Division II-AA, Middle Region Notebook

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><em>PICTURED: [player_tooltip player_id='2847447' first='David' last='Taft']</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>As private school playoffs near, DII_AA Middle Region players are coaches are making news. Your source for it all is always <a href="https://x.com/PrepHoopsTN">@PrepHoopsTN</a>.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><a href="https://prephoops.com/2026/01/division-ii-aa-middle-region-mvp-race/">MVP Race in DII-AA Middle</a><br><span style="text-decoration: underline"><strong><br>Participating Teams</strong></span><br>Brentwood Academy<br>Christ Presbyterian Academy<br>Ensworth<br>Father Ryan<br>Lipscomb Academy<br>Montgomery Bell Academy (MBA)<br>Pope John Paul II</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1572632' first='Cam' last='Blivens'] </strong>(Lipscomb Academy) is signing to Clemson's football program this week. He also a candidate for Regional MVP and Mr. Basketball. Further, Lipscomb Academy is enjoying a tremendous season in his final push.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2543986' first='James' last='Humphreys']</strong> (Brentwood Academy) shared his updated statistics.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>12.3 points per game<br>7.4 rebounds per game<br>1.25 blocks per game<br>67.6% FG%</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><a href="https://prephoops.com/2026/01/division-ii-aa-middle-region-mvp-race/">MVP Race in DII-AA Middle</a></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Young Talent at M.B.A.</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Last year Montgomery Bell Academy advanced to DII-AA State Semifinal, defeating a fantastic JP2 team along the way. Then, they all left and M.B.A. Head Coach Kevin Anglin was tasked with fielding an almost completely new team.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>"We graduated some really good players," said Coach Anglin. "We knew it was going to be a little bit of a transition year in terms of having some older and experienced guys and some younger guys."</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Enter The Dickens.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:image {"id":3465162,"width":"573px","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/2/2026/02/DIcksn2.jpg"><img src="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/02/DIcksn2.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-3465162" style="width:573px;height:auto" /></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">'27 F [player_tooltip player_id='2716618' first='Korajo' last='Dickens']</figcaption></figure> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2716618' first='Korajo' last='Dickens']</strong> and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2856292' first='Kharlo' last='Dickens']</strong>. The family left Mt Juliet High School for M.B.A. where they now both start.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>"[Korajo] is great," said M.B.A. Head Coach Kevin Anglin. "I would say he is a stretch 4. He can do it all. He is a very tough guard because if you put a big on him, he will just get by you. If you put a smaller guy on him, then he will just post them up. He is a very versatile guy. He is a growing defender. He has adapted to our system well."</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Coach Anglin starts a freshman after graduating two tremendous senior guards (<strong>Collin O'Neal</strong>, <strong>Kevin Die</strong>).</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>"We have a freshman point guard, <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2895598' first='De'Loni' last='Pughsley']</strong>, said Coach Anglin. "They moved from Ohio a year ago. He is probably 5'9"."</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Coach Anglin said Pughsley moved to Tennessee from Columbus, Ohio. "They moved at mid-year last year," said Anglin. "They got to be a part of the team down the stretch. Didn't play a ton but got to be around it."</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Asked more about Pughsley Coach Anglin said, "Really good scorer. Really good offensively. Young on the defensive side. That has been one of our big challenges. We are not as stingy defensively."</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Read a little more about Coach Anglin's perspective on [player_tooltip player_id='2716618' first='Korajo' last='Dickens'].</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>"Big kid," said Coach Anglin via phone call. "6'7". Has some face-up skills, as well. We are looking for more consistency out of him, but he has been good for us this year. He is a 4/5, but his natural instinct is to not play with his back to the basket. We don't ask him to play on the block the whole time."</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->