Preview: TSSAA District 15 Class 4A First-Team

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The 2022-23 TSSAA high school basketball season is right around the corner.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Before the season officially tips off, I'm giving my prediction for the TSSAA District 15 Class 4A first-team.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Brock</strong> <strong>Vice</strong>, Houston: The 6-foot-10 forward is the Mustangs' best player and most important one. The offense ran through Vice a season ago, and it will be that way this upcoming season. The Saint Louis commit averaged 18.8 points and 10.2 rebounds per game in 2021. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Emerson</strong>&nbsp;<strong>Tenner</strong>, Cordova: This was a unanimous pick. The 5-10 point guard was the Wolfpack's only reliable offensive weapon a season ago. While I don't expect Tenner to average 27 points in 2022 because of a much-improved roster, I do expect the junior's assist average to go up. Tenner's numbers this season should be 20 and 10.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Javar</strong> <strong>Daniel</strong>, Bartlett: The Panthers will have a healthy Daniel this season. Watching basketball from the bench is a thing of the past for the senior forward. The 6-9 big man will be a matchup nightmare for most teams every week. Daniel will have his way on the boards, and he creates spacing because of his ability to make shots from the perimeter. Barring any setbacks, this should be a productive season for Daniel.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1564056' first='Braxton' last='Jumper'],&nbsp;</strong>Cordova: Jumper is the new comer to the district and has already blended in well with his new teammates. Tenner has a teammate that can go get 20-plus when he wants to. Jumper is expected to be an impactful player for the Wolfpack, thanks in large part to his smooth offensive game.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Anthony</strong>&nbsp;<strong>Medlock</strong>, Germantown: The 6-4 shooting guard was a 20-point average scorer last season for a Red Devils team that finished 18-12. He returns this season under first-year head coach Retushas Spears, who will need Medlock to duplicate last season's statistical success if Germantown wants to compete in a district that's not lacking scoring power at the guard spot.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Honorable</strong> <strong>mentions</strong>: <strong>Alex</strong> <strong>Vandenbergh</strong> (Collierville), <strong>Karl</strong> <strong>Burroughs</strong> (Cordova), and <strong>Christian</strong> <strong>Alston</strong> (Bartlett).</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>There's more than enough talent in this district for the honorable mentions list to be long. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Neville is ready</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Sophomore point guard <strong>KJ</strong> <strong>Neville</strong> has fully embraced his role as the Panthers' starting point guard for a multitude of reasons, with one being the uncertainty from spectators that Bartlett is going to take steps back after losing its entire backcourt (<strong>Terrance</strong> <strong>Jacobs</strong> <strong>Jr</strong>., and <strong>Amarr</strong> <strong>Knox</strong>).</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>“What has really motivated me is all the talk that we don't have a point guard. That really put a fire in me, to show them what I can really do,” Neville said at Wednesday's District 15 4A Media Day. “Also, I have learned from people. On the offensive end, JR (Jacobs), he ran the team smoothly. He did everything for us. He put everyone in their spots, gave everyone good passes.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>“Then for the defensive end, full-court pressure, I just love the way Devin (Crockett) plays defense. He really showed me a lot last year. He showed me how much I need to hustle on every play.”</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>A lot of talent and unselfishness</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Panthers are deep this season, with a lot of guys who can score 15 points or more each night. <strong>Javar</strong> <strong>Daniel</strong> can lead Bartlett in scoring on some nights. Senior guard <strong>Regale</strong> <strong>Moore</strong>, capable of making shots from the perimeter, can lead the team in scoring. Them, there's junior wing <strong>Christian</strong> <strong>Alston</strong> and junior forward <strong>Jack</strong> <strong>Shackelford</strong>, two players that can score at their respective positions. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Senior forward <strong>Matthew</strong> <strong>Stokes</strong>, once he's healthy, can be a 10 and 10 guy for the program. Junior forward <strong>Rashad</strong> <strong>Williams</strong> can quietly fill up the stat sheet. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>With all of that being said, these guys have a bond that can't be broken, no matter what the outsiders have to say about them. It seems like last season really brought them closer as they all are on the same page: bring a gold ball back to Memphis.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>“We got standards. It doesn't change,” Shackelford said. “We're going to play the same way this year. We are going to play hard. We're going to do things the right way. So, we talked amongst one another. We want it. We are hungry.”</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->