Five Games that Matter Most

Each week @PrepHoopsTN will preview Five Games that Matter Most. These are the five in the first full week of December.

Carter (6-2) @ Karns (5-3)
Monday

Jaylen Roberts Jaylen Roberts 6'3" | SG Karns | 2023 State TN scored 20 points against a strong Farragut team preceding Thanksgiving. Teammate J.J. Faulkner is special.

Week 1 Five Games
Week 2 Five Games

Fulton (6-0) @ Farragut (5-2)
Tuesday

Fulton could win the State Tournament. They are that good. Top players include: Tyler Lee Tyler Lee 6'5" | SF Fulton | 2024 State TN , Denaj Kimber Denaj Kimber 6'3" | SG Fulton | 2024 State TN , Taj Kimber Taj Kimber 6'3" | SG Fulton | 2024 State TN . The trio is now in their third year of starting. This iteration of Falcons not only grew up together, they grew up as a team on the court, taking their lumps and learning lessons in the heat of the fire.

In a soul-crushing State Tournament semifinal March 18th, 2022, Fulton’s Kimber twins combined 10-20 FG, 3-7 3s, 6 rebounds, 4 assists, 4 steals. Returning senior Jordan Wrancher played in that game too, as did Dexter Lewis and RB/PG Marcellus Jackson Marcellus Jackson 5'9" | PG Fulton (football) | 2023 State TN .

Fulton owns three basketball State Championships (2008, 2009, 2016). This core is absolutely capable of winning #4.

This particular game rises to the level of Five Games that Matter Most because, after middling 2016-2021, Farragut is back. Last season the Admirals finished with 21 wins and the same is conceivable in 2022-2023. They own wins over Karns x 2, Knoxville West, McMinn County and a stunner over Bearden, 57-52, Friday.

@PrepHoopsTN Fall Combine Evaluations: Part V | Prep Hoops

Smyrna (2-4) @ Siegel (2-4)
Friday

Smyrna Basketball Head Coach Omar believes his program can challenge for a District Championship this season. Well, Siegel is the kind of power program that must be defeated to prove such an ambition reasonable. The Bulldogs head to the Stars’ massive building Friday night.

Do not judge Smyrna’s record to harshly. This week they play their first home game(s) since November 17th! The Bulldogs now have six home games in the next 12 days, starting Monday December 5th.

D8-4A Preview

For Siegel, the time to turn the page of 2021’s magical senior class is now. The 2021 Siegel Stars boasted three college basketball players: Matthew Schneider (19.3 ppg), Zion Swader (16.5 ppg), Jaylan Wetzel (15.9 ppg). The core was playing from sophomore year on, and the veterans excelled in their final two high school seasons. Who is the core for Siegel now? The 2021-2022 season was underwhelming (14-16) and this campaign looks similarly mediocre if sophomore Carter Webb Carter Webb 6'3" | PG Siegel | 2025 State TN does not get more offensive help.

In their most recent win over Shelbyville, Mac Moss (13p) and Dorien Lyles Dorien Lyles 6'2" | SG Siegel | 2026 State TN (11p) scored in double-figures. Roth Clark scored 11 points in the impressive November 25th victory over Father Ryan.

Antioch (6-1) @ MLK
Friday

Antioch is getting dominating performances from two sophomore big men: Jaiden Claybrook Jaiden Claybrook 6'5" | SF Antioch | 2025 State TN , TK Whitset. Tyson Belton Tyson Belton 5'11" | PG Antioch | 2023 State TN and the upperclassmen guards can do plenty to keep defenses honest.

Clinton (2-3) @ Knox Halls (4-3)
Friday

The Dragons of Clinton high enjoyed, nay deserved, their greatest boys basketball season (28-5) in program history (save 1956) last season, ultimately losing in the State Tournament quarterfinal to Jackson South Side. Jackson Garner was a Mr. Basketball candidate.

Eight players competed in that basketball game, and all eight of them were seniors. No team lost more to graduation.

The team raised the bar for what is possible at Clinton High, but what now? Are they reverting to the mean? Can they continue the new legacy that Garner and friends begin building?

Knoxville Halls surpassed four wins already.

Leading Halls in scoring through the opening month+ is sophomore Chandler Gamble Chandler Gamble 6'7" | PF Knoxville Halls | 2025 State TN (18.7 ppg through 1st 3g). Unfortunately, Chandler is “day-to-day” according to Halls Head Basketball Coach Clint Sharp. Without Gamble, the team is still 3-0. “We have had many players step up in his absence.”

Expect senior Caleb Shaffer (11.3 ppg, 3.7 rpg, 2.7 apg) to shoulder the scoring burden along with Grayson Bishop, Gabe Holmes, and Kaiden Stanton.

“Our leader Caleb Shaffer has lead us in scoring (12.3ppg) and eFG% (80%) over the course of those 3 games,” said Coach Sharp Monday via email. “Each game one of our other post players have stepped up in Chandler’s absence. Kaiden Stanton had 15 points in a win over Hardin Valley Academy and 10 points in a win over Scott. Evan Workman had 10 points and 8 rebounds in a win over Powell.

Clinton won the last three match-ups between Clinton and Halls, but this will be a tussle worth taking in.