Regional Tournament Preview (R3-4A)
With the new classifications every region member is technically new, though a reigning region champion crown must be affixed on the head of AAA State Tournament participant Cleveland. Perhaps Howard (AA last year). The Blue Raiders will not be the…
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Continue ReadingWith the new classifications every region member is technically new, though a reigning region champion crown must be affixed on the head of AAA State Tournament participant Cleveland. Perhaps Howard (AA last year). The Blue Raiders will not be the favorites this year, despite earning their way in to the field with an overtime win over Ooltewah High in the districts.
Regional Tournament Seeding
Walker Valley vs. Warren County
Shelbyville vs. McMinn County
Coffee County vs. Howard
Cleveland vs. Franklin County
Coffee County is the host team.
District Tournament Scores
Coffee County 53 – Shelbyville 51
Franklin County 64 – Warren County 39
Cleveland vs. Walker Valley
McMinn County 65 vs. Howard 41
Region 3
The favorite: McMinn Conuty
Balance. Veterans. Davion Evans Davion Evans 5'6" | PG McMinn County | 2023 State TN handles pressure very well and composed, calculating guards are the key to postseason runs. Ty Runyan Ty Runyan 5'11" | PG McMinn County | 2022 State TN was average, by his standards, in the district tournament, and the team finished 2-1 with a single loss to Walker Valley. I expect those two teams meet again in the Regional Tournament semifinals.
The biggest threats: Cleveland, Walker Valley
“Our goal every year is to make it to state,” said CHS Head Coach Reggie Tucker. “That hasn’t changed one bit. We have all of our bodies back, for the most part. Jasen was out 8 games, came back [Tuesday] night, and played well. He is not in 32-minute playing straight, but he picked his spots last night, played hard.”
Gabe Leeper Gabe Leeper 6'1" | PG Cleveland | 2023 State TN was extraordinary last week, just about the best player in the entire tournament, second only to Brabson of Walker Valley.
“I love our chances and I like our team,” said Coach Tucker of the Regional Tournament. “We will be prepared.”
There is a D5-bias in my predictions to be sure. I think that it is the much stronger half of this bracket. Walker Valley is not the favorite, despite winning the D5-4A Tournament in convincing fashion because it just feels unlikely they can win three more times against this trio surrounding them in this article. The shooting was exceptional all week and Brabson was great. But, can it continue?
The biggest threat: Howard
I intended to include Howard as the favorite, despite finishing second in their regular season standings, and then…Cleveland topped Howard in the district semifinals.
The Hustlin’ Tigers of Howard are a really tough matchup, just like they were last season. The difference is that they are now competing with the big boys of 4A, whereas last season they were in 2A. Will they be capable of advancing through this regional tournament?
Absolutely.
Team Capsules
Walker Valley – The Mustangs are playing their best basketball of the season right now. It can be more important to be hot than good.
Howard – Nobody created more problems for McMinn County than Howard High. The entire team knows how to dribble into trouble and then emerge with a decently-high percentage shot at the rim. It is a slippery team to defend and they are wonderful at on-ball pressure. The team does over-commit on defense sometimes and the outside shooting is not really a concern when checking them. Overall, Howard is tough, but sputtering within the last week.
McMinn County – Balanced scoring. Wonderful team-play. The dynamic of the team is unselfishness. Davion Evans Davion Evans 5'6" | PG McMinn County | 2023 State TN is a player with the ability to create his own shot every single time down, but he elected to be a premiere passer this season and the results are undeniable. Ty Runyan Ty Runyan 5'11" | PG McMinn County | 2022 State TN is typically the team’s leading scorer and still [player_tooltip player_id=”1261389″ first=”Tucker” last=”Monroe”] is good for multiple three-pointers, Hayden Smith Hayden Smith 6'3" | SG McMinn County | 2023 State TN is nimble on his feet in the lane and able to faceup a bit. The team is just very, very balanced and patient offensively.
Coffee County –
Dayne Crosslin
Dayne
Crosslin
6'2" | PG
Coffee County | 2023
State
TN
is the leading scorer, but that does not distinguish him from his teammates, as they are a very balanced team offensively. Dayne, also a baseball player, will get his from anywhere though he is almost certain to make a multiple three-pointers. He netted more than one 12 times this season, and in his final three regular season games.
In just six games this year did Dayne not hit a three-pointer. Exclude his first week, and that number falls to 3. Out of 27 games, he hit a three-pointer in 21.
Dayne does have an offensive weakness. He is not very strong or hulking physically, so he will struggle in lane battles if there is not path for evasion. Also, somehow the excellent shooter is not having a very good year at the free throw line (66%). In a close playoff game, that number is not deterring me as a coach from giving him the pill. Dayne is a scorer and his touch is true plenty often.
Crosslin’s shooting at Rockvale (3-4 3’s in 1Q) will be vexing for any coach game-prepping the Red Raiders.
Aidan Abellana is a really reliable lead guard. He understands the zone offense perfectly and sees seams in the defense before they open, probably just based upon his experience.
Four players are averaging 4+ rpg: Connor Shemwell, Rollman, Brady Nugent, Jahlin Osbourne.
Starters:
#0
Dayne Crosslin
Dayne
Crosslin
6'2" | PG
Coffee County | 2023
State
TN
(2023)
#11 Brady Nugent (2022)
#12 Aidan Abellana (2022)
#33 Phinehas Rollman (2022)
#35 Connor Shemwell (2022)
Warren County
Sawyer Seymour (2023)
Kaden Rutledge (2023)
Eli Kuykendall (2022)
Nate Elrod (2023)
Kaden Desmaris
Coach Sullen alerted me to Kaden Rutledge being the lone returning starter from last year. Last year was a remarkable season for Warren County and you might remember they beat Grant Slatten and White County in the District Tournament Championship Game. That team is largely gone though and Warren County faces the hottest team in the region (Walker Valley) Saturday night.
McMinn County
#00
Hayden Smith
Hayden
Smith
6'3" | SG
McMinn County | 2023
State
TN
(2023)
#2
Davion Evans
Davion
Evans
5'6" | PG
McMinn County | 2023
State
TN
(2023)
Ty Runyan
Ty
Runyan
5'11" | PG
McMinn County | 2022
State
TN
10p, 5a, 3r
Tucker Monroe
Tucker
Monroe
6'3" | SF
McMinn County | 2023
State
TN
(2023)
Howard
#1 Mark Greer* (2022)
Christian Holland
Christian
Holland
6'1" | SG
Howard | 2023
State
TN
* (2023)
Jadon Jenkins
Jadon
Jenkins
5'11" | PG
Howard | 2022
State
TN
* (2022)
#5 Norman Freeman* (2022)
Myquise Thomas* (2024)
Franklin County
Shelbyville
#2 Terrence Johnson* (2024)
#20 SG Joe Harris* (2024)
#13 PG Isah Alexander* (2023)
#24 Kyler Trice* (2024)
#30 F Jeremiah Jones* (2023)
Cleveland
D5 Final Regular Season Standings
1. McMinn County
2. Howard
3. Cleveland
4. Walker Valley
5. Bradley Central
6. Ooltewah
7. Rhea County
D6 Final Regular Season Standings
1. Franklin County
2. Coffee County
3. Warren County
4. Shelbyville
Players to watch
Dayne Crosslin
Dayne
Crosslin
6'2" | PG
Coffee County | 2023
State
TN
(2023), Coffee County
Aidan Abellana (2022), Coffee County
Connor Shemwell (2022), Coffee County
Jasen Brooks
Jasen
Brooks
6'1" | PG
Cleveland | 2023
State
TN
(2023), Cleveland
Hayden Smith
Hayden
Smith
6'3" | SG
McMinn County | 2023
State
TN
(2023), McMinn County
Tucker Monroe
Tucker
Monroe
6'3" | SF
McMinn County | 2023
State
TN
(2023), McMinn County
Davion Evans
Davion
Evans
5'6" | PG
McMinn County | 2023
State
TN
(2023), McMinn County
Ty Runyan
Ty
Runyan
5'11" | PG
McMinn County | 2022
State
TN
(2022), McMinn County
Jaylen Sexton (2022), Howard
Jadon Jenkins
Jadon
Jenkins
5'11" | PG
Howard | 2022
State
TN
(2022), Howard
Jaylen Taylor (2024), Howard
Christian Holland
Christian
Holland
6'1" | SG
Howard | 2023
State
TN
(2023), Howard
Alex Hyder
Alex
Hyder
6'3" | SG
Cleveland | 2023
State
TN
(2023), Cleveland
Gabe Leeper
Gabe
Leeper
6'1" | PG
Cleveland | 2023
State
TN
(2023), Cleveland
Heath Davis (2022), Walker Valley
Jeremiah Jones (2023), Shelbyville)
Sawyer Seymour (2023), Warren County
Kaden Rutledge (2023), Warren County
Cole Harbison 2022), Walker Valley
Hobert Brabson
Hobert
Brabson
6'3" | PG
Walker Valley | 2023
State
TN
(2023), Walker Valley
REGIONAL FINAL PREDICTION
McMinn County vs. Cleveland
“Our goal every year is to make it to state,” said Coach Tucker Wednesday February 23rd. “That hasn’t changed one bit. We have all of our bodies back, for the most part.” The most part is an allusion to Jasen Brooks Jasen Brooks 6'1" | PG Cleveland | 2023 State TN ‘ return. He played Tuesday against Walker Valley and thrived in moderate minutes. He was very good in the second quarter and defended nearly as well as he ordinarily did before the injury that kept him out for eight games. Cleveland looks capable of making a deep run, though their path begins with a regular season champion, Franklin County.
McMinn County is a team that played steady and confident all year. With Ty Runyan Ty Runyan 5'11" | PG McMinn County | 2022 State TN leading the way, they should retaliate against Walker Valley in a likely second-round meeting. McMinn County and Cleveland are not the two teams that finished highest in the regular season, but they are the teams with the greatest talent and potential.