Div IIA District III Tournament Preview
Early February means Division IIA is careening toward a conclusion for most teams. Most teams don’t want to be included in that mass of tears and sorrow. Webb School-Bell Buckle is the favorite in District 3. Which other teams can…
Access all of Prep Hoops
Continue reading this article and more.
Continue ReadingEarly February means Division IIA is careening toward a conclusion for most teams. Most teams don’t want to be included in that mass of tears and sorrow.
Webb School-Bell Buckle is the favorite in District 3. Which other teams can compete and advance?
Tomorrow is earned.
Top Games to Watch
#3 Knowledge Academies (14-10) vs. #6 Ezell Harding (9-16)
Timothy Chatman is worth the price of admission alone. At 6-foot-2 Chatman averages 18.8 points per game.
The senior star averaged 23.5 ppg in two earlier wins against Ezell Harding, including last week’s 70-45 blowout. Can Ezell Harding muster any confidence after that dismantling?
#2 C.P.A. (21-8) vs. #7 Franklin Road Academy (4-20)
In a rematch of last year’s tournament C.P.A. meets a much weaker Franklin Road Academy team. Gone is transfer Tyrus Baynham Jr. to Athens Prep. His vacancy is cavernous.
C.P.A. is better than they have been since Tyger Campbell and then-Braxton Blackwell donned the purple and gold. Bryce McCormick (TE/G) leads a deep team of shooters.
Expect a bigger postseason impact this season from blossoming young guns Braeden Moore and Braden Zapp. Zapp is the pass-first point guard C.P.A. lacked in 2017-2018. Moore is a novelty shooter in his freshman year. As he matures physically his college potential will be become even more apparent.
#1 Webb School (20-6) vs. #8 Middle Tennessee Christian (4-21)
Don’t expect a competitive game. Webb School will maul the MTCS team. The best junior in the state, and a future pro, Keon Johnson is unstoppable in Division II and few teams in the state are capable of even slowing him down. Look for strong offensive and defensive support from J.J. Platt and Jordan Jenkins. Both are physical guards.
For MTCS, Brock Culpepper will provide some offense. His Cougars are facing a Goliath with David’s courage tonight. Tough early playoff matchup.
#3 Zion Christian (12-9) vs. #6 BGA (10-12)
Perhaps this game represents the most even matchup. Though Knowledge and Ezell Harding figures to be exciting, BGA and Zion are more likely to compete closely.
Players to Watch
Keon Johnson – 2020 – G/F – Webb School
Can Keon be over-hyped? It is difficult to imagine any praise heaped upon Keon Johnson that is not earned and deserved. Keon Johnson would be the best high school prospect in Tennessee if not for once in a generation big man James Wiseman. Johnson should get a host of awards in the coming weeks. All of them will be appropriate. He is the best.
J.J. Platt – 2020 – PG – Webb School
The second best player at the @PrepHoopsTN Fall Combine, J.J. Platt is again the second best player…as the best player in the state happens to wear the same jersey. Platt is a star in his own right and certain to play after college. Platt can bounce with the best of them. He attacks without fear and finishes with power.
Braden Zapp – 2021 – PG – C.P.A.
C.P.A. never played lost or unsteady, but adding Zapp to the lineup gives them a wonderful ball-handler. Zapp sees the floor well and more importantly can get the basketball to dangerous spots.
Darius Lee – 2022 – G – Ezell Harding
Timothy Chatman – 2019 – G – Knowledge Academies
Fantastic scorer. For years Chatman has been amassing stark scoring games. His aggression is difficult to match. Defenders struggle to summon the same energy as Chatman. He doesn’t reach satisfaction after a couple made buckets.
Bryce McCormick – 2019 – G – C.P.A.
Not a single player in Tennessee more deeply personifies the program he plays for. Bryce is a two-sport star that completely dominates his zones, his duties every single game. McCormick is the kind of leader and star that needs no external prodding. He is ready and teammates notice, teammates adhere to his high expectations. They have to. He pulls it out of them with invested, hard-nosed play.
Savon Wykle – 2020 – WG – Knowledge Academies
The surprisingly adept second fiddle to Timothy Chatman Jr,, Savon helps with an impressive 15.5 points per game. Wykle gets his work done inside the arc.
Braeden Moore – 2022 – WG – C.P.A.
Shooting touch. C.P.A. Head Coach Drew Maddux gets to mold Moore into his likeness. Both are tall, extremely accurate long-range shooters. Maddux scored 1689 career points for Vanderbilt University. Moore can become a similarly fantastic shooter with his makeup and access to great coaching.
Follow @PrepHoopsTN.