Off-Season Notebook: Nolensville Knights

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><em>PICTURED: Nolensville team.</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Prep Hoops staff is taking a closer look inside Tennessee high school basketball programs, months ahead of the 2024-2025 season. Our next team feature is Nolensville High of Nolensville, TN.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:image {"id":2495422,"width":"266px","height":"auto","sizeSlug":"large","linkDestination":"media","align":"right"} --> <figure class="wp-block-image alignright size-large is-resized"><a href="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/07/Nolensvill.png"><img src="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/07/Nolensvill.png?w=480" alt="" class="wp-image-2495422" style="width:266px;height:auto" /></a></figure> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Head Coach:</strong> Drew Giudice</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"align":"center"} --> <p class="has-text-align-center"><span style="text-decoration: underline"><strong>Nolensville Stats</strong></span></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>2023-2024 Record: </strong>16-12</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>State Championship Record:</strong>&nbsp;0-0<br><strong>State Tournament Appearances (0):</strong><br></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Nolensville Roster (2024-2025)</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Anticipated Starters*</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":3} --> <h3 class="wp-block-heading">Team Roster</h3> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:table --> <figure class="wp-block-table"><table class="has-fixed-layout"><thead><tr><th>#</th><th>PLAYER NAME</th><th>HIGHLIGHTS</th><th>PTS vs. Cascade at BCAT</th><th>State <br>Ranking</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>3</td><td>Gabe Rossi*</td><td><a href="https://www.ballertv.com/stream-highlights/nolensville-vs-cascade-20240622091145" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">8 Highlights</a></td><td>15</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>0</td><td>[player_tooltip player_id='1946924' first='Chris' last='Johnson']*</td><td><a href="https://www.ballertv.com/stream-highlights/nolensville-vs-cascade-20240622091504" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">6 Highlights</a></td><td>11</td><td>#45</td></tr><tr><td>21</td><td>[player_tooltip player_id='2503953' first='Jonah' last='Osborne']</td><td><a href="https://www.ballertv.com/stream-highlights/nolensville-vs-cascade-20240622091405" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">5 Highlights</a></td><td>11</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>5</td><td>[player_tooltip player_id='1959892' first='Bryant' last='Hall']*</td><td><a href="https://www.ballertv.com/stream-highlights/nolensville-vs-cascade-20240622091430" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">4 Highlights</a></td><td>7</td><td>#74</td></tr><tr><td>22</td><td>Brody Cooper</td><td><a href="https://www.ballertv.com/stream-highlights/nolensville-vs-cascade-20240622091410" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">3 Highlights</a></td><td>6</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>20</td><td>Isaiah Streufert</td><td><a href="https://www.ballertv.com/stream-highlights/nolensville-vs-cascade-20240622091130" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">2 Highlights</a></td><td>4</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>10</td><td>Nathan Neuhaus</td><td><a href="https://www.ballertv.com/stream-highlights/nolensville-vs-cascade-20240622091159" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">1 Highlight</a></td><td>2</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>14</td><td>[player_tooltip player_id='1947169' first='Oliver' last='Bender']</td><td><a href="https://www.ballertv.com/stream-highlights/nolensville-vs-cascade-20240622091353" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">1 Highlight</a></td><td>2</td><td>#79</td></tr><tr><td>12</td><td>[player_tooltip player_id='2342262' first='Beckett' last='Gray']</td><td>&nbsp;</td><td><a href="https://www.ballertv.com/athletes/beckett-gray" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">–</a></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>11</td><td>[player_tooltip player_id='2423926' first='M.J.' last='Taylor']</td><td>&nbsp;</td><td>–</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>4</td><td>[player_tooltip player_id='2306628' first='Kael' last='Barney']</td><td>&nbsp;</td><td><a href="https://www.ballertv.com/athletes/kael-barney-20230614150836" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">–</a></td><td>#71</td></tr><tr><td>1</td><td>Kyson Barney</td><td>&nbsp;</td><td><a href="https://www.ballertv.com/athletes/kyson-barney-20230614150835" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">–</a></td><td></td></tr></tbody></table></figure> <!-- /wp:table --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The bones of the team is the junior class. Graduating in 2026, they provide the team's structure, strength, durability. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1946924' first='Chris' last='Johnson']</strong> is a handful to guard inside. In the last six months Johnson developed his faceup game quite a bit. He is not really able to switch on guys around the arc. Look for him to guard the rim and the lane. [player_tooltip player_id='1959892' first='Bryant' last='Hall'] is a leader with decent occasionally good slashing. Solid catch-and-shoot guy if the situation arises.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p> "As sophomores, [player_tooltip player_id='1946924' first='Chris' last='Johnson'] and [<strong>player_tooltip player_id='1959892' first='Bryant' last='Hall']</strong> got a lot of minutes," said Nolensville Head Coach Drew Giudice. "We didn't have the twins all summer. They had baseball. That forced <strong>Gabe Rossi</strong> to be a starter and he took that opportunity and ran with it."</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Gabe is a thin guard with the ability to create his own shot. He led the team in scoring when they faced Cascade High during BCAT. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>During June the Knights did not have the twins, <strong>Kyson Barney</strong> and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2306628' first='Kael' last='Barney']</strong>. "Kyson is the right-handed one. He was All-District as a sophomore. As sophomores, </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>"<strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2636405' first='MJ' last='Taylor'] </strong>has played every year I have been here," said Coach Giudice. "And then <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2503953' first='Jonah' last='Osborne']</strong>. Kind of like Gabe and Jonah had to play jv as a junior. I think he can surprise some people. And then <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1947169' first='Oliver' last='Bender'].</strong> People know him as a wide receiver. That is our 8. Hopefully it doesn't it change."</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Barneys and Bender are all gifted multi-sport athletes. Each could play college basketball if they elected to pursue that path. They all look destined to go a different way though. [player_tooltip player_id='2306628' first='Kael' last='Barney'] will play baseball. Kyson Barney will play baseball. Oliver is looking at college football.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>"By the end of the year Kyson was our best player as a sophomore. I think he could be a Division I basketball player. Oliver is a borderline SEC guy. Those three guys are really good. That is such a good class for us. They were freshmen my first year and they were 21-2 or whatever as freshmen and you want to build with that group. If we keep that group together...they really like each other. They know we can win."</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline">Previous Off-Season Notebooks</span><br><a href="https://prephoops.com/2024/06/off-season-notebook-powell-panthers/">Powell</a><br><a href="https://prephoops.com/2024/06/off-season-notebook-mccallie-blue-tornado/">McCallie</a><br><a href="https://prephoops.com/2024/06/off-season-notebook-maryville-rebels/">Maryville</a><br><a href="https://prephoops.com/2024/06/off-season-notebook-oak-ridge-wildcats/">Oak Ridge</a><br><a href="https://prephoops.com/2024/07/off-season-notebook-southwind-jaguars/">Southwind</a><br><br></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->