Five Questions: Franklin-Brentwood
The Rebels exceeded their seed’s expectations, scoring a monumental win Tuesday night over #1 seed Brentwood, 49-44.
Reese Glover scored 30 points for a gaudy 61.2% of his team’s 49 points. Thursday night the victorious Franklin Rebels will face the Cane Ridge Ravens back in Antioch’s gym.
The victory brings up five pertinent questions.
Should Jack sign up for Sixth Man every game?
Jack Thurman throttled the Rebels of Franklin early. Presumably Thurman started the critical basketball on the bench because he cursed at an official Saturday night. Despite the Franklin Rebel win over a feisty Antioch team, Head Coach Greg Shirley berated his squad for their lack of discipline.
Though he entered about three minutes into the game, Thurman’s impact was swift and consistent.
Thurman knocked down a fadeaway. Minutes later the floppy-haired junior nailed a three-pointer. He was very successful with mid-range finishes too.
How do you defend Reese Glover?
Defending Reese is an enormous task, a task that routinely goes unfulfilled. Tuesday night Preston Moore earned the dubious challenge. For the entire first half, #12 in Glover’s kitchen. Preston gave Reese the body. Disrupted.
Oddly, Moore even grabbed Glover during a passive moment. It seemed odd and an official rightly whistled Moore for a tech.
Reese Glover now scoring at will. Challenged 3 good. Followed by and1. 15-11 Franklin mid2Q
— Prep Hoops Tennessee (@PrepHoopsTN) February 28, 2018
In the third quarter, Glover racked up a third foul on Moore, so Brentwood Head Coach Shirley opted to place the taller, slightly slower Harry Lackey on Reese.
Lackey was serviceable, but merely guided Glover into traps. He was not quite as quick with the feet as Peyton Moore.
Why couldn’t Brentwood score?
Harry Lackey passed squirrelly. The gifted sophomore tried to probe Franklin’s 1-3-1 numerous times. At least three times Lackey’s pass found the deflecting hand of a Rebel player.
Lackey saw the passing lanes, but delivered his bounce passes to obviously and too slowly. Franklin expects slashers to cut off their dribble and feed the short corner and the defenders tend to guess correctly before those passes find the intended recipients.
David Windley played expertly in the first half, but quieted down substantially in the fourth quarter. Windley’s younger brother, 2021 John Windley heaved a desperate three-pointer in the final minute. It caressed the top of the backboard. Desperately trying to keep the ball alive for the Bruins Thurman reached over the back.
He earned a foul. Thurman frustratedly scored the younger Windley as David wrapped his arm around his brother.
It was the end of the Bruin hope.
How does Franklin Mount Scoring Surges?
In first half, Franklin summoned the streaky gene. Franklin scored 20 points in the half. The first nine points came as an answer to Brentwood’s methodical 5-0 start. After the Bruins countered, Franklin manufactured another 8-0 run. Reese Glover was an integral part of this push.
He scored 14 of Franklin’s first 20 points.
As the game wore on, Reese and his Rebel teammates started to collect fouls. The peppering of fouls accumulated faster than the Bruins wanted.
Reese back to FT line. 42-38. 1:10 BWood ball trailing.
— Prep Hoops Tennessee (@PrepHoopsTN) February 28, 2018
Reese and even Evan Sigler lived at the line in the final four minutes. Glover missed just once (9-10 ft’s).
How far can Franklin go?
Thursday Franklin gets a tough Cane Ridge team. The Ravens are deeper than the Rebels. They also have a quickness rarely seen in the 11th District. Reese had a little trouble shooting against Antioch, but the Rebels powered through.
Cane Ridge is a better version of Antioch and they will pressure Franklin 94′. It is not impossible to imagine Franklin winning that game.
If they do the next opponent will again be difficult (Clarksville Northeast/Mt. Juliet). Northeast has two of the best perimeter defenders in middle Tennessee. Mt. Juliet runs out an agile big in Isaac Stephens. Franklin will not be favored against either opponent.
That would be a State Tournament game. Winning against both Cane Ridge and either Northeast or Mt. Juliet would guarantee the Rebels a spot in the Final Four.
Likely Final Four opponents include Cordova or Memphis East. Can anybody in the state beat Memphis East? It seems unlikely.
The fun continues for now, with Franklin celebrating the wonderful Regional Semifinal win.