What’s next: Let’s look ahead to the 2025 season

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>AAU season is over.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>What's next?</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The 2025-26 high school basketball season.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Here are 5 prospects/things to keep an eye on:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Can [player_tooltip player_id='2133810' first='Ty' last='Cobb'] lead Upperman to another state title?</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='2133810' first='Ty' last='Cobb'] led the Bees to a TSSAA Division I Class 3A state title last season. He was also crowned Mr. Basketball. Cobb went from being the hunter to being the hunted. He's going to get the best effort from opposing teams' guards this upcoming season. Cobb is on pace to have a memorable high school career. He's coming off 13 Under Armour contests with Stars Basketball Club averaging 22.9 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 4.7 assists on 53.7 percent shooting from the field. So many eyes will be on Cobb as he looks to lead Upperman back to the Glass House to defend its 3A crown.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Surprising team in DII-AA</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='2194624' first='Eli' last='Brown'] played with Brentwood Academy at BCAT in June, and by no surprise, the Eagles' offense looked…..promising. Who would have thought Brown would fit well with a Brentwood Academy's team that's in need of a veteran guard? Well, me over here. Brown shoots the ball really well and can provide spacing to give junior point guard [player_tooltip player_id='2133797' first='Bryson' last='Wade'] the necessary room to get to his spots. Also, sophomore forward [player_tooltip player_id='2543986' first='James' last='Humphreys'] can score with his back to the basket. [player_tooltip player_id='2869497' first='Lucas' last='Graves'] and [player_tooltip player_id='2194529' first='Jacob' last='Nixon'] can also make shots from the perimeter. I expect the Eagles to be competitive and win more games than they did last season (14). Having two upperclassmen in the backcourt will pay dividends for this group.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Anything can happen if Frison stays healthy</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Junior point guard [player_tooltip player_id='2101889' first='Justin' last='Frison'] led Houston to the Class 4A District 15 Tournament last season, earning the Mustangs a No. 1 seed in the 4A Region 8 Tournament. Frison missed the team's first round matchup against a pesky Memphis East team that ended Houston's season. He suffered a wrist injury against Bartlett that ended his sophomore season. So, what does a healthy Frison mean for the Mustangs? Uh, everything. He makes the team go. If Frison is playing at a high level, his teammates will follow. He's shown that he's capable of leading a team to big wins. Once the postseason comes, Houston is hoping it's playing its best brand of basketball. If Frison, along with [player_tooltip player_id='2111892' first='Jordan' last='Myles'], are healthy, then anything can happen on the hardwood floor.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Mr. Basketball finalist for a Knoxville Catholic faithful</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>DII-AA is a tough league. It could be considered the best league in the state of Tennessee due to the quality of basketball that's played night in and night out. [player_tooltip player_id='1959161' first='Cade' last='Murphy'] has been productive for Knoxville Catholic since he's been with the program. His scoring average has increased each season he's been there. Murphy is coming off a junior season averaging 22.1 points and 8.2 rebounds on 54 percent shooting from the field. He's a 6-foot-5 shooting guard that can get going after a couple shots fall. If Murphy is healthy, and the Irish have a really good season, he should be in line to be a DII-AA Mr. Basketball finalist. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>All-District Team for a key senior</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Believe it or not, Bartlett's [player_tooltip player_id='2083148' first='Axton' last='Perry'] has never made a regular season All-District team. He's heading into his senior season with hopes of competing for a 4A state title. Well, the Panthers are going to need him to control the boards, block shots, and alter more at the rim. Can Perry be a double-digit scorer? Absolutely. He's going to be one of the more athletic, versatile forwards in 4A this upcoming season. He's a needle mover. Perry can be a vital piece to Bartlett's run in 2025.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->