Playoff Stockrisers: Part II
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No time is more frenetic and hyped as Sub-State Monday. Who asserted their will on the massive moment? Thomas Paul Thomas Paul 6'3" | SG White County | 2023 State TN (White County) Thomas Paul Thomas Paul 6'3" | SG…
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Continue ReadingNo time is more frenetic and hyped as Sub-State Monday. Who asserted their will on the massive moment?
Thomas Paul Thomas Paul 6'3" | SG White County | 2023 State TN (White County)
Thomas Paul Thomas Paul 6'3" | SG White County | 2023 State TN (White County) scored 7 of his team’s first 12 points to hop out ahead of a feisty, jet-quick Austin-East team. His aggression continued throughout the game. Paul’s attacking helped the Spartans keep the Roadrunners honest. Austin-East played the passing lanes and tried to make contact with the on-ball defense. By putting a dribble down, Paul eroded that pressure. TP converted massive buckets in the second half too and he was alive on the glass when rebounding. Paul averages 14.5 points per game over the course of the season.
Eli Gaines Eli Gaines 6'1" | SG Chattanooga Prep | 2025 State TN (Chattanooga Prep)
Eli was evaluated during the June 2022 PrepHoopsTN Combine. Read his evaluation here. In the intervening 18+ months, Eli grew both taller and more skilled. His shooting touch was his redeeming skill before. Now, Eli is more comfortable on the ball. Maybe one day he will mature into a point guard. That is not required for him though, as the sophomore is not taller and more filled out physically. He can endure some fouls and still finish an and-1. Dependable free throw shooter.
Shane Cherry Shane Cherry 5'9" | PG Austin-East | 2025 State #353 Nation TN (Austin-East)
Shane Cherry Shane Cherry 5'9" | PG Austin-East | 2025 State #353 Nation TN (Austin-East) played with incredible acrobatics in a hostile environment, helping his Roadrunners hang around in the opening quarter. He made one layup that looked like he jumped 3′ off of the floor, and then completely scooped underneath for an unstoppable shot. Early in the second quarter Shane poked ordinarily sure-handed Tripp Pinion free and poked the pill by himself. Timeout White County!
Jakeb Davis Jakeb Davis 6'2" | CG White County | 2023 State TN (White County)
Senior guard Jakeb Davis Jakeb Davis 6'2" | CG White County | 2023 State TN comfortably scores and comfortably scored Monday night, but his truly deepest contribution came on the other end. Jakeb spent approximately half of the night checking the quickest guard in America, Shane Cherry Shane Cherry 5'9" | PG Austin-East | 2025 State #353 Nation TN . Cherry handles like he invented And-1, crossing like Iverson, leaping like Nate Robinson. Defending him is impossible and yet Jakeb worked on it. Worked on it constantly. Sure, Tripp Pinion devoted some possessions to the same mission, but Jakeb stands taller with a higher center of gravity. This made it even more challenging to get low and lateral defending Cherry.
Eli Reagan Eli Reagan 5'10" | PG Pickett County | 2025 State TN (Pickett County)
Solid catch-and-shoot guy. Eli was needed by Pickett County after the graduate of the Amonett twins. Alongside Jacob Amonett Jacob Amonett 6'0" | PG Pickett County | 2025 State TN , Reagan scored in bunches.
Marquez Taylor Marquez Taylor 6'0" | SG McKenzie (football) | 2023 State TN (McKenzie)
The powerful, springy guard Marquez Taylor Marquez Taylor 6'0" | SG McKenzie (football) | 2023 State TN created constant problems for Moore County. The baby blue Moore County Raiders lacked a physical match for Taylor. He exploded off of the ground when he did miss with an insanely quick second-leap. One concern with Taylor’s play Monday were his missed layups. The Rebels extended their pressure to fullcourt often and Taylor was the tip of the spear.
Alex Copeland Alex Copeland 6'0" | PG Moore County | 2024 State TN (Moore County)
It was night a strong night for Moore County, and Alex Copeland Alex Copeland 6'0" | PG Moore County | 2024 State TN was not great. He looks like a competent small college guard with a strong summer of skill development because he plays with strong shoulders and an impressive amount of poise. Needs quicker lateral mobility for defensive assignments.
Tripp Pinion (White County)
The lone sophomore WCHS starter, Tripp Pinion made a game-winning shot in the final five seconds. The riveting, State Tournament-clenching scoop proved to be the culmination of a strong playoff performance. Pinion shared the significant burden of checking elite point guard Cherry with Jakeb Davis Jakeb Davis 6'2" | CG White County | 2023 State TN to moderate success. Perhaps the most impressive accomplishment by Pinion was his ball-handling and penetrating without turning the ball over. Austin-East played him, and all of the Warrior guards, with incredibly disruptive hands and blazing feet. Pinion managed staggeringly well.
Austin-East
#2
Tyric Jones
Tyric
Jones
6'1" | PG
Austin-East | 2023
State
TN
*
#3 Decorriyan Brown
#5
Shane Cherry
Shane
Cherry
5'9" | PG
Austin-East | 2025
State
#353
Nation
TN
* (2025)
LeSaud Holloway* (2023) 6’3″
#15
Juwaan Troutman
Juwaan
Troutman
6'5" | PF
Austin-East | 2025
TN
*
Zeus Sanders
Zeus
Sanders
6'2" | SG
Austin-East | 2023
State
TN
*
#33 Ryan Seagraves
White County
Jakeb Davis
Jakeb
Davis
6'2" | CG
White County | 2023
State
TN
*
Japheth Richmond
Japheth
Richmond
6'6" | PF
White County | 2023
State
TN
*
Thomas Paul
Thomas
Paul
6'3" | SG
White County | 2023
State
TN
*
Thomas Brock*
Tripp Pinion*