Cane Ridge Ravens Win Opener over Guests USN, 73-51

<h4 style="text-align: left;">BREAKING NEWS:  Brandon Miller did not dress.  He is injured and will not play for another month+.  Miller injured his hip flexor while training and it was a pretty significant tear apparently.  He will not be back until around Christmas. </h4> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Frenetic defense saved Cane Ridge from themselves.  The offensive choices proved suspect.  University School-Nashville simply didn't have the speed of bounce to match the hosting Ravens.  </p> <p>Here are 10 best from Monday's game.</p> <h2><strong>1. MVP</strong></h2> <p><strong>Caleb Wilson (Cane Ridge 2021, G, 6-foot-3)</strong></p> <p>9-0 run for Caleb Wilson!  "Ten points in a row for him," narrated AAU Coach Tony Thompson Sr.  Caleb made a free throw to finish off his and-1.  It followed two triples and another pair of lay-ups.  </p> <h2><strong>2. Play of the game</strong></h2> <p>Undercut from behind, junior starter Caleb Wilson contorted his body enough to finish under the tin and-1.  Cane Ridge pulled away during the same stretch that Caleb took over.</p> <h2><strong>3. Best offensive performance</strong></h2> <p><strong>Caleb Wilson (Cane Ridge 2021, G, 6-foot-3)</strong></p> <p>Hoppy.  With his chest out and his legs flexed, Caleb bounded over the mass of men.  Such a gifted athlete, Caleb is blossoming into a truly dominant high school basketball player.  His third quarter was a thing of beauty.  Caleb amassed his very own 10-2 run against USN.  He will face better defenses, but this was a magical opening night for him.</p> <h2><strong>4. Best defensive performance</strong></h2> <p><strong>Tony Thompson Jr. (Cane Ridge 2021, PG, 6-foot-1)</strong> </p> <p>Instant offense is a familiar term, but instant defense?  Tony Thompson entered the game late in the first quarter and immediately frustrated the USN guards.  He trapped well and forced a poor post feed with his arms extended.  The next possession he deflected a dribble and initiated a turnover. </p> <h2><strong>5. Best guy off the bench</strong></h2> <p><strong>Royale Tillman (Cane Ridge 2021, F, 6-foot-4)</strong></p> <p>Royale injected the Raven offense with fantastic scoring.  His outside shot fell the only time he took it.  Tillman projects as a SG/SF, but his post work helped the Ravens a lot early on.</p> <h2><strong>6. Best intangibles</strong></h2> <p><strong>Adrian Samuels (U School Nashville 2022, G, 6-foot-1)</strong></p> <p>Silky.  The sophomore is built like a small Tayshuan Prince.  His passing is expert.  The court vision is staggering.   There is a budding starter inside him.  Keep an eye attached to his growth.</p> <h2><strong>7. Best under-the-radar performance</strong></h2> <p><strong>Josh Scretchen</strong> <strong style="font-size: 1rem;">(University School Nashville 2022, PG, 6-foot-0)</strong></p> <p>Quick mind.  Feels the need to take over sometimes.  Not that he can’t, but he knows he doesn’t have a lot of offensive support.</p> <h2><strong>8. Best underclassman</strong></h2> <p><strong>Josh Scretchen</strong> <strong style="font-size: 1rem;">(University School Nashville 2022, PG, 6-foot-0)</strong></p> <p><span id="more-873417"></span></p> <p>Scretchen truly is a revelation.  He reminds of a young Taylor Groves (East Robertson).  He moves so smoothly, dribbles like a champ.  There are definitely some aspects in need of improving.  In tight spaces, Scretchen gets himself into trouble.  He makes some poor choices occasionally.  Regardless, the talent and skills are really strong already.  He can improve on those shortcomings and add to an already impressive game. </p> <h2><strong>9. Best rebounder</strong></h2> <p><strong>Nijal Turner (Cane Ridge 2021, F, 6-foot-5)</strong></p> <p>Thin. Springy.  Turner is a no-nonsense rebounder. He is active with the feet, but plays a little young.  His best contributions were hunting offensive rebounds and finishing the opponents off with high-point rebounds on the other end.  Needs better basketball I.Q.</p> <h2><strong>10. Best energy</strong></h2> <p><strong>Caleb Wilson Jr. (Cane Ridge 2021, G, 6-foot-3)</strong> <br /> <strong>Cedric Williams Jr. (Cane Ridge 2021, PG, 6-foot-1)</strong></p> <p>"Spaceman" is a different player than he was a year ago.  The confidence is high, and the results are following.  Wilson was always a leaper, but he figured out how to get the most out of his leaping.  The errant jumps are mostly a thing of the past.  </p> <p>https://twitter.com/PrepHoopsTN/status/1196605081451483137?s=20</p> <p>Halftime: 30-26 Cane Ridge.</p> <p><em>Follow @AndrewForce8.</em></p>