State of the City Series: Jackson

West Tennessee houses perhaps the most overlooked talent pool, and it is about time PrepHoopsTN invested time and resources evaluating and promoting it. <blockquote> Overlooked? "That is always the case. We have a great program down there in Jackson and we come down to Memphis and play well against these Memphis schools and a lot of times we just get overlooked. But we are not pointing fingers at anybody. Just hoping we get a little recognition sometimes for a good brand of basketball. - South Side Coach Damonn Fuller </blockquote> All records as of December 15th South Side (7-0) Madison Academic (0-9) Liberty Tech (2-5) Jackson Christian (4-4) Jackson Central-Merry Cougars (2-7) Trinity Christian Academy (3-4) North Side (5-1) Sacred Heart of Jesus (7-1) University School of Jackson-USJ (2-3) <h3 style="text-align: center;">ROSTERS</h3> USJ roster (Starters*) #0 Titus Taylor Jr. (2024) #1 PG Wallace Driver (2025) #2 PG Drew Morris* (2022) #4 SG Brady Smith* (2024) #10 SG Hayes Carney (2024) #12 #14 [player_tooltip player_id="1347318" first="Mills" last="Terry"] (2025) 6’3" #20 SF Owen Stonecipher* (2023) #24 F James Mitchell (2022) #34 SF #44 C OL/DL guy. No lift. Huge strength. Owen Stonecipher is a fantastically physical forward, but he needs to focus on the skills of dribbling and shooting to become a true weapon for USJ. Stonecipher was rusty after returning from football and, at least in early December, was re-acclimating to basketball. Before the football guys were back, Wallace Driver, Hayes Carney, James Mitchell started alongside Brady Smith. The following hoopers also play football for the USJ Bruins: Drew Morris (WR/FS), Owen Stonecipher (TE/FS), Winn Crook (OL/DL), [player_tooltip player_id="1347318" first="Mills" last="Terry"] (WR/SS). USJ Head Coach Jeff Jones recently served as the Head Men’s Basketball Coach for the University of the Virgin Islands and Southern Poly State University. He also held Associate Head Coach positions with NCAA Division II schools Kennesaw State University and Fort Valley State University. Drew Morris is a hard-driving point guard. He can make his free throws and inject a level of fire to his team. Not overly quick or explosive, Morris can rattle defenses, especially in transition. He welcomes contact and can really thrive at the free throw line. When Drew is on the floor, he bumps freshman Wallace Driver to the 2-guard, but both are fully capable of running the position. Liberty Tech roster (Starters*) Peyton Stratton (2022) Brandarious Hill (2022) Lavar Burns (2023) Cody Jennings (2023) Tekerrion Mills (2023) Devon Nappier-Smith (2023) Jordan Neely (2023) Keenen Robinson (2024) Nyan Haley-Johnson (2024) Jeremiah Greer (2024) Julius Williams (2024) Taureen King (2025) Rishod Gill (2025) Kemari Douglass (2025) Kelcey Taylor (2025) Trinity Christian Academy #1 PG Kaleb Williams* (2025) #3 Zane Atwood (2025) #4 Luke Mauldin (2024) #5 Will Wysor* (2023) #10 Pierce Holsinger (2023) #11 Levin Lane (2024) #12 Trace Robinson* (2023) #15 Noah Mauldin (2022) #21 Cooper Vailes (2023) #22 Brayden Waller* (2025) #23 [player_tooltip player_id="1043214" first="Will" last="Keltner"]* (2023) Kaleb Williams guarded McNairy’s point guard. Kaleb is very thin, typically so for a high school freshman. His skill is nice. His toughness is impressive. Unafraid of contact. Likes to double and help off his man in order to create stress on the ball-handler. Trace Robinson is a scrapper, hunts the loose balls and dives if he has to. [player_tooltip player_id="1043214" first="Will" last="Keltner"] is a battering ram around the basket. He makes so many tough shots off the glass. To call them layups is a disservice to their degree of difficulty. Rebounds always with two hands. Will Wysor is too timid defensively. Needs to embrace the contact and get into the mix. North Side roster (Starters*) #00 Birman Jenkins (2025) 6’5" 180 #3 Deandre Minor (2023) #4 Dekorian Genesy (2022) #6 D’cameron DeMoss (2022) #10 Luke Barnard (2024) 5’10" #13 Demahri Wallace (2022) #15 Malik Currie (2023) 6’3" Madison Academic roster (Starters*) Sacred Heart roster (Starters*) #0 Xander Taylor* (2022) #2 Trey Trull* (2022) #4 Malachi Chavis* (2024) #5 [player_tooltip player_id="1352806" first="AJ" last="Morman"]* (2024) #14 Jake Keyl* (2022) Andre Bell (2024) Justin Gaines (2024) Omari Hood (2023) Austin Vaulx (2024) South Side roster (Starters*) #1 [player_tooltip player_id="1179286" first="Rico" last="Sain II"]* (2022) #2 Donte Lacy (2025) #3 [player_tooltip player_id="1008281" first="Kobe" last="Ward"]* (2022) #4 Bryson Baker (2022) #10 Cam’ron Anderson* (2022) #11 Robert Liggins (2025) #12 Jaylan Cole* (2022) #21 Bryson Collier (2022) #22 Jamarion Burns (2025) #23 Jayceon Cole (2025) #24 Davon Peterson (2024) #25 Jeremiah Smith (2022) #30 [player_tooltip player_id="1347852" first="Christian" last="Mitchell"] (2025) #33 Cash Montgomery (2025) #35 Amauri Goodman (2025) Started in 2021 State Tournament = [player_tooltip player_id="1179286" first="Rico" last="Sain II"], [player_tooltip player_id="1008281" first="Kobe" last="Ward"], Cam’ron Anderson. Played in 2021 State Tournament = Bryson Baker, Jaylan Cole, Jeremiah Smith, Davon Peterson, Bryson Collier Jackson South Side captured a win for the prideful city at the loaded Battle in the Bluff event. The Hawks put away ECS. After the win, South Side Head Coach Damonn Fuller joined PrepHoopsTN for an interview. You were in the state tournament last year. Is that expectation this year too? "It is always an expectation," said Coach Damonn Fuller. "We try to do it to help our kids get to the next level and to help us to establish ourselves as a program as one of the best in West Tennessee." How is [player_tooltip player_id="1179286" first="Rico" last="Sain II"] developing? "We are pushing him at the 1-position now," said Coach Fuller. "He has been at the 3 for the last two years and he is playing the 1 for us now. We are trying to get him acclimated and hopefully by February he will be playing his best basketball." [player_tooltip player_id="1179286" first="Rico" last="Sain II"] is an exceptional defender, and has been for the last two years. "He is one of our toughest defenders," said Coach Fuller. "He gets down and he has a physical frame, so he can guard any-size player that we come across." Jackson Christian roster (Starters*) #23 PF Walker Rhea* (2022) #12 F [player_tooltip player_id="1346893" first="Gage" last="Boykin"]* (2023) #5 G Zach Creasy* (2025) #2 G Cooper Cantrell* (2022) #1 G Ayden Shaw* (2024) #3 Jaden Irvin (2023) 6’3" #34 #15 #10 [player_tooltip player_id="1346893" first="Gage" last="Boykin"] is a football standout, listed as a 6-foot-2, 190 pound pro-style quarterback. For the Eagles, Gage plays both forward positions, typically alongside senior Walker Rhea. Jackson Christian Eagles vs. South Fulton notes Walker Rhea showed off a little dribbling, plenty for a big man, the position he plays for JCS. He did not rebound well outside his area. There was a commitment to defense. South Fulton played a sagging man, too much help. Gage’s 3-pointer made a set-shot with a high, arm-holding finish. He is stronger than almost all Class A players with nice height for the Class A sport. Plays kind of like a Matt Harpring. In that South Fulton High game, Boykin made a riveting three straight three-pointers over the course of three minutes. Midway through the first quarter, South Fulton’s coach needed a timeout to stop the bleeding, after Boykin and the Eagles amassed a quick 12-1 lead. DJ Traylor cut off the baseline quickly supplying a needed help defender. Once the ball left he retreated to the opposite block and his man. Then the ball went to point and DJ dashed up to FT line, planted his feet, poked the penetrator’s ball free, and earned a steal. Traylor scored on the ensuing fastbreak. Ayden Shaw reminds of maybe a Kenny Cooper? Good change of direction. Creates problems with the dribble. Plays within a system very effectively. https://twitter.com/wcsBHSboyshoops/status/1466766757717323778?s=20 Jackson Central-Merry (Starters*) #1 [player_tooltip player_id="1347550" first="Solomon" last="Peggs"]* (2022) #2 Malcolm Peggs (2024) #4 F [player_tooltip player_id="1347541" first="Jaydin" last="Poe"]* (2022) #10 PG [player_tooltip player_id="1347546" first="Elijah" last="Lovelady"]* (2022) #11 BJ Ballard (2025?) #15 Jabari Turner (2023) #22 Joshua Durr* (2022) #25 Joshua Herron (2023) #33 C Christian Foster (2023) Joshua Durr is probably his team’s most silky slasher and finisher. Peggs is active in the lane. He has a touch around the rim. Strong second-leaper. Lovelady is very, very fast end-to-end. Runs the floor like a running back who just identified a pasture full of running room. His outside shot is not at all a threat to defenses. [player_tooltip player_id="1347546" first="Elijah" last="Lovelady"] is pesky anytime the ball is dribbled within the half-moon atop the free throw line. [player_tooltip player_id="1347541" first="Jaydin" last="Poe"] is an ok perimeter defender. The team lists him as a forward, but he consistently defends the opposing scoring guard. Missed both of his early free throws. Poe is so hungry for loose balls. He thrives on the chaos of a high pressure defense or in traffic. His game has a lot of flair and tenacity, but he needs to really focus on developing his skills. [player_tooltip player_id="1347545" first="Nate" last="Moore"] (McNairy Central) is an excellent three-pointer shooter, particularly off the catch. He finished 11 of McNairy’s first 13 points against Jackson Central. [player_tooltip player_id="1347541" first="Jaydin" last="Poe"] is versatile offensively, in that he can shoot well from the top of the key or perhaps slash or collect offensive rebounds. The State of the City series will zero in on one particular city and the players and teams therein. Every program in the city, private or public, will be included and dissected. Expect the series to continue with Chattanooga next week. Follow <a href="https://twitter.com/PrepHoopsTN">@PrepHoopsTN</a>.