The guards for Memphis East are peaking at the right time
It took a minute for the backcourt of Memphis East to hit its stride, but it finally did, thanks to the bumps and bruises it took early in the season. There were questions about how Antonio Thomas would come in…
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Continue ReadingIt took a minute for the backcourt of Memphis East to hit its stride, but it finally did, thanks to the bumps and bruises it took early in the season.
There were questions about how Antonio Thomas would come in and have an impact at the point guard spot after the departure of Alex Lomax. Thomas, who came from Ridgeway High School, was quickly met with lofty expectations from day one.
Yet, he didn’t get frustrated whenever he turned the basketball over or didn’t make the right pass. His coach, Jevonte Holmes, just kept telling Thomas to keep playing. Senior shooting guard Derrein Merriweather knows what it takes to win a state championship.
He played a reserve role last season under Penny Hardaway, who led Memphis East to three straight state titles. With Merriweather’s return, he was expected to be a leader for a backcourt with new faces. But, Merriwether, along with Thomas, struggled early in the season in their new roles.
For the first half of the season, James Wiseman and Malcolm Dandridge carried the Mustangs to one win after another, while Thomas and Merriweather tried to figure out how to live up to being consistent playmakers alongside Wiseman and Dandridge.
Things didn’t start clicking for Thomas and Merriweather until the Chick-Fil-A Classic in South Carolina where Memphis East went 2-1 against quality competition. Since then, the Mustangs have won six straight games, currently sitting at 13-3 (3-0, 3-A District 16), thanks in part to the play of Thomas, Merriweather and company.
Thomas has been making smarter decisions with the basketball. He hasn’t been forcing the issue, and he’s playing better defense. Thomas got better on the defensive end because of the guards he’s been facing this season. In the Bartlett Invitational on Dec. 15, Thomas guarded junior point guard Jordan Rawls from Hamilton Heights. Thomas had a difficult time with Rawls, who dropped 34 points on Memphis East to give his team the 66-63 win.
But in the rematch, which took place on Jan. 5 in the ARS Rescue Rooter National Hoopfest, Thomas didn’t give Rawls the breathing room he had in the first meeting. Rawls scored just 16 points on 6 of 19 shooting, and the Mustangs came away with the 61-55 victory. In the win, Thomas had 10 points, four rebounds, and two assists.
As for Merriweather, he has been shooting the basketball very well, and has been getting nice looks at the rim, thanks to the double teams Wiseman and Dandridge see every night. Merriweather made 7 of 15 shots – 4 of 10 from 3 – against the Hawks, finishing with 18 points and three assists. His performance resulted in a MVP award.
In Memphis East’s first game of the Memphis Hoopfest against Holy Spirit, Merriweather posted 19 points, six assists, and five rebounds. He went 6 of 10 from the field.
Isaiah Cathey, who’s another solid guard, was implemented into the starting lineup after the Mustangs’ 59-58 loss to St. Francis Academy in the Chick-Fil-A Classic, and the change by Holmes has paid off for his team. In Thursday night’s 91-56 home win over Overton, Cathey finished with 12 assists and 11 steals while Thomas added 10 points.
Wiseman and Dandridge did their usual damage. Wiseman had 27 points, 13 rebounds, four blocks, and three steals. Dandridge added 15 points, 12 rebounds, five steals, and four blocks. Both combined to shoot 20 for 24 from the field.
As of right now, Memphis East is missing sophomore guard Tadarius Jacobs (right wrist injury) and freshman forward Kylan Haywood (concussion), so all of the success in the backcourt will depend on how well Thomas, Merriweather, and Cathey perform.
“Honestly, since we have inserted Isaiah into the starting lineup, we are 6-0,” Coach Holmes said. “We have been rolling ever since. He’s the glue guy that we needed.”
With Jacobs and Haywood out with injuries, the rotation will be shortened, meaning some of the young guys that played Thursday night against the Wolverines will have to be prepared for Friday night’s showdown against the Rancho Christian Eagles, who are led by Evan (6-foot-11) and Isaiah Mobley (6-9), in the Geico ESPN2 High School Showcase.
But, with the way the guards have emerged as playmakers, it’s going to be hard for other 3-A teams to stop the Mustangs from winning their fourth consecutive state title.