Joe Jackson

Rising sophomores who made the most of their opportunity.

The end of the summer always brings relief to those of us who ran the roads and those who played the games. The summer also springs ahead some of the impact youngsters who will be making a name for themselves as the high school seaosn approaches. We should actually preface that by saying some will be familiar names who rose another level and other made their presence felt this campaign.

I have chosen five players from the Class of 2010 that made big strides in their games and have a bright future should they continue to work and improve the areas of their game that need improvement.

Joe Jackson (White Station)

Some people would say how can the top rated player in the class be a riser, well for this instanance we will say Mr. Jackson had his metioric rise on a national level. I have told the big boys for two years now that Joe should be a top ten player nationally in the Class of 2010. After his exploits in Vegas I think they may finally agree with me. J.J. was phenominal in Sin City showing every skill the majors drool over and then some. At only 5-11 don't be fooled by his stature as he will rise over you and take it home. His outside shot is best when he gets his hustle and flow during a sequence when he makes a nice dish, gets a steal or two and then follows with a tight jumper. He's certainly a rythem player and will be one of the finest players in this state before he moves on to his college of choice.

Tereas Clemmons (Wilson Central)

This lanky 6-4 shooting guard/wing burst onto the scene with his feathery jumper and lefty motion. His stock took an upward swing as he joined the Mid-State Ballerz midway through the summer and caught the eye of coaches who seemed to ask me the same question if we were in the same gym....Who is that guy? His unconscience shooting display at the Tennessee Elite camp elicited excitement from players and coaches alike. His game will take a monumental leap forward as he gets stronger and learns to use the dribble to take advantage of his outside prowess. Big things await this Lebanon future legend.

Tyler Hood (Lenoir City)

At 6-5 Hood is long and lean with a smooth mid-range, foul-line area stroke. He can step out to the big line but will need to improve his strength to make that shot more efficient. His performance at the AAU Junior Olympics was noteworthy with three games over 30+ and an award for the Most Outstanding Player at the event. Hood as with most kids this age must get his strength up to match his talent. The players on the 16 and under circuit will be bigger and stronger. His advantage as a lefty is sweet but learning to use both hands especially in traffic and on the offensive boards will serve him weel and increase his foul shot attempts.

Denarius Smith (Kenwood)

If you made it to a gym featuring the Mid-State Ballerz 15 and under squad then you probably asked someone seated near you..who was that? This long, lean dunking machine made quite a name for himself finishing hard on the break with thunderous slams and being very creative and tough on the offensive glass. His strength, which almost becomes redundant, will help him rise to another level. He will need to add some ball-handling and outside shooting skills to his arsenal to make him a very effective wing in the coming years.

Meiko Lyles (NCA)

After finally seeing the talented Mr. Lyles, I knew what all those people were telling me..this kid can play. Meiko has a smooth and silky demeanor to his game. His mid-range shot and deep stroke are very good and he continues to get better the more he plays. His game will only shine brighter the more he gets the opportunity to compete against top level competition. Great future for this nice young man.