What We Know Now: D9AAA

Andrew Force December 18, 2020 @ 11:34 PM

Within D9AAA there is history. Much of that history, recently especially, includes Mt. Juliet. Fortunately for the rest of 9AAA the steady stream of Mt. Juliet greatness forked this fall; it forked into two schools. What does the opening of Green Hill High School mean for the district longterm? Unclear. Today it is only important to address this season. Which team is our favorite to capture the crown? Are there any players with realistic college basketball ambitions? <h3>Partial Rosters w/ starters*</h3> Wilson Central #1 Zack Markus* (2021) #2 Evan Riggan* (2022) #12 Ethan Thomas* (2023) #23 Damian Fayne* (2022) #24 [player_tooltip player_id="1008279" first="Adler" last="Kerr"]* (2022) #10 Tyler Hayes (2021) Hendersonville #3 Hays Pfaffmann* (2021) #10 Ellis Ellis* (2022) #11 Graham Charlton* (2021) #23 Justin Biggs* (2022) #30 Jordan Zuger* (2021) #1 AJ Owens (2022) #4 Harrison Perry (2022) #20 TJ Lane (2022) #33 Dace Shuck (2022) Portland #13 Hunter Hicks* (2022) Green Hill #3 RiggsAbner* – (2021) #11 Zach Blair* – (2021) #12 <a class="pn-player-link" href="https://prephoops.com/player/paxton-davidson/">[player_tooltip player_id="1008262" first="Paxton" last="Davidson"]</a>* – (2022) #15 Blake Stacey* – (2022) #43 Jordan Burch* – (2023) Lebanon #3 [player_tooltip player_id="775561" first="Kobe" last="Tibbs"] (2021) #5 [player_tooltip player_id="1039192" first="Jarred" last="Hall"]* (2023) #11 Jackson Painter* (2022) #23 Yarin Alexander* (2022) Station Camp #2 Tyler Moore* (2021) #4 [player_tooltip player_id="1043447" first="Donovan" last="Smith"]* (2021) #11 [player_tooltip player_id="1008433" first="Eli" last="Rice"]* (2022) #23 Grady Parsons* #33 [player_tooltip player_id="983739" first="Kheller" last="Die"]* (2021) #0 [player_tooltip player_id="1012005" first="Isaiah" last="Davis"] (2022) Station Camp will win with defense. The frontcourt of Station Camp features some really nice size (Parsons, [player_tooltip player_id="1008433" first="Eli" last="Rice"], [player_tooltip player_id="983739" first="Kheller" last="Die"]). Even though [player_tooltip player_id="1008433" first="Eli" last="Rice"] checks the opposing lead guard circumstances often find him helping on the defensive glass and deterring shots in the lane. [player_tooltip player_id="1008433" first="Eli" last="Rice"] is such a patient perimeter defender. He doesn’t rush on close-outs. Because Rice calmly closes out, keeping his hand high, shooters struggle to get clean looks in his area. With their plus size in 9AAA, the Bison are solid switching out high. Also, Station Camp can keep their hands high and obstructive on deep shooters. At least during the district push this team will be a tough nut to crack. Ellis Ellis is faster than almost everybody. In a division lacking the point guard stars of a year ago, Ellis Ellis is a unique jewel. Few players react faster to the bounding basketball. Consistently, Ellis Ellis makes deflections or steals by just bursting to his interrupting point more quickly than any opponent thought possible. Arc-to-arc speed is perhaps an apt descriptor. From the point of deflection to the other three-point line Ellis Ellis is as quick as anyone in middle Tennessee. Sure there are softspots in Ellis Ellis game, outside shooting for one, but his strengths are unique and nearly impossible to replicate. Speed kills. Lebanon’s Blue Devils are devilishly athletic. The Thanksgiving banquet table probably needed to be elevated by a foot to enable all the long-legged hoopers to sit down. Lebanon runs out an incomparable team of horses, more athletic and lengthy than the rest. Midway through December the team requires more cohesion to capture close wins. Like Beech, but for very different reasons, Lebanon is a team on the way up.   Projected Order of Finish 1. Beech 2. Station Camp 3. Lebanon 4. Green Hill 5. Wilson Central 6. Hendersonville 7. Mt. Juliet 8. Gallatin 9. Portland Analysis: Beech began their season without three starters. With football concluded two returned. Ideally [player_tooltip player_id="775562" first="Kaleb" last="Powell"] will be back 100% in the New Year. Station Camp deserves the nod as favorites, but Beech feels like a team capable of getting hot. The Mt. Juliet team from last year has no equal in the current district and fans of competition will agree this chase will be more entertaining. Homecourt advantages are much less glaring with CoVid restrictions. Further, several D9AAA teams are looking at multiple postponements in the coming week(s). Who knows which teams will get a full slate of games in? Unheralded 2023 Ethan Thomas, Wilson Central: Young wing Ethan Thomas draws charges at a remarkable rate. Look for Thomas to innovate with his feet and brain, creating turnovers out of half-chances. 2022 AJ Owens, Hendersonville: Owens’ feet are fast and he imagines the game crisply. Owens improved his speed in the last year quite a bit. The game, at the varsity level, runs away from him. For HHS, Owens gives consistent effort. Top College Prospects [player_tooltip player_id="1039192" first="Jarred" last="Hall"] [player_tooltip player_id="1008433" first="Eli" last="Rice"] Yarin Alexander [player_tooltip player_id="1011998" first="Kristian" last="Shaw"] [player_tooltip player_id="537262" first="Riggs" last="Abner"] [player_tooltip player_id="1012005" first="Isaiah" last="Davis"] [player_tooltip player_id="775561" first="Kobe" last="Tibbs"] [player_tooltip player_id="1012001" first="Andrew" last="Paige"] [player_tooltip player_id="983739" first="Kheller" last="Die"] [player_tooltip player_id="1008262" first="Paxton" last="Davidson"]