First place in the area standings up for grabs for Cullman hoops:
Bearcats & Lady Bearcats set to battle area archrival Jasper HS:
GDW Analysis:
Cullman basketball is coming off a rare situation for the first time during the 2025/26 schedule.
The Bearcats and Lady Bearcats experienced a loss at the same venue the same evening.
Calera High School slowed down the Bearcats 53 to 45 on January 9 with the Lady Bearcats unable to prevail in a shootout, coming up short by the final of 76 to 69.
Now comes an important assignment for both at Carl Cannon Coliseum Tuesday evening against 6A, Area 13 rival Jasper High School.
Bearcats vs. Vikings:
7:30 p.m. tip on cullmanbearcats.com
Cullman: 18 & 3, 1 & 0 in area
Jasper: 15 & 4, 1 & 0 in area
Cullman is 3rd in 6A state poll, Jasper is unranked.
Jasper has a 6 game winning streak is 8 & 1 at home.
Cullman is 3 & 2 in true road games. The loss to Calera ended a 5 game winning streak.
A key for Cullman is to create a pace to its liking. The 'Cats struggle when the opposition is playing deliberate brand of basketball.
Cullman's 3 losses have been where the 'Cats score only 50 points against Hartselle, 36 vs. Westhill and the 45 last Friday to Calera.
Since December, Cullman is 10 & 3 as the 10 victories showed them of scoring between 60 and 70 points per outing.
A matchup of two very successful coaches to grind it out against one another the first time this season.
Heath Burns is in his 4th year with Jasper, leading the Vikings to 81 wins against 31 losses, a winning percentage of .732.
Stu Stuedeman has been in command of Cullman hoops for the past 5 seasons. The 'Cats have earned 122 wins out of 148 opportunities. His winning percentage with the 'Cats is .824.
Cullman is the defending area champion in outlasting the Vikings in the title game last season at Bearcat Arena.
Now they are looking to deal with area battles against Jasper and Mortimer Jordan in 3 of their next 4 matchups.
The 'Cats host Mortimer Jordan Friday and will see Jasper visit Bearcat Arena on January 22 to complete the regular season area schedule.
Lady Bearcats vs. Lady Vikings:
6:00 p.m. tip on cullmanbearcats.com
Cullman: 16 & 3, 1 & 0 in area
Jasper: 16 & 5, 1 & 0 in area
Neither team is ranked in the state 6A poll.
Jasper has a 3 game winning streak and is 5 & 1 from its campus.
Cullman is 7 & 1 on the road.
Both share a victory recently against area foe Mortimer Jordan.
Cullman won 45 to 39 in Morris on January 5.
Jasper claimed a 28 to 27 victory vs. MJ January 8.
Jasper won the AHSAA 5A state championship in 2024, defeating Scottsboro in the title game in Birmingham.
Jasper is coached by Blake Laney in his 4th season with the Lady Vikings. His first two years in Jasper produced 63 wins against 7 losses, a state title and an Elite 8 berth.
Tammy West is currently in her first season with Cullman after 33 years of greatness at Cold Springs High School.
West has 4 state championships to her credit.
Cullman's 16 wins out of 19 decisions entering the trip to Jasper is the best start for the Lady 'Cats since 2021/22 when they compiled a 21 & 9 mark in their final year under the direction of Josh Hembree.
A challenging week is what West and her team is seeing.
Cullman will entertain Mortimer Jordan Friday in area play then journey to Tuscumbia Saturday and take on Deshler, the No. 3 ranked team in Class 4A, featuring one of the top scorers in North Alabama in sophomore SG Reese Davis.
Davis was seen by Gameday Weekly on January 10 in Decatur as she tossed in 34 points, 14 in the 4th period in a come from behind 76 to 66 victory over No. 2 in Class 3A, Mars Hill Bible School.
Photo of Jasper head coach Heath Burns in a game vs. Corner in December from Carl Cannon Coliseum. Behind him is assistant coaches Jason Johnsey (left) and Ronald Lane. Johnsey is a former assistant at Cullman High School.
Burns is 81 & 31 in 4 seasons coaching at Jasper.
Photo courtesy of the Daily Mountain Eagle.
