Class AAA: 8 teams that are title contenders
For the first time in a while, Class AAA in Tennessee will have parity. There’s not a clear favorite to win the state championship, unlike the last four years when Memphis East won three of four Class AAA state titles…
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Continue ReadingFor the first time in a while, Class AAA in Tennessee will have parity.
There’s not a clear favorite to win the state championship, unlike the last four years when Memphis East won three of four Class AAA state titles under former head coach Penny Hardaway.
Class AAA will probably be the most interesting league in 2019, with a great deal amount of teams that have aspirations of winning it all.
There are eight teams in West Tennessee that have the right pieces to win a Class AAA title. A couple of those schools have new coaches, while a handful of the teams I’m about mention have key transfers that will be vital to their success.
The 2019 season officially kicks off on Nov. 18, which means the road to Murfreesboro, Tennessee will officially begin.
Here are eight teams from West Tennessee that could make a state title run:
Overton
First-year head coach Shelvie Rose isn’t new to being in charge of turning a program around. He led Hillcrest to 17 wins in the 2009 season, then led the program to 26 wins the following season. Rose is taking over a Wolverines team that won just seven games last season. There’s an overhaul of new talent for Rose to work with in year one.
Senior guard Jason Coleman, the coach’s son, came in from Central High School. Coleman, 6-foot, is the vocal leader this team is going to need. He has improved on his mid-range game and put on more muscle, which are both positives. Senior forward Anterrio Jeffries (6-7) came in from Melrose. He’s the perfect stretch four that can run the floor and finish in transition. Junior guard Avionne Suttle, 6-0, came in from Wooddale. Suttle is a solid defender and can score the basketball as well.
Junior guard Jonathan Burns came in from Southwind. Burns could be one of the team’s best 3-point shooters. He’s confident that every shot he throws up is going to go in.
From the seven win team last season, Overton returns senior guard Elijah Sandrige (6-4)and junior forward Kam’ron Crump. Then, there’s talented freshman Jordan Frison, who isn’t afraid to play against upperclassmen. He showed that in a scrimmage against last season’s Class AA state champion Wooddale Cardinals.
This group is new, and these guys are still trying to figure out how to play with one another. If Rose can, somehow, recreate the same magic he had with the Vikings, then the Wolverines will be in position to get to Murfreesboro.
Memphis East
Second-year head coach Javonte Holmes will have some experience back from last season’s team that finished as Class AAA state runner-up. In the backcourt, the Mustangs will have senior guard Isaiah Cathey leading the way. Junior guard Tadarius Jacobs, who averaged 14 points, four rebounds, four assists and two steals per game in 2018, will look to provide productivity on both ends of the floor after coming off a season that was filled with injuries.
Memphis East has key transfers in senior forward Duane Posey and junior guard Jelani Willis. Posey, 6-6, is very physical and can play with his back to the basket. Posey will be a plus if his mid-range game can be consistent.
Arlington
First-year head coach Maurice Miller has the Arlington Tigers in position to have a 20-win season. He has been able to put talent around sophomore guard Phil Dotson III, who’s coming off a freshman season in which he averaged 17.5 points, five assists, three rebounds and two steals per game.
Miller added senior Chris McKnight (6-4 guard/forward) from Raleigh-Egypt, junior Madison Peaster (6-3 guard) from Little Rock, Arkansas and sophomore Dontae Stringer (6-7 forward) from Huntington Prep. Miller also brought in a talented freshman class that features guards E.J. Smith, Andre Watson, Anthony Medlock and forward Javar Daniel.
Peaster will definitely see the floor and most likely start. He’s a bulldog and is offensively gifted. Smith is very smooth offensively. He has nice ball handles and can score from different spots on the floor. Watson is an efficient 3-point shooter. Medlock is long and athletic, can shoot the 3 and slash to the basket.
Miller has a great problem with his young core. They’re going to go at one another each day at practice, with the prize of playing time up for grabs.
Bartlett
Bartlett lost 12 seniors from last season, but the Panthers bring back experience in seniors Rodney Mason Jr. and Jaylin Lucas. Bartlett will also have back Luke Bridges, Kamrin Jones and Will Farris. Head coach Dion Real was able to add senior guard Ricky Lofties from Raleigh-Egypt. Lofties is a proven 3-point shooter.
The Panthers will have talented freshman guard Regale Moore in the mix to possibly start. He’s 6-1 and can push the basketball up the floor. Moore drives to the basket and doesn’t mind creating contact. His physicality will be a plus for Bartlett.
But, in the end, the Panthers will have to go through Mason Jr. (eight points, six rebounds, three assists and two steals per game in 2018) and Lucas (eight points, six rebounds, one assist and one steal per game in 2018), two guys who have won a lot of games playing under Real.
Kingsbury
Head coach Erik Buggs will rely on his talented sophomore class to win a lot of games in 2019. To me, Caleb Jackson is the team’s best passer. Jackson will most likely start at point guard. Chauncey Holmes (6-0) and Ahmed Abdulahi (6-1 ½) can do everything. Both are great slashers, great finishers and can knock down the 3. Add in sophomore guard PJ Hillman, and the Falcons will have a backcourt that will be hard to stop.
Sophomore forward Demarkus Moss has the ability to shoot the basketball and put the ball on the floor. He’s 6-8 and wears a size 18 in shoes. Moss used to weigh 307 pounds, but before the summer ended, he was down to 261.
Cordova
The Wolfpack finished the 2018 season 19-9, thanks in large part to the emergence of their young players. Cordova will have juniors RJ Seals (5-11), Markelion Hines (5-9), Jordan Hamilton (6-4), Kendall Hamilton (6-6), Calvin Jennings (6-3), Rashard Watkins and sophomore guard Geoff Shaw (6-3) back this season.
The Wolfpack were able to add senior guards Justin Borders (5-7) from PCA and K’Juan Banks (6-3) from Bolton to give the team depth and opportunities for floor spacing.
Seals is simply tough. Hines hasn’t lost a step in transition. He can shoot it from deep. Jordan Hamilton is a solid shooter and has added rebounding to his game. Kendall Hamilton has slimmed down and will be a solid stretch four if he continues to knock down shots inside the 3-point line.
Jennings excels at slashing to the basket. He’s too strong to stop. Watkins joined the team during the second semester of last season. His best scoring performance of 26 points was at Arlington. Shaw is very athletic and long. He’s at his best in transition.
Borders is very quick, knows when to make the right pass and knows how to finish in transition. Banks is a big, athletic guard who can score from different areas on the floor. He can play both guard positions and will probably play at small forward at times, depending on the matchup.
Whitehaven
Whitehaven will be led by head coach Fred Horton in 2019, but the Tigers have familiar faces back that Horton could ride all the way to Murfreesboro. Seniors Jesse Payne Jr., Kavion McClain, Ragi Phillips and Alvin Miles will lead the way. All four players can average double figures in scoring.
Just look at what Payne Jr., McClain and Phillips did last season under former head coach Faragi Phillips. Payne Jr. averaged 13 points, 5.6 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 3.3 steals per game. McClain averaged 12.1 points, 2.5 rebounds, 4.1 assists and three steals last season. Phillips averaged 9.9 points 3.6 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 2.1 steals in 2018. Miles transferred to Wooddale in the middle of last season and led the Cardinals to a Class AA state title, but came back over the summer.
Teams will not be able to press Whitehaven as all four guards can handle the basketball. Teams will have to be mindful to not attempt to run with this team in transition.
Houston
Houston will be one of the tallest teams in Class AAA. The Mustangs will have juniors T.J. Madlock (6-2), Mason Miller (6-8 ½) and Zander Yates (6-7) and senior forward Faizon Fields (6-8) back this season. Houston was able to add junior combo guard Alden Applewhite (6-6) to the mix.
Madlock will lead the way at point guard. He’s the engine for this team. The Mustangs will go as far as Madlock produces. He’s coming off a sophomore season where he averaged 17 points, five rebounds, five assists and two steals per game.
Miller and Applewhite, who averaged 18.2 points, 6.1 rebounds, four assists and two steals per game last season at Lausanne, are very similar. Both are left-handed shooters; both can put the ball on the floor and shoot the 3.
Yates can score as well. He averaged nine points, six rebounds, 1.4 assists and 0.4 steals last season.
Fields will probably lead this team in rebounding. He averaged close to a double-double last season (10.3 points, 7.2 rebounds).
By the height, scoring and athleticism, many are picking Houston to hoist the gold ball at the end of the 2019 season.