Whitehaven will need one or two more pieces to make a state title run next season

<p>After former Whitehaven boys' head varsity basketball coach Faragi Phillips took an assistant coaching position under Jerry Stackhouse at Vanderbilt, the Tigers were in search of their next head coach, in hopes of keeping a team that has reached the state tournament two seasons in a row intact.</p> <p>Unfortunately, Whitehaven lost some pieces to its puzzle.</p> <p>Four-star guard <strong>Matthew Murrell</strong> will finish his high school basketball career at IMG Academy. The Tigers' starting point guard from last season Kavion McClain will spend his senior season under Maurice Miller at Arlington High School.</p> <p>New head coach Fred Horton, who was the longtime former Booker T. Washington coach and one of the most successful coaches in Memphis with 695 career wins, will need to replace McClain and Murrell if his goal is to get Whitehaven back to the state tournament.</p> <p>The Tigers will have some solid experience back next season in guards <strong>Jesse Payne</strong> and <strong>Antwan Smith</strong> and forward <strong>Devine Owens</strong>. Faragi’s son, <strong>Ragi Phillips</strong>, may return next season or head with his father to play at a high school in Nashville, Tennessee. <strong>Alden Applewhite</strong>, a 6-foot-6 combo guard, was at Lausanne his first two years of high school but is looking for a new home. Whitehaven is one of his choices along with White Station and Houston.</p> <p><strong>Recruiting information</strong></p> <p><strong>Alden Applewhite</strong> – The 6-6 combo guard holds interests from Ole Miss, Tulsa, Iowa State, Memphis, Butler, and Texas A&amp;M. TCU is the only school to offer the junior.</p> <p><strong>Randy Brady (Brentwood Academy)</strong> – The 6-5 ½ junior guard holds offers from Florida State, Middle Tennessee State, Ole Miss, Ohio State and Vanderbilt. Brady's summer has been so busy to the point he hasn't been able to schedule any visits. He will try to squeeze some in during the summer and the fall. Brady wants to schedule visits with the Rebels, the Buckeyes, Purdue, Louisville, Auburn and Texas A&amp;M.</p> <p><strong>Wes Maples (Sevier County)</strong> – The 6-4 shooting guard is receiving interests from Indiana State, College of Charleston, LMU, Maryville and University of Arkansas-Fort Smith. Maples, a senior, recently attended camps at East Carolina and University of Alabama in Huntsville. Both schools are showing interest.</p> <p><strong>Jacobi Wood (Cleveland/WHBH 17U)</strong> – The 6-2 point guard picked up an offer from Belmont last week. He attended the Bruins’ camp and a camp at Jacksonville State. Wood has an unofficial visit set with Furman on the 24^th of this month. The senior’s other offers are from Canisius, UT-Chattanooga, James Madison and the Gamecocks of Jacksonville State.</p> <p><strong>Michael Malone Jr. (Briarcrest/Bluff City Legends GOLD)</strong> – The 6-3 guard holds offers from Texas Southern University, UT-Martin, Mississippi Valley State, North Carolina A&amp;T and Tennessee State University. Troy State, Murray State and Tennessee Tech are showing interest and are planning to come watch the senior play in this week’s BCAT (Basketball Coaches Association of Tennessee).</p> <p><strong>Chandler Jackson (Christian Brothers/Hoop City 16U)</strong> – The 6-4 point guard is receiving interests from South Carolina, Memphis and Ole Miss. More schools are looking at the 2022 guard.</p> <p><strong>Reese McMullen (Christian Brothers/Hoop City 16U)</strong> – The 6-2 guard have been in contact with Davidson, Liberty, Lipscomb, Belmont, Holy Cross and Yale. All six schools have the junior high on their priority list.</p> <p><strong>Jalen Brown (Bluff City Legends 16U)</strong> – The 2021 guard picked up two offers this week from Troy and Tulsa.</p> <p><strong>Kaeden Laws (Center Hill/Bluff City 16U)</strong> – Laws, a junior forward, has one offer from IUPUI. Schools such as Ole Miss, Belmont, Southern Miss and Mississippi Valley State are showing interest.</p> <p><strong>Kameron Jones (ECS/Team Thad 16U)</strong> – The 2021 point guard picked up two offers this week from Troy and Tennessee Tech.</p> <p><strong>Johnathan DeJurnett (Lausanne/Hoop City 17U)</strong> – The senior forward has offers from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville and Campbell.</p> <p><strong>Jalen Bo Montgomery (Lausanne/Hoop City17U)</strong> – The senior combo guard has offers from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville and Columbia. Rhode Island, Murray State, Colorado State and Arkansas are showing interest in the 6-5 guard. Ole Miss, Vanderbilt and Elon University will be in attendance this weekend to watch Montgomery at BCAT.</p>