CLASS AA
Favorite: Fulton (27-6).
Contenders: Livingston Acad. (32-2), B.T. Washington (27-2).
Bold prediction: It’s not just that Fulton is the defending champion. It’s
the returnees who played key roles, like Jalen Steele (21.5 ppg), that make Fulton a favorite. Livingston Academy’s passing and running could derail Fulton in the semifinals. B.T. Washington should maximize its draw and make the final.
The Fulton High School boys’ basketball team would welcome a little déjà vu this week at the Division I state tournament. Grace Christian would rather experience a new feeling. Both begin play Wednesday at Middle Tennessee State University’s Murphy Center.
Grace Christian (26-5) faces Chattanooga Grace Baptist (27-6) at 12:45 p.m. EDT in a Class A quarterfinal. The Rams bowed out in the first round last season.
Fulton (27-6) faces Memphis Sheffield (17-15) at 7:45 p.m. EDT, and the Falcons are seeking consecutive Class AA titles after bringing home the school’s first last season.
Fulton coach Jody Wright liked the tipoff time he received, saying it should help his players stay in their normal routines.
“And I think that’s about what time we played (in the first round) last year,” he said. “From that standpoint, you like what you do.”
Fulton doesn’t tote a hefty win streak into this year’s tournament like
it did a season ago. But the Falcons return the same duo who paced the title run: senior guard James Gallman and junior wing Jalen Steele.
Gallman, an MTSU signee, averages 12.7 points. Steele, who has a handful of mid-major Division I offers, is reliable behind the arc (38 percent) and averages 21.5 points.
Sheffield isn’t the prototypical Memphis opponent that rolls into
Murfreesboro on a cloud of hype. It started 4-8, is 4-4 in its last eight games and has never made a state-tournament appearance.
It lost the District 16-AA championship by 25 points and the Region 8-AA final by 12.
But it was only two years ago that Maryville lost the Region 2-AAA championship by 19 yet captured the Class AAA state title.
It’s not far-fetched to think Sheffield
could do the same. It has the tools with 6-foot-3 junior wing Marcus Crawford (18.5 points), 6-0 senior guard Montrel Crawford (13.2 points) and 6-4 junior Robert Shaffer (11.3 points).
It does bode well for Fulton that Sheffield hasn’t a post player taller than Shaffer and hasn’t any state-tournament experience.
“I’ve been down here before. We have guys who have been down
here before,” said Wright. “Instead of me trying to tell them (how it is), we have guys modeling what we expect and what needs to happen.”
Class AA
B.T. Washington
Nickname: Warriors.
Coach: Fred Horton, 35th season.
School record: 27-2.
Final AP Ranking: Seventh.
State tournament history: Sixth appearance (5-4). Champions in 2001.
State titles: One - 2001.
Scouting report: Larry McGhaughey (Sr., 6-5, 21.4 ppg) Douglas Rosser (Sr., 6-2, 13.3) lead five players who enter the tournament averaging double figures.
Bolivar Central
Nickname: Tigers.
Coach: Rick Rudesill, 13th season.
School record: 26-3.
Final AP ranking: Sixth.
State Tournament history: Eighth appearance (7-5). Quarterfinalist in 2008.
State titles: Two - 2004 and 2005.
Scouting report: Bolivar has three players averaging double figures, led by Desmond Crisp (Sr., 6-3, 17.6 ppg). Chris Reaves (Sr., 6-5, 14.7 ppg) and Ricky Tisdale (Jr., 5-8, 12.4 ppg) make the Tigers a well-rounded team.
Brainerd
Nickname: Panthers.
Coach: Robert High, 33rd season.
School record: 29-6.
Final AP ranking: Not ranked.
State tournament history: 13th appearance (16-9). Quarterfinalist in 2001.
State titles: Three - 1984, 1988, 1992.
Scouting report: Fred Sturdivant (Sr., 6-7, 18.7 ppg, 13.8 rpg) leads four players in double figures. Teammate Fred Jones (Sr., 6-3, 12.3 ppg, 9.1 rpg) share rebounding duties with Sturdivant.
Carter
Nickname: Hornets.
Coach: Tony Buell, third season.
School record: 21-11.
Final AP ranking: Not ranked.
State tournament history: First appearance.
State titles: None.
Scouting report: Lester Wilson (So., 6-4, 20 ppg, 10 rpg) leads the Hornets to their first state tournament appearance.
David Lipscomb
Nickname: Mustangs.
Coach: Mike McPherson, third season.
School record: 26-6.
Final AP ranking: Not ranked.
State tournament history: 15th appearance (11-13). Semifinalist in 2000.
State titles: One - 1993.
Scouting report: Carter Sanderson (Jr., 14.7 ppg) lead the Mustangs' offensive attack. Trevor Hunt (Sr., 9.8 ppg, 4.8 rpg) and Evan Webb (Sr., 9.9 ppg, 6.5 ppg) provide inside pressence.
Fulton
Nickname: Falcons.
Coach: Jody Wright, 24th season.
School record: 27-6.
Final AP ranking: Third.
State tournament history: 16th appearance (9-15). Champions in 2008.
State titles: One — 2008.
Scouting report: Jalen Steele (Jr., 6-2, 21.5 ppg) and MTSU signee James Gallman (Sr., 5-11, 12.7 ppg) lead the defending state champs back for another tournament run.
Livingston Academy
Nickname: Wildcats.
Coach: Richard Melton, fourth season.
School record: 32-2.
Final AP ranking: Fourth.
State tournament history: 11th appearance (4-10). Quarterfinalist in 2008.
State titles: None.
Scouting report: Chase Dunn (Sr., 5-8, 19.4 ppg) and T.J. Smith (Jr., 6-3, 13.6) have combined to hit 120 3-pointers this season giving the Wildcats a solid outside pressence. However, Dunn can create shots off the dribble.
Sheffield
Nickname: Knights.
Coach: Clyde Delamar, second season.
School record: 19-14.
Final AP ranking: Not ranked.
State tournament history: First appearance.
State titles: None.
Scouting report: The Knights love to play uptempo, giving Marcus Crawford (Jr., 6-3, 16 ppg) and Calvin Rounds (Jr., 5-11, 10 ppg) opportunities to create shots in the open court.
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