D9-AA Postseason Preview

Here is your D9-2A postseason preview. District Tournament Champion Favorite: Fairview Just like they were back in November, the Fairview Yellow Jackets are the favorite. With an unrivaled depth, FHS can limit scoring droughts better than most AA teams statewide. Veterans [player_tooltip player_id="1137154" first="Kennedy" last="Pendergrass"] and [player_tooltip player_id="1137135" first="Mays" last="McCoy"] know how to generate points out of nothing. Harpeth is another team with wonderful depth and scoring balance among their top guys. The emergence of Nathan Beasley as a scorer brings a necessary post option to a previously guard-reliant team. Senior [player_tooltip player_id="1311975" first="Aiden" last="Williams"] loves this edition of Harpeth, "The [other teams] try to stop one guy but this year we got a whole lineup of hoopers!" Top Contenders: Cheatham County, Harpeth White House Heritage was considered a "top contender" by our preseason look, but is this still possible? Cheatham County and Harpeth are the best bets to unseat Fairview in the District Tournament. [player_tooltip player_id="1311975" first="Aiden" last="Williams"] is just a consistently superb scorer this year. He has scored 20+ points in seven games and put in double-figure points nearly every single night. Underdogs: Sycamore, White House Heritage In addition to adding a new coach in Fisher Bailey, Sycamore High must replace a strong senior class with a single, solitary Class of 2022 member (Charlie Thomason). By far Sycamore is having the least successful campaign, and capturing a postseason victory feels unlikely. 21-22 Preseason Conference Predictions <ol> <li>Fairview</li> <li>Harpeth</li> <li>White House-Heritage</li> <li>Sycamore</li> <li>Cheatham County</li> </ol> Our preseason predictions missed significantly on Cheatham County, though their district record is perhaps less reflective of their strength than their overall record (11-11). Harpeth is a strong team, though they lost two of their first three district games. Standings (as of 1/29) [table id=1122 /] <h3> </h3> <h3 style="text-align: center;">Partial Squads with Starters*</h3> Sycamore #13 Charlie Thomason* (2022) --Hunter Gill (2023) Lucas Morris (2025) --Josh Strother (2023) --Jesse Lewis (2024) --Rhett Hunt (2023) --Tristan Murphey (2024) --Hunter Green (2024) --Nicholas Lyle (2023) Blake Jones (2025) Andrew Stuard (2025) --Marshall Bega (2023) --Austin Morris (2023) --Brendan Saylor (2023) Ben Kimbrough (2025) Brayden Bracey (2025) Daegan Allen (2025) --Tristan Murphy (2024) --Dalton Williams (2023) Harpeth #10 [player_tooltip player_id="1311975" first="Aiden" last="Williams"]* 16.6 ppg, 31% 3pters, 39% FG, 2.4 apg #11 [player_tooltip player_id="1263629" first="Logan" last="Johnston"]* 12.5 ppg, 44% FG, 4.9 apg #14 Ellis Hurt* (2022) 5.4 rpg #20 Aaron Bateman* (2022) 4.3 rpg #21 Nathan Beasley* (2022) 5.3 rpg, 6'10" #34 Ryan McMillan (2022) 1.5 ppg [player_tooltip player_id="1263629" first="Logan" last="Johnston"] and [player_tooltip player_id="1311975" first="Aiden" last="Williams"] were key scorers for Harpeth a year ago. Unfortunately, neither registered a strong shooting percentage (28% Aiden and 34% Logan). They are night and day in regards to offensive efficiency this season. "Smarter shots from both," observed Harpeth Head Coach Daniel Moman. "They understand the system better." [player_tooltip player_id="1263629" first="Logan" last="Johnston"] is tremendously more efficient in his junior year than he was in 2020-2021, now shooting 44% as opposed to 34% last season. Johnston is a tremendous two-way player. According to Coach Moman, Logan is scoring 13 ppg while averaging almost 5 [apg], while guarding the other team's best player every game and he doesn't ever come off of the floor." White House-Heritage #0 Eli Woodis (2023) #1 Jonathan Lopez (2022) #3 Nolen Horner (2023) #5 Taye Francis* (2022) #10 Gavin Burnett (2023) #12 Dylan Tate (2023) #14 Ian Hall (2023) #20 Daniel Bale* (2022) #23 Hayden Thompson (2023) #32 Dontarrius Teasley (2023) #40 Asher Green (2023) #50 Brandor Rosa (2022) Daniel Bale was our preseason favorite for Player of the Year though Fairview will almost certainly house the award winner. Bale shot 64% from the field last year, a ridiculous figure. Fairview #0 Carter Durham* (2022) #1 [player_tooltip player_id="1137135" first="Mays" last="McCoy"]* (2024) #2 Nathan Dillingham* (2024) #23 [player_tooltip player_id="1137154" first="Kennedy" last="Pendergrass"]* (2022) #34 [player_tooltip player_id="1376284" first="Shammah-rapha" last="Takop"]* (2022): Serves FHS as a lane liason. Takop is a key rebounder. He is not requested to score or create his own, but the team really leans on him for rebounds.   https://twitter.com/KennedyPenderg1/status/1486350883814354952?s=20&t=wFr6M5gqyxO8vI4NMDsFtQ Cheatham County #2 Syler White* (2023) 7.1 ppg, 2.5 rpg #10 Tucker Carter* (2023) 18.3 ppg, 6.0 rpg, 3.5 apg #13 C Liam Hayes* (2022) 7.1 ppg, 2.6 rpg, 1.9 apg #23 Maverick Lee* (2023) 14.8 ppg, 5.9 rpg #43 Noah Gatlin* (2023) 1.8 ppg, 1.1 apg Grayson Cox (2023) 4.6 ppg, 1.9 rpg, 1.5 apg Derek Ballew (2023) 3.3 ppg, 1.6 rpg Carter Pardue (2023) 3.2 ppg , 2.7 rpg, 1.8 apg Maverick Lee is a nimble wing with college potential. He gets up and down the court better than most. Liam played some football in his high school career too. https://prephoops.com/2021/10/d9-aa-preview/ Key Postseason Players Statistics Daniel Bale (White House-Heritage) 18.3 pp, 39% 3pters Tucker Carter (Cheatham County) 12.5 ppg, 44% FG [player_tooltip player_id="1263629" first="Logan" last="Johnston"] (Harpeth) [player_tooltip player_id="1137154" first="Kennedy" last="Pendergrass"] (Fairview) [player_tooltip player_id="1137135" first="Mays" last="McCoy"] (Fairview) 14.8 ppg, 51% FG Maverick Lee (Cheatham County) 16.6 ppg, 31% 3pters, 39% FG [player_tooltip player_id="1311975" first="Aiden" last="Williams"] (Harpeth)