Four best trios in the 2020 class
The anticipation for another high school basketball season is high. From parents to players to coaches, the smiles are in the air, and all of the talk of what could possibly happen has already started. Just a couple of days…
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Continue ReadingThe anticipation for another high school basketball season is high.
From parents to players to coaches, the smiles are in the air, and all of the talk of what could possibly happen has already started. Just a couple of days ago, I wrote a story on the four big headlines to watch for this upcoming season. Next, I’m going to chime in on the four best trios in the 2020 class. Seniors are very important to a team’s success and with the guys I am about to mention, a state championship will depend on well they perform.
So, let’s get to it.
Lausanne’s Johnathan DeJurnett, Jalen Bo Montgomery and Nick Floyd
Forward Johnathan DeJurnett (6-foot-8) and combo guard Jalen Bo Montgomery (6-5) work well together. DeJurnett is able to get his touches because Montgomery knows where his teammate is going to be on the court. Senior guard Nick Floyd can knock down shots from the outside, and his upper body strength gives teams fits on the defensive end. After last season’s injury-plagued season, these three plus the rest of the crew are on a mission to get to Nashville, Tennessee.
Knoxville Webb’s Uriah Powers, Luke Burnett and Tariq Daughton
Emory Lanier is heading to Georgia, so his teammates will have to pick up the productivity he left behind. During the summer when I watched the Spartans play, the chemistry was just as sharp as it was last season, but that’s with Lanier in the starting lineup. I spoke to Burnett during the second NCAA live period, and he’s confident Knoxville Webb can get back to Nashville. It will just come down to the leadership of himself, Powers and Daughton. How will they respond without Lanier to guide the offense? Who can step into his spot? The answers will come sooner than later. Powers, Burnett and Daughton should be enough to keep the Spartans in contention.
Briarcrest Christian’s Michael Malone Jr., Omari Thomas and Rodney Newsom Jr.
Briarcrest Christian is Kennedy Chandler’s team, but he has one of the best supporting cast in Division II-AA. Guard Michael Malone Jr., who stands at 6-3, is the Saints’ best perimeter defender. He proved that last season when he guarded Christian Brothers’ Chandler Jackson and Brentwood Academy’s Marcus Fitzgerald. Omari Thomas (6-5) and Rodney Newsom Jr. (6-3) are too physical for any other big man to handle. There’s no team right now with a solid trio like what Briarcrest Christian has intact.
Olive Branch’s Kyron Pleas, Wes Taylor and Cameron Matthews
Jackson State commit Wes Taylor is still upset at how last season ended with a loss in the MHSAA 5A Boys State Championship game to Center Hill. He felt Olive Branch allowed one to slip away. Well, the ‘Quistors will be in 6A this upcoming season, and the only way to get rid of the bad memory will be to win a state championship. Taylor, Kyron Pleas and Cameron Matthews are already champions. They won a 5A state title as sophomores, so playing in big games is nothing new to them. After watching these three over the summer, I could tell how determined they are to get back to Jackson, Mississippi. Taylor and Pleas are solid scoring guards and play solid defense. Matthews is a 6-6 animal that’s hard to keep out of the paint. He’s at his best when he’s bringing the ball up the floor.
Matthews showed that at the Jerry Peters Memphis Summer Classic. Olive Branch has the talent to win another state title, but it will take Taylor, Pleas and Matthews to lead them there.