Molly Gambrill (30), Taylor Tankersley (14) and the Holly Pond girls basketball team collect their third straight county tournament title trophy following last year’s final. The Lady Broncos enter this season’s tourney as the No. 3 seed, two spots behind No. 1 Fairview and one back of No. 2 Cold Springs.

Oh, if readers only knew what’s said in the newsroom between myself and Jake Winfrey on a daily basis.

At this time of year, the bulk of our more serious convos center around the local basketball landscape — specifically the county tourney.

This season, it’s been more wide open than ever, and it’s made predictions nearly impossible to put in print with any shred of confidence.

But we’re going to take a stab anyway.

Join Jake and I as we lightheartedly discuss the key storylines of the 2016 Cullman County Basketball Tournament, which starts and ends the next two Saturdays.

GIRLS

Impact Player

Jake: There are plenty of talented players to look at for this spot. Having said that, I’d be remiss if I didn’t choose Cold Springs’ Emme Willoughby. In my opinion — which has been known to shine — there isn’t another athlete on the floor who has the ability to completely take over a game. The junior can shoot the 3-pointer with the best of them, has the size to be a matchup problem and will no doubt have to shine if the Eagles want to win their first county title since 2010.

Rob: She may’ve been left off last year’s All-Tournament Team, but Melissa Clingman won’t be left out of this column. The athletic guard was the catalyst of the Lady Broncos’ improbable comeback for the 2015 crown and continues to be the engine that makes the program go in her senior campaign. Clingman’s been banged up a little bit this winter, so there’s a good chance her best basketball is still to come. Holly Pond will need it to have a chance at a fourth consecutive county title.

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X-Factor

Rob: There’s a reason I opted for Clingman over Fairview’s Taylor Ann Yeager above. Because I knew she’d be the centerpiece of my answer — the Aggies’ depth — for this particular topic. When the Purple and Gold’s starters aren’t doing so hot, they have a whole ‘nother unit of capable players to turn to. The glue that keeps both together? Yeager, a talented sophomore and consistent triple-double threat who meshes extremely well with reserve guard Abby Schnittker. Toss in McKinna Yearwood, who proved her worth from deep over the holidays on Wallace State’s expansive floor, and others, and that bench can be downright deadly.

Jake: My colleague makes a solid point. A rare one, but a good one. While Fairview is arguably the most talented group from top to bottom, I’m not about to discount the 3-point shooting of Holly Pond and Cold Springs. Coaches Scott Adams and Tammy West will be the first to admit their squads go as the treys fall. Both programs possess numerous sharpshooters and, should enough twine be tickled, plenty of confidence to enter Tom Drake Coliseum and walk away with the hardware.

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The Dark Horse

Jake: I’m not sure you can call any of the top-three seeds a dark horse in the literal sense. Even if you could, I’m going with the next team down. The Good Hope Raiders. Since winning back-to-back crowns in 2011-12, the Raiders have played in just one finale since. Could that change in 2016? Absolutely. Kaylee Maddox, Kate Kent and Kelly Pickett have underrated offensive skills, the Good Hope defense is always up to the task, and coach Michael Oldacre is one of the best around. If the Red and White can make some shots, look out.

Rob: Jake, Jake, Jake. If we’re talking horses, then you’ve got to go with the Lady Broncos. It is hard to put the three-time defending county champs in this position, but it’s an appropriate one considering the talent they’ve lost over the last two seasons. Holly Pond does have a win against Cold Springs, but it also sports a double-digit loss to Fairview — not to mention payback from the Eagles in the form of a 55-24 shellacking. Which leads me to my next point …

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The Contenders

Rob: At least a handful of squads technically have a shot to take the title, but if Fairview and Cold Springs play to their potentials, this could be a two-team race. From what I’ve seen, this is the Aggies’ tournament to lose. They’ve been ultra competitive against most opponents outside county lines and downright dominant versus those inside them. But — there’s always a but — I’m not foolish enough to count out Tammy West and Cold Springs, or the area’s top player in Emme Willoughby. Willoughby can take over a game in a hurry and, when she’s receiving help from more than just Bailey West and Camryn Crider, the Eagles can hang with anybody. Just like they did in the first meeting against Fairview, a 47-45 knee-knocker.

Jake: Cold Springs, Fairview or Holly Pond will win county this year. The Aggies do seem to be the favorite heading into the annual clash. However, I’ve watched the Purple and Gold almost surrender a pair of 15-point, fourth quarter leads this season. I’ve also taken call-ins to find out just how easily they’ve handled their opponents. The ability is there, but will the inexperience rear its ugly head in crunch time? The Broncos and Eagles have head coaches and a few players who’ve been in the spotlight for big games, so to speak. One of them isn’t going to the finale, though. It’s anyone’s guess as to which team will win what’s expected to be a potentially exciting semifinal game.

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The Winner

Jake: Let’s start with the simple. Fairview is going to the championship game, barring something incredible. While I couldn’t tell you which program will meet the Aggies there yet, it’s all going to come down to the matchup. To me, I think Cold Springs is playing fractionally better than Holly Pond and provides just a bit more of a challenge than the Broncos at this point. Could that change? Absolutely. You can’t really overlook three straight county crowns from Scott Adams and Co. For the past two seasons, the Eagles have been the bridesmaid and not the bride. This year, I think they find a way to get it done. I’m picking Cold Springs.

Rob: At what point do we stop labeling Fairview as a young, inexperienced squad and start calling them what they actually are: A really good basketball team. Sure, history is against the Aggies — they haven’t claimed a county championship since 1982 — but we’re talking solely about this season, and they aren’t the top seed or undefeated in county play for no reason. The recent rise has a lot to do with coach Mary Hartline, who’s turned around the program in three short years. Plus, she knows what it takes to win a county title from her playing days at Good Hope. I wouldn’t be surprised if Cold Springs ends up No. 1, but I’m inclined to believe Fairview has all the tools to pull off a special run.

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BOYS

Impact Player

Rob: Go ahead and make this players, because I’m talking about everybody not named Triston Chambers or Josh Freeman on Cold Springs. Those two deserve every touch they receive — and they get a lot — but the Eagles have looked and felt their best when guys like Jesse Lee, Tyler Rice, Cayde Elliott, Blake Wood and Eli Hamby are also contributing. Take last week’s big area win against Tanner for example. Chambers hit the bench with his fourth foul around the midway point in the third quarter, and Cold Springs came together instead of crumbling. Doing the same for three straight games could land the Eagles their second county tourney title in three years.

Jake: The fun pick here would be to take any Holly Pond player not named Drew Jones, Matt Cahoon or Bailey Smith. For the very same reasons. However, I’m singling out one of the county’s best players, Hanceville’s Xavier Malcom. The senior guard does it all for the Dawgs with his scoring, passing and defensive prowess. Malcom — along with a cast of solid role players — have led Hanceville to wins over Cold Springs and West Point so far this season. Rematches are certainly not out of the question. Neither are Purple and Gold victories.

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X-Factor

Jake: This one’s easy. West Point’s offense. The Warriors have the players and the defense to beat anyone in the county tournament. They also have the shooting woes to make a first-round exit. One quarter, West Point looks unstoppable. The next quarter, it nets four points and you have no idea how or why. Tanner Rusk has been a stud for the Maroon and White all season. Alex Hernandez, Kobe Smith, Seth Parker, Andrew Shaw and Cameron Moore are all capable of monster performances. Most of those guys have them already. If they sink a few shots, coach Randy Jones’ squad can make some noise.

Rob: Not so fast, Jacob. The easy answer is actually Holly Pond’s status as the No. 1 seed. The top position is where every team wants to be, but it hasn’t exactly been kind to coach Mitch Morris and the Broncos in recent years. A first-round bye results in a lengthy break and reliance on productive practices instead of on-court competition. This wasn’t a problem a year ago when the Green and White charged from the second seed to lift their first county championship since 2002. This season, though, they’re set up for a trap game against fourth-seeded Cold Springs Thursday in the second round. Overcome that obstacle, and Holly Pond’s latest wait between titles could be significantly shorter than its last.

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The Dark Horse

Rob: Yes, Hanceville’s the No. 2 seed and West Point’s No. 3, but they’re still my only considerations in this category. Out of the two, I suppose I’d take West Point. Call it a case of “What have you done lately?” Just last week, Kobe Smith’s smothering defense and some timely 3-point shooting to start the fourth quarter helped the Warriors down the Dawgs 57-45 at home. Of course, in the first bout at Hanceville, Xavier Malcom went off for 30-plus in a 68-57 win. Points didn’t come as easy for Malcom in the rematch. Slowing the superstar again would only increase West Point’s chances.

Jake: Give me Hanceville and the fighting Daniel Wakefield’s all day. The Bulldogs can score from the outside — Malcom, Isaac Weissend, Jose Orozco and J.K. Davis — and in the paint with R.J. Evans, Luke Duffie and Jordan Peoples. They have all the tools to earn three wins en route to their first county title since Bill Clinton was in office. Should the Dawgs get past Vinemont and West Point/Good Hope, look for a “dawg fight” in the championship tilt.

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Contenders

Jake: I think Holly Pond, Cold Springs, West Point and Hanceville all have a legitimate chance to win this thing. Obviously, the former two have the edge — and the past three crowns — with their superstar power and supporting casts. The Warriors and Bulldogs have to play a perfect game to beat the Broncos or Eagles. Can they? Sure. Will they? That remains to be seen. We won’t get a championship rematch, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. For me, it’s going to come down to Triston Chambers and Josh Freeman versus Bailey Smith, Drew Jones and Matt Cahoon. The group that performs better advances — and potentially wins it all.

Rob: I can’t disagree with my cohort’s quartet of contenders. Or his two front-runners. What I can’t seem to settle on, however, is which of the four will make it to the finals. Holly Pond or Cold Springs on one side of the bracket and West Point or Hanceville on the other. Both series this season have been split, with each team defending their home courts by seven points or more. In a winter that’s produced plenty of funky stretches for pretty much all four, it could come down to which one adapts to the big stage at Wallace State the fastest. Which one finds its chemistry by tourney time and maintains it all week, too.

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The Winner

Rob: Oh, boy. Do I really have to pick just one? On their best days, Cold Springs and Holly Pond are undoubtedly the best teams in the county. The only thing is neither has always played its best basketball. Part of the equation for me is who has the more favorable losses, and that’s the Broncos. Losing to a couple of Class 6As in Cullman (twice) and Athens aren’t that hard to fathom. The Eagles’ L’s to West Point, Hanceville and American Christian, however, are far more unexplainable. Even still, the deciding factor for me is how the two have matched up this season. Holly Pond pulled away late in a back-and-forth first ballgame, while Cold Springs cruised to a 20-point win in the second. I was in attendance for both, and the latter was particularly impressive. It’s the main reason I’m giving the edge to the Eagles by the slimmest of margins.

Jake: I said before the season Holly Pond would win its second straight county crown. I see no reason to change that now. Sure, the Green and White have played better basketball — they’ve lost three games since Dec. 21 — but from Nos. 1-10, you won’t find much better across the board. If Drew Jones, Bailey Smith and Matt Cahoon are on, Holly Pond is stellar. When the likes of Dawson Foust, Griffin Morris, Caleb Jones and others are pitching in with points and team defense, the Broncos are, without question, the best team in the county. If that squad shows up, turn off the lights and say goodnight.