Five Themes: Clinton-South Side
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Clinton and South Side, two of the three best teams in 3A met Wednesday morning in a riveting State Quarterfinal matchup. Who prevailed and why? South Side won 52-47 and these five themes reveal why. The South Side Pressure Versus…
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Continue ReadingClinton and South Side, two of the three best teams in 3A met Wednesday morning in a riveting State Quarterfinal matchup. Who prevailed and why?
South Side won 52-47 and these five themes reveal why.
The South Side Pressure Versus Clinton’s Guards
Clinton was one of the first teams in the last two years to handle South Side’s unrelenting, scrambled pressure. Trace Thackerson, the primary ball-handler did a wonderful job of escaping traps and pressure primarily with the pass. Jackson Garner Jackson Garner 6'0" | PG Clinton | 2022 State TN committed a few more turnovers (4 in the first 3Q), but he also did an admirable job avoiding the typical pitfalls created by the South Side Hawks.
Until the final few minutes.
Sain II
Mr. Basketball Finalist Rico Sain II Rico Sain II 6'2" | PG South Side | 2022 State TN did rattle a few cages, darting around the court. He collected four steals in the first three quarters and finished several fastbreak points as a result. His 15 points in his first 25 minutes set the tone. When the refs rightfully whistled Sain for a reach on Thackerson midway through the fourth quarter, there was a blemish on his elite poking record.
Guarding Garner
The primary challenge when playing Clinton is guarding, or attempting to guard, Jackson Garner Jackson Garner 6'0" | PG Clinton | 2022 State TN . Jackson South Side did ok. They typically played either a 2-3 zone, or face-guarded him. Garner was difficult to keep from shooting, but the shots did often have hands in his face. Garner needed a lot of effort to carve out legitimate opportunities. While he did figure it out, he was less efficient than usual and credit the defense with challenging him. The senior guard made 7 of his first 16 shots, a decent figure.
Free Throw Concerns
South Side’s free throws were terrible. They shot 9-22 (40.9%) and were lucky to win with such an appalling figure. Clinton’s turnovers certainly made helped the Hawks avoid the typical fate for such errant shooting. The faskbreak points, as spearheaded by Sain II and Kobe Ward Kobe Ward 5'11" | PG Jackson South Side | 2022 State TN absolutely absolved the Hawks.
South Side misses FT's could be a decisive theme in this 4th Q.
I don't anticipate Clinton will miss many.7-16 FT's for South Side so far.
— Prep Hoops Tennessee (@PrepHoopsTN) March 16, 2022
Lane-Owner Harrison
Lane Harrison’s dominance in the paint was special. Harrison made sharp cuts behind the defense and effectively capitalized. He scored 62% from the field heading into the final three minutes of action. Harrison’s length helped him finish, but the cuts took savvy and smarts. Facing a team like the Hawks, these types of cuts are certainly effective because South Side jumps the passing lanes constantly. This makes them more susceptible to backdoor passes than most teams and Lane rightfully took major advantage.