without Phillips, he will have a talented roster returning for a chance to repeat.

Will the South rise again?

Last year was a tough year for teams in South Alabama at least as far as the state championships go.

Only one boys state champion came from south of Birmingham.

Enterprise defeated James Clemens to win the Class 7A state title. Even more glaring, only one other South team – Escambia County – made it to a final. Jacksonville drilled Escambia 85-49 in the 4A title game.

It was much the same story in 2021 when only 1A champ Autaugaville came from a school south of the Birmingham area.

But that trend can change as evidenced by the 2020 finals. That year, Pickens County (1A), Calhoun (2A), Pike County (3A), Williamson (4A) and Lee-Montgomery (7A) all won state titles.

Will it change this year in Birmingham?

Stars and stripes

In the Huntsville area, two legendary coaches who have more than earned their stripes over the years have top players and should vie for championships again.

At Westminster Christian, Hall of Fame coach Ronnie Stapler has won 838 games and three state championships. The last one came at Westminster in 2016. Last year’s team went 27-6 and lost in the Northeast Regional final to eventual champ Jacksonville.

This year, he returns 6-foot-6 Mr. Basketball candidate Chase McCarty, who averaged 19.5 points a year ago and already has scholarship offers from Alabama, Georgia, Georgia Tech, Ole Miss, Houston, Cincinnati, Notre Dame and Kansas.

“We can’t worry about what happened last year,” Stapler told AL.com correspondent Jimmy Lay. “All we can do is focus on what we have in front of us. They know we were much better than we played in that game, but there are no do overs, and I just want them to be the best team they can possibly be when we get that chance again.”

Hall of Famer Jack Doss has won 10 state titles. After a brief retirement from coaching, he took the job at Grissom in 2020 with the goal of adding more titles to his list with the Tigers.

A year ago, Grissom went 24-5 in a brutal Class 7A, Region 7 that included rivals Huntsville and Sparkman. This year, Doss returns Alabama senior commit R.J. Johnson in hopes another trip to Birmingham may be in the cards.

“We are returning great leadership with high expectations,” Doss said. “It’s our first year with great depth. We are going to be an exciting basketball team to watch.”

An opening for Oakwood

In a highly publicized scenario last winter, Oakwood Academy forfeited its Northeast Regional semifinal game for religious reasons.

Oakwood is a Seventh-Day Adventist school, and that religion recognizes the Sabbath from sundown Friday to sundown Saturday. Oakwood was scheduled to play Faith Christian in a Class 1A game at 4:30 p.m. Instead, Faith Christian advanced by forfeit.

In May, the school filed a lawsuit against the AHSAA, stating its religious rights were violated when the organization didn’t make a change in the schedule. In September, the AHSAA’s Central Board approved a new ruling that allows schools to request a religious accommodation during championship play when certain conditions are met.

Though the exact wording of the ruling has not been released, it likely opens the door for Oakwood to play in the postseason if the team qualifies.

The key dates

AHSAA basketball teams can officially start their seasons on Thursday.

Boys area tournaments are scheduled for Feb. 4-11 with subregional play set for Feb. 13-14.

This year, the four regional tournaments will be held in Montgomery, Birmingham, Jacksonville and Hanceville. Last year, Montgomery hosted a pair of regional tournaments. This year, the South Regional is set for Montgomery’s Garrett Coliseum. The Central Regional will be played at Bill Harris Arena in Birmingham. The Northwest Regional remains at Wallace State-Hanceville with the Northeast at Jacksonville State University.

Regional tournaments are scheduled for Feb. 15-23.

The state finals will once again be held in Birmingham Feb. 27-March 4.

In AISA, the state basketball final four will be held Feb. 8-10 at the Cramton Bowl Multiplex in Montgomery.

Reigning champions

Last year’s state champions:

AHSAA

Class 7A: Enterprise

Class 6A: Cullman

Class 5A: Lee-Huntsville

Class 4A: Jacksonville

Class 3A: Plainview

Class 2A: Section

Class 1A: Covenant Christian

AISA

AAA: Pike Liberal Arts

AA: Autauga Academy

A: Heritage