Class AA Teams with strong ’21 Crews

Seniors win playoff games. Considering this maxim, the following deep ’21 classes constitute the best squads capable of making a run at state. 

Top ’21 Units

Mitchell

2019-20 season: Mighty Mitchell won 9 district games.  Several key players return.

https://twitter.com/memphismitchel3/status/1223437002433056768?s=20

Entire ’21 class 

• Jamarious Horton
• James Webb
• Elliot McGhee
• Jayveon Watkins

Head Coach: Andre Turner

District: 16 AA

Alcoa

2019-20 season: Choctawhatchee beat Crestview in the 7A-2 district championship, but it was Crestview who beat the Indians in the region semifinal before capturing the state title. Six Central Florida programs are now in 7A-2 with DeLand and Spruce Creek from 9A-1, Sanford Seminole, Lake Mary and Orange City University from 9A-2 and West Port from 

"With players coming back, Burden brings a consistent strong, athletic inside game on both ends of the floor and he is a phenomenal leader and teammate," shared departed senior [player_tooltip player_id="846089" first="Nick" last="Roberts"].  "Isaiah Cox and Ronald “Tank” Jackson bring lock down perimeter defense and a fire intensity when locked in."

Entire ’21 class 

• [player_tooltip player_id="775621" first="Camden" last="Burden"]
• Nate Marsh
• Isiah Cox-Penson
• Ronald Jackson

Head Coach: Ryan Collins

Awards: [player_tooltip player_id="775621" first="Camden" last="Burden"] (All-Region)

District: 4 AA

--Both [player_tooltip player_id="775621" first="Camden" last="Burden"] and Isiah-Cox Penson started during their junior seasons. Nate Marsh average 7.8 ppg.  Expect both to play strong leadership roles next season.  

Carter

2019-20 season: Carter put together a dream season with 25 wins, only to be rudley interrupted that March 3rd evening at the hands of Alcoa High. Carter must replace CHS legend [player_tooltip player_id="546327" first="Ty" last="Hurst"] and deliverer of victories Gabriel Harper.  Who will take over command of the scoring?  Tough to tell.  McK

[caption id="attachment_783119" align="alignright" width="300"] Howard’s [player_tooltip player_id="775571" first="Meechie" last="Bowens"] scores in a silky manner.[/caption]

eehan and Reynolds both average 7.3 ppg.  They get first crack at it.  The pair can hit the triple.  Brycen made 38 on the year and Colby dropped 29 through.  

Entire ’21 class 

• Brycen McKeehan
• Colby Reynolds
• Cade Ramsey
• Lane Webb
• Samuel Watson

Head Coach: Spencer Beaty

Awards:

District: 3 AA

Howard

2019-20 season: Both [player_tooltip player_id="775583" first="Kerrick" last="Thorne"] and [player_tooltip player_id="775571" first="Meechie" last="Bowens"] are potential District MVP players.  Thorne is a steadily improving scorer-rebounder while Bowens creates his own with brilliance.  

Entire ’21 class 

• [player_tooltip player_id="775583" first="Kerrick" last="Thorne"]
• [player_tooltip player_id="775571" first="Meechie" last="Bowens"]
• Marcus Reed
• Christopher Stinson
• [player_tooltip player_id="537299" first="Daniel" last="Burkes"]
• Christopher Hall

Head Coach: Walter McGary

Awards:Region Champs.

District: 6 AA

Howard lost by just two points, 44-42, to Upperman to end their season.  It will be very difficult to get back that far only because 6AA is a dogfight (Tyner Academy, Brainerd, Red Bank, Howard).

Wooddale

2019-20 season: Wooddale advanced to the state tournament again.  Lawson easily earned his first Mr. Basketball award.  

Entire ’21 class 

• [player_tooltip player_id="775535" first="Johnathan" last="Lawson"]
• [player_tooltip player_id="843840" first="Jalen" last="Brown"]
• Shawn Brown
• Coland Carr
• Desmond Bratcher
• Sunterrio Brown

Head Coach: Keelon Lawson

Awards: [player_tooltip player_id="775535" first="Johnathan" last="Lawson"] (Mr. Basketball)

District: 16 AA

--[player_tooltip player_id="843840" first="Jalen" last="Brown"] is also a star now, certain to embarrass plenty more foes in 2021.

Upperman

2019-20 season: The Bees of Upperman advanced to the Class AA State Tournament on the backs of their ’21 group.  [player_tooltip player_id="775612" first="Collin" last="Gore"] led the team in scoring versus an exceptionally athletic and dynamic Howard team.  [player_tooltip player_id="983736" first="Isaiah" last="Allen"] hit the game-winning free throws.  [player_tooltip player_id="775569" first="Alex" last="Rush"] held his ground in the paint.  In all, the ’21 bunch of Bees is right up there with the best in the state.

Entire ’21 class 

• [player_tooltip player_id="775569" first="Alex" last="Rush"]
• [player_tooltip player_id="775612" first="Collin" last="Gore"]
• [player_tooltip player_id="983736" first="Isaiah" last="Allen"]
• [player_tooltip player_id="775596" first="Jace" last="McWilliams"]
• John Alexander
• Jaxon Fox
• Kason Grissom

Head Coach: Bobby McWilliams

Awards: [player_tooltip player_id="775569" first="Alex" last="Rush"] (District MVP)

District: 8 AA

[player_tooltip player_id="775569" first="Alex" last="Rush"] is destined to vault himself into a college basketball recruit this year. Division II University of Alabama-Huntsville is in frequent contact.

https://twitter.com/AndrewForce8/status/1268952180167507970?s=20

East Nashville

2019-20 season: Advanced to the Class AA State Tournament without much senior influence.

Entire ’21 class 

• [player_tooltip player_id="537277" first="Isaiah" last="Jones"]
• [player_tooltip player_id="775584" first="Josh" last="Cole"]
• Donnie Holiday
• Nicholas Thompson
• Korion Turentine

Head Coach: Avery Patton

Awards:

District: 10 AA

---East Nashville is always a tough team.  Brothers Jaylen Jones (’23) and [player_tooltip player_id="537277" first="Isaiah" last="Jones"] (’21) will make them ferocious once again.  Isaiah is now a top 10 player in the state and he will challenge [player_tooltip player_id="775535" first="Johnathan" last="Lawson"] for Mr. Basketball.

Fayette Ware

2019-20 season: [player_tooltip player_id="983696" first="Taki" last="Walker"] was wonderful last season.  He averaged 10.5 ppg with 15 made 3-pointers.  [player_tooltip player_id="537249" first="Tyler" last="Fitzpatrick"] managed 9.8 ppg and 5.2 rpg.  He scored 20 points twice.

Entire ’21 class 

• [player_tooltip player_id="537249" first="Tyler" last="Fitzpatrick"]
• Trevorius Henderson
• [player_tooltip player_id="983696" first="Taki" last="Walker"]
• [player_tooltip player_id="537259" first="Tyrese" last="Morrow"]
• Maquavis Worles
• Antavious Williams
• Marquez McNeal
• Gabriel Ingram

Head Coach: Demarius Chearis

Awards:

District: 15 AA

The Wildcats currently have the deepest ’21 class in the state among the Class AA teams.  Who knows where the transfer dominoes will land at those constantly "evolving" basketball programs though?  This roster will be very stable, but as we all know there are several schools who maintain very fluid rosters to put it mildly.   These schools might enter the season with a better ’21 class.  FW is loaded though.

Follow @AndrewForce8.