Staying home is the rarest of moves in 2026, These 3 hoopers are

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><em>PICTURED: [player_tooltip player_id='2133797' first='Bryson' last='Wade']</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Probable Mr. Basketball Finalist <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2133797' first='Bryson' last='Wade']</strong> will stick with Brentwood Academy, despite landing numerous prep school invitations. He also was certain to hear from public high schools that kinda do not recruit but actually do.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Bryson's mother met his father at University of Tennessee, and they call middle Tennessee home. Wade is 100% graduating from Brentwood Academy in just over 12 months. You can read plenty about his illustrious career to date in his own tweet.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:embed {"url":"https://twitter.com/_Bryson_Wade_/status/2030692038304317818?s=20","type":"rich","providerNameSlug":"twitter","responsive":true} --> <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/_Bryson_Wade_/status/2030692038304317818?s=20 </div></figure> <!-- /wp:embed --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">The Second Recruitment</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>When the Class of 2025 graduated, I metaphorically patted them on the back and imagined them thriving at their college of choice and graduating shortly thereafter. How naive. Players and coaches, along with the NCAA, have made continuity an obsolete word. College basketball hardly resembles what it was just five years ago. Seemingly every freshman leaves for perceived greener pastures often by their own choosing though sometimes they are nudged out stiffly by an unsatisfied college coach.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>SCOOP: "I am staying," said Rodney Henderson III to me Sunday. "Our assistant [Grant Burns] got the job."</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Your newest NAIA National Champion <strong>Rodney Henderson III</strong> earned 8 college offers out of HS (Tyner Academy) and selected Freed-Hardeman University, where he starred as a freshman in 2025-2026. Henderson III certainly had options should have chosen the transfer route. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>As a true freshman Henderson III averaged 8.4 points per game on 48.9% FG in 18.2 minutes per game. Only four FHU Lions made more field goals than Rodney. He will start after coming off of the bench 36 times this past winter.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:image {"id":3589716,"width":"450px","height":"auto","sizeSlug":"large","linkDestination":"media"} --> <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><a href="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/RodneyHenderson2.webp"><img src="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/RodneyHenderson2.webp?w=650" alt="" class="wp-image-3589716" style="width:450px;height:auto" /></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">@PrepHoopsTN Combine (2021) Young Player MVP</figcaption></figure> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Back when he was still a high school senior Henderson III earned offers from Freed-Hardeman, Cleveland State Community College, Ohio Dominican University, Milligan University, Cumberlands (KY), Columbia State Community College, Fisk University, and Southeastern (FL). I am certain he was gonna pull Division II offers. He loves the program and clearly intends to run it back in search of a back-to-back National Championship.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Grant Burns was just named FHU Head Coach after five seasons as Coach Drew Stutts' assistant coach.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:quote --> <blockquote class="wp-block-quote"><!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Upon graduation from high school, Burns immediately began his coaching career, helming the AAU's Tennessee Blazers. Burns has coached the 17U team for the last five seasons, seeing 14 of his players earn college athletic scholarships.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>He played one season for the Freed-Hardeman Lions in 2017 before deciding that coaching was what he truly wanted to do. Burns transferred to the University of Memphis (Tenn.) where he was a student assistant for Penny Hardaway and Mike Miller. For the Tigers, Burns assisted in player development workouts, NBA player workouts, and traveled with the team.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>After one year in Memphis, Burns decided to return to Henderson where he was a student assistant for Coach Stutts, bringing his knowledge from Memphis to continue developing players.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Burns graduated from Freed-Hardeman University in 2021 with a degree in business management. Following graduation, Burns was elevated to assistant coach where the Lions posted a 19-13 record in his first season, qualifying for the National Tournament.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>He is married to Megan and they have one son, Bentley. - FHU Athletics</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --></blockquote> <!-- /wp:quote --> <!-- wp:image {"id":3589729,"sizeSlug":"large","linkDestination":"media"} --> <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/FHU.webp"><img src="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/FHU.webp?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-3589729" /></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Rodney Henderson III poses with FHU teammates and National Championship trophy. (Front right)</figcaption></figure> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Outgoing FHU president David R. Shannon said, "Grant Burns wasn't handed a championship program — he helped build one. His basketball acumen, track record of success, and commitment to faith-driven leadership made him the clear choice."&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Freed-Hardeman president-elect Dr. Keith Harris said of the new head coach, "Championship programs are sustained by people who embrace both the responsibility and the standard that comes with them. Grant Burns has demonstrated, year after year, that he is fully invested in both. His leadership, vision for the future, and commitment to excellence make it clear that he is the right person for this program. What makes this moment so special is that Coach Burns understands what it takes to succeed at the highest level – not just in wins and titles, but in developing student-athletes of high character and integrity. I am excited to see how he leads these young men and continues to elevate Freed-Hardeman basketball in the years ahead."</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>While you can read plenty from transfer portal Instagram posts, twitter posts, and probably TikTok (I refuse to get a TikTok account) this article is intended to glorify the loyalists...the freshmen who are sticking it out with the college that they called home in late 2025 and early 2026. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Two-time State Champion and Mr. Basketball <strong>Jayden Jones</strong> told me exclusively that he will stay at Tennessee State University where Head Coach Nolan Smith is apparently building something special. TSU earned an automatic bid to the Big Dance. This was merely their third ever appearance and for it to occur in Nolan Smith's first season at the helm is staggering.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Tigers won the OVC Tournament after tying with Morehead State for the regular season title.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><em>You can always learn the latest by reading PrepHoops.com/Tennessee. Follow both @CourtneyHoops90 and @PrepHoopsTN for snippets. Thank you to subscribers for supporting local journalism. We work hard for you.</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->