R1AAA: Stars to Know

<p>The bigger the stage, the brighter the spotlight. Here are some players who have a chance to make breakout postseason runs, ranging from established household names to the quietly productive.  You might notice the prevalence of seniors on this list.  It is not an accident.  Seniors play with incredible urgency and emotional devotion this time of year.</p> <h2>Region 1AAA</h2> <p style="text-align: center;">TEAMS ALIVE</p> <p>#1 Science Hill<br /> #4 Jefferson County</p> <p>#2 South-Doyle<br /> #3 David Crockett</p> <p>#1 Sevier County<br /> #4 Tennessee</p> <p>#2 Dobyns-Bennett<br /> #3 Morristown East</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>2020 PG Griffin Ballard – Science Hill</strong></p> <p>Offensively and defensively dynamic, Griffin won District MVP.  His coach leans on several players and yet Griffin is the most dominating end-to-end.</p> <p><strong>2020 G <a href="https://prephoops.com/player/kendrick-holland/">Kendrick Holland</a> – South-Doyle</strong></p> <p>Quick. Smart.  Clever.  Holland can finish with the floater, the jumper.  His quiver is full of arrows, arrows of a tantalizing variety.  Holland boasts deep respect among his peers and routinely gets named as one of the best players in his region.</p> <p><strong>2022 F Braden Ilic – Morristown East</strong></p> <p>Soft touch.  Extremely high ceiling.  Ilic is clever in close, but also shows comfort stepping away from the lane.  Ilic is a dangerous matchup at the high school level.  He is capable of a double-double every game.</p> <p><strong>2020 W Donta Hackler – David Crockett</strong></p> <p>Scored 20+ in three tournament games in the last 2 weeks.</p> <p><strong>2020 SF <a href="https://prephoops.com/player/wesley-maples/"><a href="https://prephoops.com/player/wesley-maples/">Wesley Maples</a></a> – Sevier County</strong></p> <p>Senior star <a href="https://prephoops.com/player/wesley-maples/"><a href="https://prephoops.com/player/wesley-maples/">Wesley Maples</a></a> brings his men back to the regional tournament.  A year ago, at this stage, SCHS caught fire and simply whacked away the competition night after night.  Maples is the star, but the team is balanced and provides stability at every position.  Look for Marvin Castro to be a key, as well.</p> <p><strong>2020 C Nolan Wishon – Tennessee</strong></p> <p>Brute.  Enjoys passing.  Wishon (featured image above) gives Tennessee a hard-nosed rebounder with size.  Wishon does not need to score to have a deep impact, but he will have outbursts like his 29-point performance last game occasionally.  THS will need both Wishon and leading scorer McHale Bright to play well to conquer the favored Sevier County Smoky Bears.</p> <p><em><b>Follow @PrepHoopsTN.</b></em></p>