Oak Ridge Brings Back Plenty, Adds Garrett Giles

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><em>PICTURED: [player_tooltip player_id='1659680' first='Garrett' last='Giles']. </em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Mid-October Oak Ridge High Head Coach Aaron Green discussed his 2023-2024 players in detail during a phone call with @PrepHoopsTN.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>PrepHoopsTN: </strong>I watched you guys play in Franklin during BCAT Team Camp II, so I have that roster here. In case there are any changes since...Are there any changes since?<br><strong>Oak Ridge Head Coach Aaron Green:</strong> No, it is the same.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>PrepHoopsTN: </strong>Ok, I'm going to start with the player I know the best. How has <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1303496' first='Brennen' last='Scott']</strong> improved in the last six months?<br><strong>Oak Ridge Head Coach Aaron Green:</strong> Brennen has made a lot of progress from junior year to senior year. Continues to get stronger and improve even this fall. He had a good year last year. Looking forward to him having a big year. He has always been able to shoot it. He has been able to get to the foul line a little bit more. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>PrepHoopsTN: </strong>I liked [player_tooltip player_id='1825510' first='Ray'quan' last='Watson'] quite a bit in June. Is he going to play a lot for you guys?<br><strong>Oak Ridge Head Coach Aaron Green:</strong> We call him Ray-Ray. Ray-Ray was actually just the MVP of Andre's Fall League. He had a good summer. He had a better fall, in his fall league. I would put him up against any point guard in our area. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>PrepHoopsTN: </strong>How do you balance the styles of Brennen and Ray'Quan. Are they sharing point guard duties?<br><strong>Oak Ridge Head Coach Aaron Green:</strong> Brennen is more of a shooting guard. He is more of a 2/3 for us. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>PrepHoopsTN: </strong>I liked <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1825510' first='Ray'quan' last='Watson']</strong> quite a bit in June. Is he going to play a lot for you guys?<br><strong>Oak Ridge Head Coach Aaron Green:</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>PrepHoopsTN: </strong>Do you know if Ray'Quan played AAU this summer?<br><strong>Oak Ridge Head Coach Aaron Green:</strong> He played with TN Impact. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>PrepHoopsTN: </strong>Ok, who else will play a ton?<br><strong>Oak Ridge Head Coach Aaron Green</strong>: One guy you need to have on your radar is [player_tooltip player_id='1659680' first='Garrett' last='Giles']. <strong> [player_tooltip player_id='1659680' first='Garrett' last='Giles']</strong> transferred in from Greenback this summer. He is a 6'5"-6'6" junior. Very athletic. Can shoot it. I think he is going to have a big year. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>PrepHoopsTN: </strong>Garrett was at my camp last October. I saw you guys in June, and though he was not at all a bad player [back in October], I told him I thought he was night and day. He just looked so light on his feet and agile now.<br><strong>Oak Ridge Head Coach Aaron Green</strong>: He got with us this summer. He was kind of learning a couple of positions. As the summer went along, he has gotten a ton better. He has a lot of things you can't coach. He can shoot it. I think he will possibly play at the next level too. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>PrepHoopsTN: </strong>How do you use him in your system?<br><strong>Oak Ridge Head Coach Aaron Green</strong>: In the past we have played four out and 1-in. He will play that forward spot for us. We will have some guys that can play 1-5.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>PrepHoopsTN: </strong>What about <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1894172' first='Kaden' last='Brightharp']</strong>?<br><strong>Oak Ridge Head Coach Aaron Green</strong>: Kaden had a really good junior year. He is one of those kids...we were really balanced last year. He was our best defender. Without question.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>PrepHoopsTN: </strong>Who else will play a big role?<br><strong>Oak Ridge Head Coach Aaron Green</strong>: We have two more bigs. <strong>Shamar Greene</strong> and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2199936' first='Cooper' last='Williams']</strong>. Both of those guys shared minutes the last month and a half in place of the injured <strong>Bryson Comer</strong>. They have some experience and some size. We could play them together. Cooper would be able to play the "4" if we play them together. I think this summer helped them, playing at BCAT at Memphis and Nashville.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>PrepHoopsTN: </strong>Two freshmen made your roster. How did they make the team?<br><strong>Oak Ridge Head Coach Aaron Green</strong>: [player_tooltip player_id='2799472' first='Malik' last='Howard'] and Justice West. I anticipate them [<strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2799472' first='Malik' last='Howard']</strong>, <strong>Justice West</strong>] getting some minutes. We only lost one senior that played. We didn't lose a ton. We haven't had many freshmen playing in our time here, Tee Higgins was one. Both of these guys I anticipate playing some. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>wo freshmen made your roster. How did they make the team?</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>PrepHoopsTN: </strong>What does Justice do well?<br><strong>Oak Ridge Head Coach Aaron Green</strong>: He is really, really athletic. He can pretty much dunk it any way you want to dunk it. That is really rare for a freshman, where typically they don't have the speed, athleticism, or strength [to play varsity]. I think his athleticism will set him apart. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Malik [Howard] is kind of a 4-5, because of his position and his size, it will possibly allow him to get some minutes behind Garrett and our two bigs (Shamar Greene, [player_tooltip player_id='2199936' first='Cooper' last='Williams']).</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>PrepHoopsTN: </strong>Thank you, Coach.<br><strong>Oak Ridge Head Coach Aaron Green: </strong>Thank you.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->