Opening Night Superb Performances

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><em>To share your stats/boxscore photos both this and any night throughout the season, DM <a href="https://twitter.com/prephoopstn">@PrepHoopsTN</a> on Twitter.</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline">Silverdale Baptist Academy</span></strong> 56</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>#2 PG [player_tooltip player_id='2340223' first='Elyjah' last='Richardson']* (2024)<br>#3 C/PF Kennedy Okpara* (2025)<br>#13 [player_tooltip player_id='2299349' first='Houston' last='Holland']* (2024)<br>#23 [player_tooltip player_id='2477732' first='Kobe' last='Jackson'] (2026) LH</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline">Bradley Central</span></strong> 67</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>#1 PG [player_tooltip player_id='1389729' first='Trevor' last='Carpenter'] (2023)<br>#2 SF/SG [player_tooltip player_id='1389706' first='Dee' last='Reid']* (2024)<br>#13 Macias Daniel* (2024)<br>#21 [player_tooltip player_id='1389705' first='Ramireon' last='Taylor']* (2023)<br>#33 [player_tooltip player_id='1338482' first='Jackson' last='Ary']* (2024)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1338482' first='Jackson' last='Ary']</strong> provided needed muscle for Bradley Central. Much of the incredible mobility and springs of <strong>Kennedy Okpara </strong>were muted by Ary's subtle yet substantial defensive effort.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1389729' first='Trevor' last='Carpenter']</strong> hit a lovely three-pointer in dribbling off of a screen curl. He then quickly followed that make with a second triple seconds later. Carpenter's game created a small splash last winter, wherein he similarly made three-pointers look routine. The senior certainly lacks the explosion to be a slasher, or at least appears to, but his capacity for making outside shots provided fits for the Seahawk defense.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2477732' first='Kobe' last='Jackson']</strong> played with some spunk. He jettisoned his way to the free throw line on back-to-back possessions with the game late in the junior varsity game. Above average first-step quickness.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Kennedy Okpara</strong> looks like a wonderful high school forward now. What will he be in two years? The crystal ball reveals hazy, foggy images of Okpara. Dunking on somebody? Everybody? Kennedy Okpara is a handful now for a future college player in [player_tooltip player_id='1338482' first='Jackson' last='Ary']. Imagine how destructive the 6-foot-6ish sophomore will be against typical DII-A frontlines? Most encouragingly, Okpara's shooting form is resplendent. He is not a springy, supremely-raw talent. Okpara is skilled to a degree as a shooter. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <p><!-- /wp:list --></p> <p><!-- wp:image {"id":1662808,"sizeSlug":"full","linkDestination":"media"} --></p> <figure class="wp-block-image size-full"> [caption id="attachment_1662808" align="alignnone" width="303"]<a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2022/09/Jackson-Ary1-scaled-crop-2536x1665-1668558719.jpg"><img class="wp-image-1662808" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2022/09/Jackson-Ary1-scaled-crop-2536x1665-1668558719.jpg" alt="" width="303" height="199"></a> [player_tooltip player_id='1338482' first='Jackson' last='Ary'] thrived mid-September in Bartlett, TN. His season debut resembled that day.[/caption]<br> </figure> <p><!-- /wp:image --></p> <p><!-- wp:paragraph --></p> <p><!-- /wp:paragraph --></p> <p><!-- wp:paragraph --></p> <p><!-- /wp:paragraph --></p> <p><!-- wp:paragraph --></p> <p><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline">Cane Ridge vs. Lebanon</span></strong></p> <p><!-- /wp:paragraph --></p> <p><!-- wp:paragraph --></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline"><strong>Lebanon</strong></span> 86<br>#10 PG Caden Baird* (2023)<br>#11 SG [player_tooltip player_id='1410081' first='Wyatt' last='Bowling']* (2023)<br>#25 SG Grayson Galentine* (2023)<br>#30 C Landen Engles* (2023) 6'8" 230<br>#5 PG/SF [player_tooltip player_id='1039192' first='Jarred' last='Hall']* (2023)</p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline"><strong>Cane Ridge</strong></span> 69</p> <p><!-- /wp:paragraph --></p> <p><!-- wp:paragraph --></p> <p><!-- /wp:paragraph --></p> <p><!-- wp:paragraph --></p> <p>#1 [player_tooltip player_id='2238887' first='Avyion' last='McCleton']* (2025)<br>#2 [player_tooltip player_id='1336102' first='Mareo' last='Franklin']* (2024) Can really, really shoot the 3.&nbsp; Same with McCleton.&nbsp; Remind a little of Bolivar Central 2020.<br>#3 [player_tooltip player_id='1299049' first='Da'Ron' last='Hall']* (2024)<br>#14 Jaylen Summers (2023) PG 6th or 7th man<br>#10 [player_tooltip player_id='1495451' first='Kelvin' last='Lusk']* (2023)<br>#32 F [player_tooltip player_id='2274016' first='Waymon' last='West']<br>#4 G Tyshaun Poore (2026)</p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1039192' first='Jarred' last='Hall'] did not shoot sharply immediately.&nbsp; The #1 prospect in Tennessee missed his first two shots, and one of his first two free throws.&nbsp; No matter.&nbsp; Hall finished the victorious night with (UNOFFICIALLY) 10-17 FG, 7-8 FT's, 6 assists, 9 rebounds, and 2 turnovers.</p> <p><!-- /wp:paragraph --></p> <p><!-- wp:paragraph --></p> <p>LHS opened with a 2-2-1 press with Jarred extended deep into the forecourt. When Engles played, the press kind of covered for him on all four sides as it slid back from a 2-2-1 into a quarter-court man.</p> <p><!-- /wp:paragraph --></p> <p><!-- wp:paragraph --></p> <p>Lebanon High did not list <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1039192' first='Jarred' last='Hall']</strong> as a "SF/SG/PG" on MaxPreps as a goof. Hall did actually play point guard for much of the first half. Hall is even more slender than was the last two years, though obviously he did not become physically weaker. The endurance of Jarred was always elite, with this iteration he appears yearning to push the tempo, an odd visual from a 6-foot-8 Mr. Basketball forward so accustomed to dominating the paint.</p> <p><!-- /wp:paragraph --></p> <p><!-- wp:paragraph --></p> <p><!-- /wp:paragraph --></p> <p><!-- wp:paragraph --></p> <p>Disheveled is a customary trait of dozens of Cane Ridge games each season. Typically, the Ravens are creating that chaos for their opponent. Tuesday, in the season opener, a home opener actually, Cane Ridge struggled deeply to speed up the Lebanon men. In fact, LHS played faster willfully than the Brandon Miller-less hosts. The Ravens, ravished early needed some stabilization and guidance from Assistant Coach Marcus Kinzer to settle in, though it took a long, long time.</p> <p>Credit the eager transformation of former Rebound King [player_tooltip player_id='1039192' first='Jarred' last='Hall'] to All-State point guard?! The Mr. Basketball Candidate looked like he lived there his entire life.</p> <p><!-- /wp:paragraph --></p> <p><!-- wp:paragraph --></p> <p><!-- /wp:paragraph --></p> <p><!-- wp:paragraph --></p> <p><!-- /wp:paragraph --></p> <p><!-- wp:paragraph --></p> <p>If [player_tooltip player_id='1039192' first='Jarred' last='Hall'] attempts to block a shot, then Lebanon must, must rebound in his absence. It can be missed how constantly Jarred is accepting or collecting defensive rebounds, and perhaps his teammates are a bit complacent when the opposing shot rises up.</p> <p><!-- /wp:paragraph --></p> <p><!-- wp:paragraph --></p> <p><strong>Landen Engles</strong> (Lebanon) is certainly limited athletically when viewed with the same lens as [player_tooltip player_id='1039192' first='Jarred' last='Hall'] and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1299049' first='Da'Ron' last='Hall']</strong> (Cane Ridge), but his composure and confidence around the rim was very, very successful. At 6-foot-8, Engles was very involved and yet never seemed to fumble over his feet or spill the basketball around the pesky, darting guards. Engles is absolutely the X-Factor for Lebanon, should they intend to return to the State Tournament.</p> <p><!-- /wp:paragraph --></p>