Top Perfomers (Week 1)
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The first week of the TSSAA 2023-24 high school boys’ basketball season is in the books. A lot of games were played. A lot of prospects across the state put up big numbers. Fun times are finally back. Here’s the…
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Continue ReadingThe first week of the TSSAA 2023-24 high school boys’ basketball season is in the books. A lot of games were played. A lot of prospects across the state put up big numbers.
Fun times are finally back.
Here’s the best from the opening week of the 2023 season:
AJ Morman, Scared Heart: The senior guard had 14 points, four assists, four steals, and three rebounds in a win over McKenzie.
Cade Capps, Stone Memorial: The junior wing had 51 points in a win over Concord Christian.
Andrew Thomas, MHEA: The senior forward had 28 points and 10 rebounds in a 75-59 win over White Station. Elijah Guess had 15 points and three assists. Robert Dawkins added 10 points and 10 rebounds.
Gabe Davenport, Columbia Academy: Davenport had 28 points in a win over James Lawson.
Thatcher Bond, Tennessee Heat: Bond led his team with 17 points in a loss to Beech.
Rocco Lamuno, Ravenwood: Lamuno led his team with 27 points in a win over Rockvale. Brock Wissmar had 17, and Evan Gainer added 14.
Pablo Hernandez, Page: The junior forward had 18 points in a loss to Creekwood. Hunter Moss had 17. Andrew Cucullu provided 10.
Davis Long, Franklin: Long had 27 points, four rebounds, and four assists in a win over Rossview. Christian Brown had 22 points, 10 rebounds, and four blocks. Gil Jones provided 11 points and two rebounds.
Trey Pearson, Pope John Paul II: The sophomore point guard had 14 points, six assists, four steals, and one block in a win over Greenbrier.
Zion Pinkerton, Tyner: Pinkerton had 20 points in a win over East Hamilton. Rodney Henderson III added 19 points and 12 rebounds.
Reid Conley, Chattanooga Christian: The sophomore point guard had 15 points, eight assists, six steals, and two rebounds in a win over CAK.
Trae Rideau, Clarksville Academy: The junior guard had 26 points, five assists, and four rebounds in a win over Northwest.
Kylan Clark, Houston: Clark had 29 points in a win over Hamilton. Keron Jackson Jr. added 17.
Devon McGee: McGee led the Wildcats with 32 points, 11 rebounds, three steals and two blocks against the Mustangs.
Chris Alford, Sweetwater: The senior forward had 25 points in a loss to Maryville.
Cooper Abner, Mt. Juliet: Abner had 19 points, nine rebounds, five assists, and five blocks in a loss to Ravenwood.
Jett Montgomery, Independence: The senior point guard had 29 points in a win over Mt. Juliet.
Ty Glasper, Gatlinburg-Pittman: Glasper had 17 points in a win over Greeneville. Ethan Stinnett had 16 points. Wade Whaley had 14, and Camden Richardson added 11.
Charlie McHugh, Dobyns-Bennett: McHugh had 20 points, nine rebounds, four assists, and three steals in a win over North Greene.
Cam Blivens, Lipcomb Academy: Blivens had 30 points, eight rebounds, and four assists in a win over Ezell Harding. Myles Sidney, Jr. had 22 points and four rebounds.
Cortez Graham, Hillsboro: Graham had 28 points in a win over MLK.
Cello Jackson, FACS: Jackson had 24 points, eight rebounds, and six assists in a win over St. Benedict. MJ Hayes had 21 points and seven rebounds. Jacob Walker added 15 points and six assists. Kris Carroll provided 11 points and 15 rebounds.
Jordan Allen, Hillcrest: Allen led the Vikings with 38 points, seven assists, and six steals in a win over Knowledge. Xavier Herron had 24 points, 10 rebounds, and four steals.
Justin Nordin, Bearden: Nordin had 19 points in a win over Knoxville Central. King Hubbard added 11.
R’Chaun King, Bartlett: King had 18 points in a win over Central. Christian Alston had 11. DJ McIntyre added 10.
Tyler Tanner, Brentwood Academy: Tanner had 44 points in a win over Hillsboro.
Ashton Hudson, Christian Brothers: Hudson had 23 points and five rebounds in a win over MHEA. Keeper Jackson also had 23 points and five rebounds.
Cassie Bullard, Raleigh-Egypt: Bullard had 32 points in a win over Memphis East. Khylan Payne Khylan Payne 6'7" | PF Raleigh Egypt | 2024 TN had 11.
Cooper Haynes Cooper Haynes 6'3" | SG Briarcrest Christian | 2024 State TN , Briarcrest: Haynes had 31 points in a win over Covington.
Tacarien Freeman, Fayette Ware: Freeman had 21 points, five assists, and five rebounds in a win over Brighton. Jeremiah Hayes had 11 points, 10 rebounds, five steals, and five assists. Eric Jones added 14 points. Hunter Melena provided 12 points. DeVaurius Chearis pitched in seven points, 10 rebounds, and two blocks.
Savion Anderson, City University: The junior guard had 20 points, eight rebounds, five steals, one assist, and one block in a win over Northpoint.
Jackson Hobbs, Elizabethon: Hobbs had 11 points, 10 rebounds, one block, one assist, and one steal in a loss to Jefferson County. Andrew Barnett and Will Churchill each had 17 points.
Mason Brown, Central Magnet: Brown had 41 points in a loss to Coffee County.
Carson Wood, Central Magnet: Wood had 22 points in a win over Lincoln County. Jake Maddox added 20.
Game of the week
Cordova and Independence went toe-to-toe Saturday afternoon at Bartlett High School. It came down to the final seconds of the fourth quarter.
The Eagles had possession, with their best player Jett Montgomery Jett Montgomery 6'1" | PG Independence | 2024 State TN bringing the basketball up the court. As Montgomery tried to crossover Wolfpack’s Jaylyn Tyler Jaylyn Tyler 6'0" | CG Cordova | 2024 State TN , the Jones College commit stripped him and got the layup on the other end that gave Cordova a 66-64 win over last season’s TSSAA Division 1 Class 4A state tournament runner-up.
It was a great test for two programs with champion aspirations. Montgomery led Independence with 27. Julius Thedford Julius Thedford 6'3" | SG Cordova | 2024 State #186 Nation TN led Cordova with 23 and kept the Wolfpack afloat in the first half after the Eagles made five 3s in the first quarter. Emerson Tenner dealt with foul trouble, but managed to have important steals and baskets in the third quarter that swung the momentum. He finished with 14 points. Tyler made important baskets in the second half for Cordova.
Pure effort from the Wolfpack were needed as Montgomery scored nine points in the final three and a half minutes of the game.
Senior wing Brayden Buck also made an important basket, one being a 3 late in the fourth quarter, which had the Eagles down 60-59 before Montgomery gave his team a short-lived lead.
Buck, a 6-3 sniper, saw Saturday’s thriller with Cordova as an opportunity for people to know Independence can compete with other talented programs.
”We are ready to come back and fight for it all,” said Buck, who finished with 12 points. “Last year, we are trying to win. We really don’t care about going undefeated. We just want to go out and win state.”