SETH - Considering his busy schedule, eating and sleeping might become luxuries rather than necessities for Chris Duncan.

The 2007-08 school year begins today, when administrators, teachers and other employees are scheduled to return to work.

Duncan will enter Sherman High School this morning with three titles in front of his name: assistant principal, athletic director and boys basketball coach.

He realizes juggling all of his responsibilities won’t be easy.

“But we have a good staff,” Duncan said. “People are always willing to help. I know if I need them to help me, they will. I think I can handle it.”

Duncan, 32, is in his first year as an assistant principal and the boys basketball coach. He is in his second year as the athletic director.

“Last year was a learning experience,” he said. “Now, I know more about it. I know what needs to be done and how to get it done.”

Duncan, who was the head basketball coach at Whitesville Elementary School, replaces Jim Henderson on the Tide sideline.

“I always wanted to try to coach at the high school level,” Duncan said. “When Mr. Henderson gave it up, I decided I wanted to give it a shot. I didn’t want to look back on my life someday and regret the fact that I didn’t do it.”

Sherman’s players can learn a lot from Duncan, a high-scoring shooting guard who starred at Clear Fork and Marsh Fork high schools. He finished his career with 1,852 points, which is a Raleigh County record.

Duncan made the Class A All-State team four times. He was an honorable mention selection in his freshman year, a second-team selection in his sophomore and junior years and a first-team selection in his senior year, when he led Marsh Fork to the West Virginia Secondary School Activities Commission state tournament.

Duncan remembers basketball-toting children trying to emulate him and his teammates. Those kids eventually became the players who helped Marsh Fork advance to the state tournament seven times in 10 years.

“That’s one thing I want to get started at Sherman,” said Duncan, who continued his hoops career at the University of Charleston, where he played for Golden Eagles coach Greg White. “We have to build a tradition. We have to get little kids coming to games and wanting to be a part of it.”

Sherman finished last season with a 15-8 record, including a season-ending loss to Boone County rival Scott in the sectional championship. The Tide will return only one starter, sophomore post player Justin Maloskey.

“As of right now, we should have four seniors, two juniors and five sophomores,” Duncan said. “We are going to be young, but we have a good nucleus returning. My team will be very disciplined and fundamentally sound.

“We are going to take our bumps, but we will play hard and we will be fun to watch. You will see us diving on the floor and hustling after loose balls. We will be in shape, and we will play defense. If you don’t play defense, you won’t play for me. I believe offense wins games and defense wins championships. Hopefully, our defense will be our best offense. We will get after you. I plan to implement a run-and-gun game on both ends of the floor.”

Just in case he isn’t busy enough, Duncan also will run the Whitesville Biddy Buddy League for youngsters such as his son, Caleb, 8.

“This will be the third year we have had it,” he said. “We do it for all of the little kids up there.

“We want to teach them fundamentals before they get to the fourth grade. That way, you aren’t teaching fundamentals in junior high; you’re teaching basketball.

“I can see a big change in the kids” who once played in the Whitesville Biddy Buddy League and now play for Whitesville Elementary School, Duncan said.

The season will last about six weeks, from the beginning of October until the middle of November.

“By the time it ends,” Duncan said, “high school basketball season will be fresh in their minds and they will want to see us play.”

Contact Managing Editor Jacob Messer at HYPERLINK "jacobmesser@coalvalleynews.com" jacobmesser@coalvalleynews.com or 369-1165.