Class AA Regional Favorites
Class AA is wide open in 2019 with perhaps three teams deserving extra attention (Wooddale, Raleigh-Egypt, East Nashville). Friday night helped give little clarity to the state favorites, but regional favorites are more easily predicted after dozens of district semifinals…
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Continue ReadingClass AA is wide open in 2019 with perhaps three teams deserving extra attention (Wooddale, Raleigh-Egypt, East Nashville). Friday night helped give little clarity to the state favorites, but regional favorites are more easily predicted after dozens of district semifinals wrapped.
Raleigh-Egypt entered the offseason as favorites, but Chandler Lawson’s arrival at Wooddale cemented Wooddale as a legitimate state favorite. Outside of 16-AA (Region 8), which teams are capable of making that deep run? Which teams are favored by @PrepHoopsTN to advance through each regional bracket?
REGION 1
The last three Region 1 Champions were: Grainger (2018), Sullivan East (2017), Elizabethton (2016).
No region is more difficult to guess the champion. In fact, predicting the regional final is a daunting challenge.
Johnson County split with Elizabethton in the regular season. Both teams are strong out of District 1 AA. Johnson County only holds the #1 seed thanks to a draw. The 1 AA district will send four teams: Johnson County, Elizabethton, Sullivan South, Unicoi County.
Gannon Chase likely seals it with free throws with 7.7 seconds left, South 51, Central 46
— Jeff Birchfield (@JBirchfieldJCP) February 16, 2019
Unicoi County is the darling 8-win team carrying a unimaginable 3-game winning streak into the District Semifinals. They eliminated Sullivan East and Happy Valley. They are sledding towards more upsets.
Regional Favorite: Elizabethton.
REGION 2
The last three Region 2 Champions were: Fulton (2018), Knoxville Catholic (2017), Fulton (2016).
Fulton’s Falcons have been a #1 or #2 two seed in their district the last three seasons. Fulton has made 23 state championship appearances and won three. Fulton won the state title as recently as 2016.
The regular season champion from 3AA, Union County is riding a nine game winning streak. Union County’s nine district wins set them apart from Gibbs, Carter, and the pack.
Gibbs finished with seven District 3AA wins. Carter just managed six wins. Gibbs is not better.
Gibbs High did place two players on the All-District Team. Both Shawn Park and Caden Cupp made the team.
Fulton split with Austin-East this season. Austin-East was disallowed from competing in the postseason in 2018 after that brawl with Brainerd.
In 2017-2018, Austin-East managed a 2-1 record against eventual Class AA state participants. They split with Fulton and defeated Livingston Academy.
Fulton’s point guard Edward “Dudda” Lacy brings a special bravery. Ranked #45 in the state, Lacy willed his Falcons to the Class AA State Championship Game last spring. Unlike most of the Class AA participants Fulton brought everyone back. Ron Davis III (PrepHoopsTN #29 in 2019 rankings) and Deshaun Page (PrepHoopsTN #126) are important pieces too.
Page will play college football next year. Like Solomon Bridgeman of Tyner Academy he makes an enormous difference on the glass.
Regional Favorite: Fulton.
REGION 3
The last three Region 3 Champions were: Tyner Academy (2018), Brainerd (2017), Brainerd (2016).
Sweetwater’s boys are growing a beanstalk of uncommon realities. Few teams have the 25 wins Sweetwater’s Wildcats already hold. Remember late January they earned the PrepHoopsTN Team of the Week. Sweetwater’s 25 wins do need some context. At least one schedule ranking (CoachT.com) determined their schedule to be 87th in the state. They are not playing teams as tough as Brainerd and Tyner Academy are, according to this single measure.
Like Tyner Academy and Brainerd, Sweetwater plays at least one college level athlete (Dominique Oggs). A chasm typically separates District 6 AA and 5 AA athletically. SHS brings a more athletic team this season.
Can they compete? After Loudon’s crumbling this week Sweetwater should win a D 5AA Tournament Championship to go with their D 5AA Regular Season Championship.
Favored teams this season include Brainerd, Tyner Academy, Sweetwater, and Loudon if the Redskins of LHS can recover from a demoralizing loss to Sequoyah Friday night.
Tyner Academy made six state championships in the past.
Earlier this week we posted a prediction regarding Tyner Academy’s chances on returning to the Class AA State Tournament. They Rams did bring plenty of talented players back from 2018 and the senior class is extremely capable.
Regional Favorite: Tyner Academy.
REGION 4
From 8 AA Livingston Academy advanced, predictably. Upperman sprung a mild upset over York Institute earlier in the evening, 61-57. Alex Rush manufactured a double-double an sophomore Collin Gore scored an impressive 30 points.
Though York Institute will enter the Region 4 Tournament with a 3 or 4 seed, they are still capable of rattling off the required three wins.
Cumberland County will both host and possibly win 7 AA. The 7 AA field is quite a big weaker overall. Grundy County is the only 7 AA team that finished the regular season with a winning record.
Here is a fan vote from February 12th. For what it is worth Livingston Academy represented the region in 2018 at the AA State Tournament.
Who wins 8-AA District Tournament?
— Prep Hoops Tennessee (@PrepHoopsTN) February 13, 2019
Regional Favorite: Livingston Academy.
REGION 5
Last year East Nashville was undefeated into February. Last year East Nashville looked like a state team. Last year East Nashville had a wonderful backcourt with Jayden Lockett and Gene Holmes. Last year was the year.
East Nashville faces a much weaker district this year. Stratford was horrible. They are gone. Maplewood still hasn’t found a star after Bo Hodges (ETSU). MLK lacks the depth to overtake East Nashville, though they sprung a whimsical upset of ENHS at this point last season.
If anybody from 10 AA can win the region it is Pearl Cohn.
Rarely does 9 AA advance a team worthy of challenging for state. White House is stronger than usual with Jared Ward, Octavion Arnold, Durstin Adams, etc. More likely, Sycamore High runs out a 6-foot-9 forward named Daniel Saylor. They actually have a piece capable of rattling East Nashville or Pearl Cohn.
Regional Favorite: East Nashville.
REGION 6
Fairview continues their charge toward AA state. The Yellowjackets are large favorites to win the 11-AA District Tournament after winning the 11-AA District Regular Season Championship. When Region 6 begins FHS is likely to face Central Magnet or Community.
Entering the regional tournament Fairview will be 28-2 or 27-3 with plenty of buzz.
Since the school’s founding in 1956 Fairview High’s basketball team never advanced to state. This is a fantastic opportunity in the coming weeks.
favorites are more easily predicted after dozens of district semifinals wrapped.
From 12-AA both Nolensville and Marshall County are formidably foes. Fairview owns a single game on record against either 12-AA favorite. The yellowjackets beat the Tigers of Marshall County, 76-71, on December 13th. Last season NHS defeated a strong FHS team, 52-21 in the Regional Championship.
Could they meet again?
East Hickman High School hosts.
Regional Favorite: Marshall County.
REGION 7
Participants: South Gibson, Crockett County, Westview, Milan, Jackson South Side, Lexington, Chester County, Jackson North Side.
Favorites South Gibson slipped by Milan, 60-58 (pictured right). They will not meet second-seeded Westview in the District 13-AA Championship Monday as Crockett County upended Westview, 62-58.
Sputtering Westview High is the coldest team in the state still alive, losers of their last four games.
The Region 7 Champion the last three years were: Jackson South Side (2018), Fayette Ware (2017), Westview (2016).
In 2018, South Gibson made and was summarily crushed in the sectionals by eventual champion Hamilton.
South Side won the Class AA State Championship in 2014. The Hawks made four state appearances in their history and a fifth is extremely likely.
The Hawks graduated Bryce McBride, but most of their best players last season were underclassmen. Josh Anderson, Brandon Maclin (PrepHoopsTN #20), Matthew Berry (PrepHoopsTN #98), Janias Parram (PrepHoopsTN #52), Jtayvion Johnson can all go. The team is possibly more deep than a season ago.
Regional Favorite: Jackson South Side.
REGION 8
Tough to tell. 15-AA is very strong, going three deep with Covington, Haywood, and Bolivar Central. Fayette Ware is not really a challenger for the regional title. Bolivar Central split with Haywood during the regular season and dropped two relatively close games to Covington.
Star PG @jeffnorment scored 27 points to help @BCHSTigers1 to the 15-AA Championship. They will play Covington/Haywood winner.
— Prep Hoops Tennessee (@PrepHoopsTN) February 16, 2019
Covington knocked off Haywood in overtime. Covington and Bolivar Central will battle for the #1 seed in the region.
It is unlikely too many of 15-AA teams make it to the Regional finals, as 16-AA will bring some behemoths (Wooddale, Raleigh-Egypt, Hamilton, Mitchell). Judging purely by results to date Wooddale and Raleigh-Egypt are the best two Class AA teams in the entire state. Either one or both could push all the way to the State Title Game.
Chandler Lawson is such a defensive disruptor. Raleigh-Egypt features more stars, but Wooddale’s star is the best star.
Regional Favorite: Wooddale.
Four of the eight region picks played in the Class AA State Quarterfinals last season. Am I suffering from recency bias? Let me know. DM or comment at @PrepHoopsTN.
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