The Middle TN Next Wave of Talent: Part I

<p>At PrepHoopsTN we are always keeping an eye toward the future of our sport.  Which players are on the cusp of breaking out?  Several of these players are playing now, but their roles will grow dramatically in the coming year.</p> <p>To qualify for this article, a player must currently be a freshman or sophomore and live within one hour of Nashville.</p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Class of 2024</span></p> <p><strong>Mahoney Daunic</strong> (University School Nashville) is a strong shooter for USN. He made about half a hundred from deep. To develop his game, Daunic must hit the weight room and bulk up.  The game needs to round out and become more multi-faceted.</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="1125607" first="Xavier" last="Shegog"]</strong> (Goodpasture) No forward in Tennessee improved more from summer 2021 to New Year’s Day 2021 than [player_tooltip player_id="1125607" first="Xavier" last="Shegog"].  The remarkable physical development, namely the lightness on his feet mixed with an improved handle, skyrocketed him up our prospect rankings.  The play in the semifinal game of Goodpasture’s State Tournament run solidified him as a Top 10 prospect in 2024, possibly a Top 5. </p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="1400910" first="Kendall" last="Solomon"] (</strong>MLK)<br /> Kendall danced around the court like a dream against Portland High early March.  His mobility with and without the basketball are startling.  MLK Head Coach Caden Anderson is letting him develop away from the basket, which will be tremendous for his future as a college wing.</p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Class of 2025</span></p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="1378680" first="Evan" last="Jordan"].</strong> Known as E.J., the 5-foot-9ish Jordan is playing big minutes on a veteran Franklin Road Academy team (FRA).  According to senior scorer [player_tooltip player_id="1126340" first="R.J." last="Casey"],  "EJ Jordan is a hooper. He just came to FRA this year.  He is a bucket.  He is young and he is tough." </p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="1273564" first="Myles" last="Sidney"]</strong> will be a dynamite player in the coming years. Lipscomb Academy is a team stuffed with solid, productive seniors and he is in a perfect place to learn, develop, and inject his athleticism without the extreme pressure associated with ending his career on a high note.  Still, Sidney will be a breakout player in spring 2022 thanks to his athleticism, size for the position, shooting touch, and willingness to work. Sidney needs to get a little more assertive in traffic.  He will be battered into constantly as he ascends the basketball ladder.  Not every play will finish with grace, though Myles certainly looks extremely graceful mid-flight.</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="1259393" first="Jayden" last="Jones"]</strong> (Goodpasture)</p> <p>Incredible bounce off the deck. Jayden did not score much in his State Tournament Semifinal debut, but he was everywhere on the glass. Jayden is kind of where [player_tooltip player_id="1125607" first="Xavier" last="Shegog"] was a year ago.  He is a power forward on offense with the potential to mature into an elite college wing with time.  The ceiling is scary and Jones is going to be fighting for Top 3 in the class throughout his high school career.</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="1259395" first="King" last="Keary"]</strong> (Goodpasture)<br /> King was a wizard finishing in the lane with both the left and the right hands.  He looks to be a ball-dominant point guard throughout his high school career.  The game continues to slow down for him, meaning he plays with even more basketball comprehension every month.  He can improve his defense, but that is only a judgement based upon him guarding [player_tooltip player_id="1012002" first="Joshua" last="Scretchen"], an outgoing senior. Keary’s outside shooting is ok, but will continue to improve over time.  There really are no glaring weaknesses, which is rare at this early stage of his high school career.</p>