What We Know Now: D9-4A

Division 1 Class 4A Region 5 District 9 Rapidly approaching the District Tournament, there is much clarity east of Nashville in the competitive D9-4A quintet. What do we know now? Lebanon started the season like a team prepared for a…

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Division 1 Class 4A Region 5 District 9

Rapidly approaching the District Tournament, there is much clarity east of Nashville in the competitive D9-4A quintet. What do we know now?

Lebanon started the season like a team prepared for a 4A State Tournament return. All five teams (Cookeville, Lebanon, Green Hill, Mount Juliet, Wilson Central) won around five games, some four, some six as Christmas neared.

Which team is our favorite to capture the crown?

Jalen Heard Jalen Heard 5'11" | PG Cookeville | 2025 State TN is going to be a fantastic high school guard as early as next season. With elder teammates Colin Ayers Colin Ayers 5'9" | PG Cookeville | 2024 State TN and Joshua Heard Joshua Heard 6'6" | SF Cookeville | 2024 State TN more productive right now, Jalen is not required to get many touches on the basketball. This is a blessing and curse though. Often, Jalen can move without the basketball and attack stealthily. Heard is both an adept catch-and-shoot threat and also a creative ball-handler. Teammates know he can snap off a probing pass at any time too.

Mount Juliet
#1 Braxton Corey*
#4 Jon Mikael Crudup (2025)
#5 Osize Daniyan*
#10 Eric Williams* (2023)
#12 Ashton Kirkendoll* (2025)
#21 Isaiah Campas (2023) 6’4″ 205
#23 John Lloyd* (2024)

John Lloyd is a 6-foot-5, face-up forward. Not a guard. He needs a guard to help him. He is capable of hitting out to 15′.

Green Hill

Lebanon

Wilson Central
#1 Jayden Wilson* (2023)
#2 Towan Siler Towan Siler 5'11" | PG Wilson Central | 2025 State TN * (2025)
#4 Austin Alexander Austin Alexander 6'2" | PG Wilson Central | 2023 State TN * (2023)
#11 Ike Boone Jr. (2026)
#12 Ethan Thomas*
#21 David Carvel* (2023)
#22 Ja’Michael Mitchell (2023)
#23 Josh Moore

David Carvel used to play for Mt. Juliet. Great strength. Carvel spent freshman year with Wilson Central, competed his sophomore and junior years for the Bears and then returned to the Wildcats of Wilson Central in 2022-2023. Austin Alexander Austin Alexander 6'2" | PG Wilson Central | 2023 State TN is a respected defender. Towan Siler Towan Siler 5'11" | PG Wilson Central | 2025 State TN is full of confidence. Siler will hit the occasional three-pointer.

Frontlines.

Green Hill is a fantastic rebounding team, a good rebounding unit for sure. Jason Burch Jason Burch 6'5" | C Green Hill | 2023 State TN is the key on the glass. The rugged senior hunts misses underneath both the offensive and defensive rims.

Projected Order of Finish
1. Lebanon
2. Green Hill
3. Cookeville
4. Mt. Juliet
5. Wilson Central

Analysis: Few games remain in the 2022-2023 regular season. If you look below, then you can see Lebanon and Green Hill are the class of the district. Mt. Juliet appears alone in the middle of the quintet, while Cookeville and Wilson Central are a combined 1-9 on the season. Predicting the finishing order so late in the year takes little innovation. To make it at least interesting, I picked Cookeville to overtake Mt. Juliet for third place. Otherwise, the current standings will hold, in my view.

Standings (1/29/23)

5-0 Lebanon
4-1 Green Hill
2-2 Mt. Juliet
1-4 Cookeville
0-5 Wilson Central

Player of the Year

2023 Jarred Hall Jarred Hall 6'8" | SF Lebanon | 2023 State #65 Nation TN , Lebanon: Jarred should end his career as the #1 or perhaps #2 prospect in the senior class. Hall’s rebounding, particularly at the defensive end, is elite. His handle continues to improve to the point where he can swiftly turn a defensive rebound into a fastbreak layup on the far end. Hall does not block many shots, though he alters quite a few throughout the course of a game. Green Hill’s starting forward Jason Burch Jason Burch 6'5" | C Green Hill | 2023 State TN deserves mention as a runner-up. Same with Joshua Heard Joshua Heard 6'6" | SF Cookeville | 2024 State TN .

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Ravenwood Vs. Cookeville

Jalen Heard Jalen Heard 5'11" | PG Cookeville | 2025 State TN made a splash in this neutral game just after Christmas, held in Florida. Jalen hit a nice three-pointer from the top of the arc. Joshua Heard Joshua Heard 6'6" | SF Cookeville | 2024 State TN ‘s versatility and athleticism ranks among the top of the 2024 class statewide. In this game, Heard scored in so many different ways: posting up into baby hook, dribbling to the rim, hitting a free throw, shooting.