TSSAA Division 1 Boys’ State Championships (Finals): 4 Game Changers

<p>Each championship crowning program needed a game changer on Saturday. You know, that one guy who’s going to do everything.</p> <p>Every team needs that guy.</p> <p>Here are the game changers from each championship crowning program.</p> <p><strong>Jaylen</strong> <strong>Jones</strong>, East Nashville: The 6-point-1 point guard was the main component in the Magnet’s 72-55 win over Milan to capture this season’s TSSAA Division 1 Class 2A State Championship. Jones, a junior, has always been known as a scorer, but he displayed his ability to run an offense. Jones, who’s one of the top prospects in the 2023 class in the state, showed balance. He never forced a shot. When double teams came, Jones made the right reads. But, when East Nashville needed his offense, Jones delivered.</p> <p>“That’s what he do,” Magnet head coach Avery Patton said about Jones, who finished with 20 points, seven assists, five rebounds, and three steals. “When we need a score, he scores, but he’s always looking for his teammates. I was on him all year about being more aggressive offensively.</p> <p>“You know, he felt suited to distribute to his own teammates. But today, when we needed him to score, he came out and scored.”</p> <p><strong>Jakobi</strong> <strong>Gillespie</strong>, Greeneville: Jackson Southside sent double teams to the senior point guard to try and get the basketball out of his hands. That wasn’t a smart move by the Hawks. Gillespie never got rattled in his team’s 77-48 win over the Hawks to capture this season’s TSSAA Division 1 Class 3A State Championship. He just dribbled his way out of the traps and made the right reads. Gillespie, who finished with 25 points, seven assists, six rebounds, and two steals, got a lot of easy scores because, the Hawks didn’t have a guard that could keep him out of the paint. He’s a smart basketball player that’s never going to overdo things that will cost his team a victory. Each time Gillespie’s on the floor, he has the confidence of a winner. That’s the swag Gillespie carries onto the court.</p> <p><strong>Jack</strong> <strong>Browder</strong>, Dobyns-Bennett: Browder has to get his props for being able to put the basketball on the floor and take his defender off the dribble as an un-athletic 6-4 wing. Browder is great inside the paint as he knows how to play with his back to the basket. The senior can make elbow jumpers and did so against Bearden that helped the Indians win this season’s TSSAA Division 1 Class 4A State Championship, the program’s first state title since 1945. Browder, who had 30 points and 13 rebounds (11 defensive), has a high basketball IQ. He’s an excellent rebounder and is effective in pick-and-roll situations.</p> <p>Browder made key plays in overtime. He scored five straight points, including a big 3 from the corner, to put his team up three, which was the cushion Dobyns-Bennett needed to start to pull away.</p> <p>“He’s been one of our best players all year. He’s stepped up when we needed him the most,” Indians head coach Chris Poore said. “He’s been consistently good. He has broaden his game. He’s really gotten more physical on the glass, really impacting the game more than from the scoring column.”</p> <p><strong>Taylor</strong> <strong>Groves</strong>, East Robertson: Groves’ all-around game stood out in the Indians’ win over Peabody to capture this season’s TSSAA Division 1 Class 1A State Championship. This is the program’s first state title in 33 years. Groves showed his ability to take his defender off the dribble and finish at the rim. Groves, who finished with 24 points, eight rebounds and five assists, displayed his ability to make push the basketball up the court after grabbing the defensive rebound. His reads were on point as he saw his teammates out of the corner of his eye each time he made a move with the basketball in his hands.</p> <p>“He’s made my job a lot easier,” Indians head coach Kurtis Caton said about the Ole Miss Football commit. “He elevates the teammates around him, and they love him. He loves his teammates. It’s a great team to be a part of.”</p> <p><strong>TSSAA Division 1 Class 1A All-Tournament Team</strong></p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="1024931" first="Grant" last="Strong"] (Clay County)</p> <p>Morgan Lyons (Hampton)</p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="1206186" first="Jason" last="Hunt"] (Peabody)</p> <p>Shaun Groves (East Robertson)</p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="1410769" first="Derek" last="Kee"] (Peabody)</p> <p>Jordan Barnard (East Robertson)</p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="1352807" first="Demarkus" last="Kee"] (Peabody)</p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="787683" first="Taylor" last="Groves"] – MVP (East Robertson)</p> <p>Malik Ganaway (Peabody)</p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="1410768" first="Elijah" last="Groves"] (East Robertson)</p> <p><strong>TSSAA Division 1 Class 2A All-Tournament Team</strong></p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="1021716" first="P.J." last="Hillman"] (Power Center Academy)</p> <p>Nehemiah Bloodshaw (Tyner)</p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="1028862" first="Keelan" last="Jackson"] (Tyner)</p> <p>Jordan Crawford (East Nashville)</p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="992497" first="Jaylen" last="Jones"] – MVP (East Nashville)</p> <p>Jodarius Robinson (Milan)</p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="1199591" first="Jarrod" last="Taylor"] (East Nashville)</p> <p>Kam Tharpe (Milan)</p> <p>Michael Armstrong (East Nashville)</p> <p>Cullen Cleaves (East Nashville)</p> <p><strong>TSSAA Division 1 Class 3A All-Tournament Team</strong></p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="1345229" first="Matthew" last="Bilbrey"] (Stone Memorial)</p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="1211987" first="Cade" last="Capps"] (Stone Memorial)</p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="1381653" first="Denaj" last="Kimber"] (Fulton)</p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="1135401" first="Tyler" last="Lee"] (Fulton)</p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="1263011" first="Adjatay" last="Dabbs"] (Greeneville)</p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="1162495" first="Reid" last="Satterfield"] (Greeneville)</p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="1025276" first="Jakobi" last="Gillespie"] – MVP (Greeneville)</p> <p>Jaylan Cole (Jackson Southside)</p> <p>Rico Sain (Jackson Southside)</p> <p>Terry Grove (Greeneville)</p> <p><strong>TSSAA Division 1 Class 4A All-Tournament Team</strong></p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="1039192" first="Jarred" last="Hall"] (Lebanon)</p> <p>Jaylen Abston (Lebanon)</p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="1019406" first="Amarr" last="Knox"] (Bartlett)</p> <p>Jonovan Gillespie (Dobyns-Bennett)</p> <p>Darian Bailey (Bearden)</p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="1408711" first="Brady" last="Stump"] (Dobyns-Bennett)</p> <p>Hayden Moseley (Bearden)</p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="1201721" first="Jack" last="Browder"] – MVP (Dobyns-Bennett)</p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="1025784" first="Elijah" last="Bredwood"] (Bearden)</p> <p>Malachi Hale (Dobyns-Bennett)</p>