35 best performances from the 2019-20 regular season
I started off with the idea of listing the 10 best performances from the 2019-20 high school basketball regular season. Then, I said to myself “I need to add more names.” So, I started to go through all of the…
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Continue ReadingI started off with the idea of listing the 10 best performances from the 2019-20 high school basketball regular season.
Then, I said to myself “I need to add more names.”
So, I started to go through all of the stories I put together over the course of the regular season and handpicked 35 names.
It wasn’t hard at all, and I would have been stupid to just write a story on 10 performances when the start of Tennessee has so much talent.
I witnessed all of the performances I’m about to list, and I enjoyed every last one of them.
Here are the 35 best performances from the 2019-20 season:
Johnathan Lawson, Wooddale: The 6-foot-8 guard/forward had so many solid performances this season that I could name over 10. In a 99-67 win over Hamilton, Lawson had 24 points, 15 rebounds and 11 assists. He went 9 for 14 from the field and 3 for 7 from 3. This performance plus many others solidified Lawson’s claim for Mr. Basketball in Class AA.
Daeshun Ruffin, Callaway: Ruffin had 35 points, six assists and five rebounds in the Chargers’ 83-72 win over Wooddale in The Lighthouse Classic. He was named MVP of the game. Ruffin is so fun to watch because of his ability to score the basketball. He definitely brings the crowd out when he plays.
Keon Johnson, Webb School: The Tennessee commit had 31 points, 14 rebounds, eight assists, three blocks and one steal in the Feet’s 71-57 win over Holly Springs in The Lighthouse Classic. On the first day of the event, Johnson had 37 points, nine rebounds, seven assists and two blocks in Webb School’s 67-66 win over Center Hill.
Samson Ruzhentsev, Hamilton Heights: The Florida commit had 31 points, nine rebounds, two assists and one steal in the Hawks’ 77-59 win over Orangeville Prep on the first day of The Lighthouse Classic. The 6-7 wing is deadly from 3-point range. Ruzhentsev plays hard and doesn’t back down from anyone. He’s a warrior on the court.
Braxton Morris, Center Hill: Before Morris was benched in the second half of the season, he was productive for the Mustangs. In the one-point loss to Webb School, the 6-1 point guard had 14 points, four rebounds, four assists, three steals and one block. This was probably the senior guard’s best performance of the season. It was his chandelier moment.
Mason Miller, Houston: Miller had 23 points, nine rebounds, one assist and one block in the Mustangs’ 57-29 win over Grace Baptist Academy in The Lighthouse Classic. He was named MVP of the game.
Amos Howard, Webb School: Howard had 15 points, nine rebounds, two assists, two steals and one block against Center Hill. He was definitely a big help for the Feet’s offense on a day he was needed from start to finish.
Marcellus Brigham Jr., Briarcrest: The senior wing had 13 points, 14 rebounds and five assists in the Saints’ 74-64 win over Callaway in The Lighthouse Classic. When Brigham is zoned in, he’s one of the best players on the floor.
Kennedy Chandler, Briarcrest: Chandler had 35 points, four rebounds, three steals and one block against the Chargers. He was named MVP of the game. Chandler is one of a few point guards in the 2021 class that can affect the game outside of scoring. That’s why so many Division 1 programs are coming after him.
Amarr Knox, Memphis Central: The sophomore point guard had 30 points in the Warriors’ 85-63 win over Bolton. Knox was simply unstoppable. Before I saw Knox, I was told that he’s the real deal. I had to see him. Yes, he’s the real deal.
Xavier Joubert, Memphis Central: Joubert is only 6-4, but plays bigger than his size. He was all over the glass in his team’s win over the Wildcats. Knox was special, and so was Joubert, who finished with 25 points in the win.
Ryan Parks, Fayette Academy: Parks had 32 points in the Vikings’ 62-61 win over Freedom Prep in the school’s Christmas Classic. Parks scored the game-winning basket with 6.3 seconds left in the game. In the third quarter of the contest, Parks eclipsed 1,000 points in his high school basketball career.
Andersson Garcia, Hamilton Heights: Garcia had 11 points, 14 rebounds, four steals, two blocks and one assist for the Hawks in their 64-61 win over West Oaks Academy to win the 2019 Lighthouse Classic Challenge Championship. Garcia was the unsung hero in the win. He does everything on the floor and puts forth the effort on every possession.
T.J. Madlock, Houston: The junior point guard took over in the second half of the Mustangs’ 71-61 win over Center Hill. Madlock scored 17 of his 19 points in the second half. Madlock’s surge was important in this game since junior combo guard Alden Applewhite Alden Applewhite 6'7" | SF AZ Compass Prep | 2021 State #126 Nation AZ was in foul trouble.
Duane Posey, Memphis East: Posey had 18 points and 11 rebounds in the Mustangs’ 89-76 win over Whitehaven in the first of two regular season meetings. The Tigers didn’t have an answer for the 6-6 forward in this contest. Posey had his way with Whitehaven.
Tadarius Jacobs, Memphis East: Jacobs had 31 points in the Mustangs’ 65-51 win over Center Hill. Every shot Jacobs took was a great shot. For the entire 32 minutes, the offense ran through Jacobs.
Decorian Payton, Center Hill: Payton had 24 points and 16 rebounds in the Mustangs’ loss to Memphis East. He carried the offense for the entire first half. Without him, his team would have lost by more than 14 points. Payton was a one-man force for most of the night.
Kameron Jones, ECS: Jones had 34 points in the Eagles’ 64-57 loss to FACS in overtime. He made four 3s in the game and went 6 for 6 from the free throw line. Jones is hard to stay in front of, and his smooth handles helps him avoid traps.
Alex Anderson, Tipton–Rosemark Academy: Anderson had 30 points and 12 rebounds in the Rebels’ 64-57 win over Arlington. He made 12 of 14 free throws. This was one of many performances that led Anderson to being a Mr. Basketball finalist in Division II-A.
Kylan Haywood, Memphis East: Not a lot of people talked about Haywood during the regular season. He’s a solid wing that can put the ball on the floor and shoot a high clip from the perimeter. Haywood had 21 points and 10 rebounds in his team’s 74-71 win over White Station. Haywood made the game-tying 3 to send the game into overtime, then scored the first two points of the extra period.
Brandon Maclin, Jackson South Side: Maclin had 18 points in the Hawks’ 86-59 win over McNairy Central. Maclin was able to get his points in the paint and from the perimeter. Maclin is a hidden wing that can play on both ends of the floor.
Jack Jabbour, MUS: The junior guard had 17 points in the Owls’ 63-59 win over ECS. Jabbour made 6 of 9 shots from the field and converted on 5 of 8 shots from deep. Jabbour is a great shooter. He has a nice release.
Derek Fountain, Holly Springs: Fountain had 21 points and 12 rebounds in the Hawks’ 74-64 win over Hueytown in the Hotbed Classic. He was named MVP. Fountain has a consistent mid-range jump shot. He plays well with his back to the basket.
RJ Berkley, MAHS: Berkley had 25 points in the Lions’ 60-51 win over Fayette Ware in the Hoop Xtravaganza by Ultimate Preps. He was named MVP. Berkley was one of the best guards in the state this season. He can score at least 20 points every night.
Chandler Jackson, Christian Brothers: Jackson had 15 points, eight rebounds and five assists in the Purple Wave’s 82-66 win over Harding Academy. The 6-4 point guard did this damage early on before sitting for most of the second quarter and part of the third quarter because of foul trouble.
Javar Daniel, Arlington: The freshman forward had 18 points, seven rebounds and three blocks in the Tigers’ 104-56 win over West Union in the Hotbed Classic. He was named MVP. Daniel has promise to be a point forward. He needs to improve on his jump shot, footwork and ball handling.
Alden Applewhite, Houston: Applewhite had a breakout year after being injured during most of his sophomore season. He had 30 points on 10 of 18 shooting in the Mustangs’ 76-50 win over Callaway in the Hotbed Classic. He was named MVP. Applewhite is a rhythm shooter. If a defender allows him to step into a shot, he’s going to knock it down. Once one falls, Applewhite’s other shot attempts will fall, too.
Moussa Cisse, Lausanne: Cisse was the biggest name in the state of Tennessee this season. He didn’t disappoint at all. He had 21 points and 12 rebounds in his team’s 52-47 win over Lake Cormorant in the Ultimate South Showcase.
Kavion McClain, Whitehaven: McClain had a lot of fun on the basketball court this season. He loves to score. McClain did that in the Tigers’ 98-63 win at Overton. He finished with 29 points.
Cameron Matthews, Olive Branch: The Mississippi State commit had 21 points, nine rebounds, nine assists and six steals in the ‘Quistors’ 82-81 overtime win over Mountain Brook in the Hotbed Classic. He was named MVP. Matthews made all of the right plays for his team to win. He was the best player on the floor that night.
Jalen Bo Montgomery, Lausanne: Montgomery had 21 points and five assists in his team’s 58-49 win over CPA in the first round of the Division II-A Boys State Tournament. Cisse was the team’s best player this season, but Montgomery was the Lynx’ most important player. He had to be the X-factor in order for Lausanne to compete for a state title. Montgomery accomplished that.
Jaylon Sanders, Collierville: Sanders had 19 points in the Dragons’ 60-57 win at Ridgeway. He went 8 for 8 from the free throw line. In 2019, Sanders didn’t settle for jump shots. He drove to the basket and drew contact, which allowed him to get to the free throw line a lot this season.
Kaeden Laws, Center Hill: Laws had 19 points and 10 rebounds in the Mustangs’ loss to Memphis East. Laws helped his teammate, Decorian Payton, on the offensive end. They were the sole reason the game was even close at times.
Jalen Brown, Wooddale: Brown opened up the 2019 season with a 20-point outing in the Cardinals’ 89-56 win at Hillcrest. He also had seven rebounds, four assists and three steals. Brown is one of a few guards that can score when he feels like doing so. The great thing with Brown is that he knows how to affect the game without being the team’s leading scorer. He knows how to fill up the stat sheet.
Hadden Burgess, ECS: Burgess had 22 points in the Eagles’ 79-60 win over Harding Academy in the quarterfinals round of the Division II-A Boys West Region Tournament. Before the game, Burgess was presented with a crystal ball for eclipsing 1,000 points. He was already at 1,136. Burgess hit the mark on Jan. 31 against University School of Jackson.