3A State Tournament Preview
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PICTURED: Creek Wood EDITOR’S NOTE: Ridgeway led Bolivar Central large at halftime when the game was suspended due to a fan fight. The outcome is not finalized. Class AAA’s eight teams will enter Murfreesboro trying to unseat the Champion Fulton…
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Continue ReadingPICTURED: Creek Wood
EDITOR’S NOTE: Ridgeway led Bolivar Central large at halftime when the game was suspended due to a fan fight. The outcome is not finalized.
Class AAA’s eight teams will enter Murfreesboro trying to unseat the Champion Fulton Falcons. It will be a sizable task and yet all seven contenders are strong, coming off sectional wins. Read about potential pitfalls of all eight teams below.
Matchups:
David Crockett (27-5) vs. Ridgeway (25-5)
Red Bank (28-7) vs. Creek Wood (22-8)
Upperman (29-4) vs. Hume-Fogg (24-4)
Fayette Ware (24-5) vs. Fulton (32-2)
David Crockett (27-5)
Repping D1
About the Pioneers: Winners of 13 of their last 14, David Crockett High defeated three of their five conquerors at least once this year. In fact, DCHS beat Tennessee High twice after losing February 6th. Forwards Reagan Cash and
Colin Beason
Colin
Beason
6'3" | SF
David Crockett | 2024
State
TN
are key players.
David Crockett High hopes to return to the state tournament for the second time. They appeared in 2016.
2016 Starters:
Dustin Day
Josh Releford
@patgood00
@peytonford10
Brendan Coleman
Potential Pitfall: The Pioneers are capable of defending the paint, but there are susceptible to getting beat from arc.
Ridgeway (25-5)
Repping D16
About the Roadrunners: Nobody in D16 could touch the Roadrunners this season.
Brian Carter Jr.
Brian
Carter Jr.
6'6" | SG
Ridgeway | 2024
State
TN
(17.9 ppg, 6.7 rpg) continues to have a tremendous senior season, making 57% of his shots from the floor. Teammate
Emanuel Allen
Emanuel
Allen
6'6" | C
Ridgeway | 2024
State
TN
(15.8 ppg, 11.5 rpg) gives the Roadrunners second chances constantly. The 6-foot-6, 230-pound Allen secured 120 offensive rebounds through his first 29 games!
Potential Pitfall: The team can be turnover prone, for sure. Between the two stars Emanuel Allen Emanuel Allen 6'6" | C Ridgeway | 2024 State TN and Brian Carter Jr. Brian Carter Jr. 6'6" | SG Ridgeway | 2024 State TN they combine for 6.1 turnovers per game. Starting point guard Marlon McShane Marlon McShane 5'11" | PG Ridgeway | 2024 State TN (14.6 ppg, 4.3 rpg, 2.0 spg) is steadier, but his 2.5 topg are also moderately concerning.
Red Bank (28-7)
Repping D6
About the Lions: Senior wing
Anthony Bonner
Anthony
Bonner
6'2" | SG
Red Bank | 2024
State
TN
(21.2 ppg, 6.6 rpg, 2.7 spg) earned Region 3-3A MVP. The Lions’ second-leading scorer is off-guard
Kendrick Lloyd
Kendrick
Lloyd
6'2" | SG
Red Bank | 2024
State
TN
(15.1 ppg, 6.8 rpg, 2.6 spg).
Jaylen Rice
Jaylen
Rice
5'10" | PG
Red Bank | 2025
State
TN
, Kendrick, and Bonner are all ranked, while Rice is the youngest of the trio. He leads the team with 4.4 assists per and scores 7.2 each night.
Potential Pitfall: The Lions are capable of scoring, sure, but a defense that keeps them out of the lane will have a chance. Bonner scores great in the mid-range and Lloyd will hit some three-pointers, but like most hoopers they shoot a higher percentage inside 8′. Red Bank does not have the best post defense either.
Creek Wood (22-8)
Repping D11
About the Red Hawks: Winners of their last nine, Creek Wood is an intriguing team. Their 49-46 win over Chester County in the Regional Championship Game saved them from traveling to downtown Nashville for a sectional at Hume-Fogg. If nothing else it saved player’s families parking fees. Creek Wood is a 3-4 team in games decided by five points or less.
Potential Pitfall: Guards can get into the paint pretty easily on the Red Hawks. A quality ball-handler with court vision will annihilate the Red Hawks.
Upperman (29-4)
Repping D7
About the Bees: It is difficult to argue with 29 wins. Upperman’s freshman
Ty Cobb
Ty
Cobb
6'1" | PG
Upperman | 2027
State
TN
is apparently a star-in-the-making. He scored 25 Monday. Bronzden Chaffin is vital to the team’s success.
Potential Pitfall: The Bees are quality shooters and skilled dribblers. They are not big and bad. If an opponent is able to bully them, then that is a path to overcoming the Bees.
Hume-Fogg (24-4)
Repping D10
About the Blue Knights:
Michael Nwoye
Michael
Nwoye
6'5" | PF
Hume-Fogg | 2025
State
TN
is the best player. The junior is putting up 15.3 ppg on 54% shooting. His 10.2 rebounds per are impressive too. Fellow junior Blue Knight Alonzo Rhodes helps with 13.8 points per and 7.5 rebounds per.
Potential Pitfall: Move the basketball. Attack from alternative points on the floor. Get Nwoye to move from one side of the court to the other wing, if you can. Despite his athleticism, he can’t defend the whole halfcourt.
Fulton (32-2)
Repping D3
About the Falcons: No team in any class was easier to predict into the state tournament before the whole season began. Unlike defending champions Hampton, Alcoa, and Overton, Fulton brought almost everybody back. The Falcons also started their three gifted seniors (
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
) as freshmen. They are the most experienced trio in the state, by a good margin. This is Fulton’s 27th appearance in the State Tournament.
Potential Pitfall: How do you beat Fulton? Only four Tennessee teams in the last two years even know: ’23 William Blount, ’23 Alcoa, ’24 Austin-East, ’24 Central Magnet. This is the third season in a row the Fulton team has won 30+ games. Hardly anybody knows how to beat them. I am not one of those people.
Fayette Ware (24-5)
Repping D14
About the Wildcats: Gritty. Fayette Ware attacks like a wave pounds down on a shore. Relentless. Powerful. They can be infuriating to play. The team is deep, very fast, and strong. FW’s guards are especially physical on both ends (
Jeremiah Hayes
Jeremiah
Hayes
6'0" | SG
Fayette Ware | 2024
State
TN
,
Eric Jones
Eric
Jones
5'11" | CG
Fayette Ware | 2024
State
TN
).
Eric Jones Eric Jones 5'11" | CG Fayette Ware | 2024 State TN averages 11.5 ppg, 4.9 rpg, and 2.1 spg. Hayes is putting up 14.8 ppg with 8.0 rpg, and 2.7 spg. The final guard of note Quaylan Hampton Quaylan Hampton 5'8" | PG Fayette Ware | 2025 State TN averages 2.0 spg, though he is less physical, less imposing than the previous two.
Potential Pitfall: Keep them off of the offensive glass. Limit them to one shot each time down.