Season preview: Overton Wolverines
Changing the culture inside a program is very important. It lets everyone know what’s allowed and what’s not. Overton head coach Shelvie Rose has been on course with making the Wolverines a respectful program in the city of Memphis. Yeah,…
Access all of Prep Hoops
Continue reading this article and more.
Continue ReadingChanging the culture inside a program is very important. It lets everyone know what’s allowed and what’s not.
Overton head coach Shelvie Rose has been on course with making the Wolverines a respectful program in the city of Memphis. Yeah, Overton didn’t play in 2020, but the Wolverines aren’t a team that’s looking to start over.
It’s a program that’s looking to kick the door in.
I, along with college coaches from various programs, were on hand Sunday for Overton’s open gym session.
Here are three observations from the Wolverines’ open gym run.
Isaiah Regular has to bring it on every possession
Coach Rose has been tough on his senior forward, as he should be. Regular, a 6-foot-7 athletic forward, has all of the pieces to lead Overton to big things in 2021. In order for the Wolverines to have huge success this upcoming season, Regular will have to be one of the main reasons. He can block shots at the rim. Regular can put the basketball on the floor and make shots from the perimeter. He’s more impressive by how well he can communicate on both ends of the floor.
Regular just has to do it on every play. Overton can’t afford to have its best player in the frontcourt to take plays off. Coach Rose is like the maintenance guy at Firestone. He’s going to give you an oil change. Rose is going to rotate the tires, but it’s up to the driver to get to the destination. Regular is the driver. He has to keep going until the Wolverines reach their projected destination.
Overton has a backcourt this time around
In Rose’s first season as the Wolverines’ captain, he lacked a reliable backcourt, which is something that’s needed in the sport. Overton will have a backcourt in 2021 with junior point guard Jordan Frison and senior guard Jaden Taylor leading the way. Both can play off the ball, which is a plus. Both can shoot, which is another plus. No one knows about Taylor, so he can come in and become an instant leader for the Wolverines. Many know Frison, but he has yet to get respect as one of the best guards in his class. He’s out to prove the doubters.
Taylor and Frison impressed me on Sunday with their communication. Frison made sharp passes to his teammates. Taylor can get to the basket and moves well without the basketball. This backcourt plus Regular are enough to make noise in 4A.
Jherrone Jones is as good as advertised
Jones is a freak of nature. The 6-1 senior guard is another weapon Overton can use on the offensive end. Jones is a perfect fit in transition, because he can jump out of the gym. In half-court settings, Jones is a solid spot-up shooter. He isn’t the only weapon the Wolverines will have. Senior guard Terrell Freeman will provide scoring as well. He’s another player that can make shots from the perimeter.
Overton shouldn’t have a problem scoring with Jones, Freeman, Frison and Taylor as the four main guards on the roster. Add Regular and junior forward Jailen Hardaway, who can help with floor spacing because of his perimeter shooting, the Wolverines should be able to score in the 80s on most nights.