Private School Watch | Briarcrest Saints
With the crushing defeat in the semi-finals hovering over the Briarcrest Saints’ heads, they are looking to have a redemption season. Although the Saints lost Seniors such as Justin Batts and Cedric Henderson, they have gained experience from their current players and also one key transfer.
The super Sophomore, Kennedy Chandler (2021), will be running the show for the team this season. He utilizes his great court vision to put his teammates in perfect positions to be effective in games. During the June team camps, he showed his leadership qualities by directing teammates and being very vocal; to add, he really displayed that he was an extension of Coach John Harrington on the floor. Also on the offensive end, he can either break down a player for the drive or the nice 15 foot jump shot.
Coming off of the bench, the Saints have Reggie Neely (2020) and Delvin White (2020) spearheading a dynamic bench attack. Neeley ran the point guard position efficiently with nice entry passes into the post and getting plays set up. As a football athlete, he creates havoc and brings gridiron toughness on the defensive end with great on ball pressure. Outside of Antonio Thomas going to East, White leaving Hamilton High School, 2017-18 AA State Champions, may be one of the biggest moves so far. White provides athleticism and length on the wing for the Saints. For Hamilton, White was the sixth man giving instant scoring alongside playing impressive defense. Although White played the run and gun style at Hamilton, he looked comfortable on the floor with the rigorous sets and plays of Briarcrest.
Briarcrest also has two players destined for a breakout season. To begin, Marcellus Brigham (2020) has put on some muscle to fill out his frame, and he attacks the basket strongly now as well. He can take the contact easily and finish for the traditional 3-point play. If Brigham continues to develop his shot, then most scouts and analysts will start giving high major approval. To continue, David Dixon (2021) is currently ranked #5 in the PrepHoops’ rankings, but he still flies under the radar. At 6’7, Dixon provides assurance in the post with nice footwork and a great knack for rebounding. From the Summer League games, Coach Harrington has been stretching Dixon’s game out a little more to the three point line to draw defenders outside of the paint; to an extent, it looks like Harrington is transitioning Dixon into a stretch 3-4. With his size and length, if Dixon works on his ball handling and shooting, then expect a lot more Divison 1 offers to be knocking on his door .
Outside of East, Briarcrest could very well be the best team in Memphis, and they should definitely make some noise this upcoming season.