The Mt. Zion High School boys basketball team only has a week of practice under its belt. But the Eagles will kick off the season today at 7:30 p.m. against the Georgia School for the Deaf, their first of three games this week that coach Bill Bailey hopes will help his team get up to speed.

“Right now we’re just trying to shift gears from football to basketball, finding our shot,” Bailey said.

“Our kids have been working real hard at practice.”

After tonight’s contest, his team will host Temple on Friday and play at Galloway on Saturday.

And heading into tonight’s contest with the Tigers, it’s the effort that has most impressed Bailey.

“If (each game) we can play 32 minutes the way we’ve practiced, you know, we’ll be fine,” Bailey said.

The loss of go-to big man Octavius Thomas to graduation leaves the biggest hole for the Eagles, with Bailey noting that senior Drew Norton, Dustin Johnston and Jake Lemmings will give his team a much different feel in the post this season. Finding out how to score in the post without Thomas is Bailey’s “biggest concern” to be addressed as the season starts, though he is encouraged by the returnees’ efforts thus far.

“We’ve got to work hard on our inside game,” Bailey said.

He is hoping 6-foot-5 Danny Evans will also be able to help out on the blocks when he returns from injury, which should be in December.

As his group makes the transition to basketball, Bailey knows improving everyday will be vital.

“Basketball’s a long season. You know, you hope you peak at the right time,” Bailey said. “We’ve got to get better each game.”

Though the loss of Thomas will have its impact, leading scorer Christian Heard returns for his senior season after putting up about 17 points per contest last season. Bailey expects much of the offense to run through Heard, though he said it’s vital for Norton and others to make enough contributions to take some pressure off Heard.

Returning junior point guard Dianta Henson joins Heard in the backcourt, while sophomore Parrish Germany should also be a factor at guard for Mt. Zion team that Bailey said should have more quickness this season.

Freshmen Corey Loftin and Tristen Puckett should also have an impact, with Puckett looking good from behind the 3-point line.

So with most of their key contributors back and a good preseason for the Eagles, Bailey is hoping this year can be a positive one for his guys.

“This team...has a chance to make some noise this year if we stay healthy and keep working as hard as we’ve been working,” Bailey said.