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Home  News Latest Class AA Tourney Observations
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Class AA Tourney Observations |
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Written by Andre Whitehead
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Thursday, 23 March 2006 |
News and Notes from the AA portion of the state tournament
Who would have thunk it. Liberty Tech used a patient offensive attack and a relentless all or nothing defensive effort TO pull of a shocking 64-60 victory over the talent laden Mitchell squad.
A sterling opening round game found Mitchell getting past two-time defending state champion Bolivar 57-53. Michael Cager proved his worth with a huge three to close out regulation and then Mitchell held on for the win. All the while Liberty was posting a tough 78-69 victory over Haywood County. Most in attendance figured the champion would come out of one of these games and they were proven correct.
Liberty Tech made quick work of second round opponent McMinn Central 87-64 and prepared themselves for the Saturday clash with Mitchell. The Memphis crew seemed to be playing well with Thad Young and Brandon Powell providing most of the scoring.
Mitchell came out strong against Liberty posting a double digit lead but it was apparent that Mitchell was loosing their grip and Liberty was slowly chipping away. Liberty was on the attack with mighty mite Anthony Sampson providing the spark with pinpoint assists to open teamates and tough ball-handling in the face of athletic defenders. Liberty kept the pressure on with swooping drives to the bucket by tourney MVP Jewon Long and tireless inside work from juniors Josh Sain and Devon Jones. Murray State signee Brandon Evans hit a big three to put Liberty ahead for the first time and then you could see the Mitchell wheels begin to flatten. Mitchell had trouble deciding who would be the go to player down the stretch and this indicision cost them the victory.
Coach Dexter Williams did a monumental job in getting his boys prepared for the crown. They showed unselfish play and each player stepped up to cover another when they struggled. A wonderful game and the atmosphere was fantastic.
Let's look at some of the top players from the tourney in no particular order:
Jarvis Varnado-Haywood County (6-8 PF) Senior
The Mississippi State commitment had a sterling effort in defeat. He threw down 23 points and did all he could to keep his squad in the contest. Jarvis has improved his offensive output dramatically and his presence in the paint is not measurable in statistics since many shots do not even get attempted because of his blocking prowess. When he gets some weight on his frame he will be a force to reckon with.
Matt Parton-Knoxville Catholic (5-11 PG) Senior
Look up point guard in the dictionary and you will see a smiling picture of Mr. Parton. The young man carried his Catholic team to the brink of a first round victory with six threes and numerous assists to fortunate players with the same color jersey. Parton can control tempo with his dribble and has improved his outside weapon to the point where he is deadly from three. Smart,energetic and an above average basketball IQ are all attributes the Knoxville senior possess. He would make a solid, smart, steady, great leader and lockerroom guy for a host of DII and NAIA schools.
Brandon Evans-Liberty Tech (6-1 SG) Senior
The Murray State signee had a less than stellar effort for his talent, but came up big with 27 markers in the second round victory over McMinn Central. Evans is a smooth shooter who need a rythem and a strong driver to the bucket. His shot seemed to abandon him in the two other games, but he did nail a huge three in the championship victory to give Liberty thier first lead. Evans is solid citizen and will thrive with Mick Cronin at Murray.
Brandon Powell-Mitchell (6-5 SG) Senior
The Florida signee had an interesting week shooting lights out on some occassions and strugglng to find his niche on others. The big guard seems to settle for the jumper at all costs and rarely shows any other weapons from his offensive arsenal. There seems to be a battle between him and Young that tugged at the fabric of the Mitchell chemistry, which was apparent as the championship game came to a close. Powell will need to expand his offense game and certainly pick up the intensity on defense if he wishes to see the floor for Billy Donovan's Gators next season.
C.J. Davis-Goodpasture (5-9 SG) Junior
Vey quick and lethal when his game is on. Davis showed the ability to score, but came about this equation without regard for what was a good shot and what was bad. His size almost requires him to have some point guard ability and his offensive mentality strictly contradicted this. He is incredibly quick and plays very hard, which will serve him well as he learns to incorporate the point guard skills into his repertoire. It is imparitive at his size that he have the ability to run the offense and use his personal offensive gifts to his advantage.
Blake Derrick-McMinn Central (6-3 WF/PF) Senior
There has to be some place for a kid who plays with heart and skill, but lacks sheer athletic ability to land for his college experience. Blake has wonderful inside post moves, uses his body well and rebounds quite well for his size. He can put the ball on the floor to a degree, but does not take any shots outside of 12 feet. A relentless worker on both ends of the floor will serve him well as coaches from DII programs and NAIA teams look to add this solid player to their rosters.
Josh Sain-Liberty Tech (6-5 WF) Junior
This young man elevated his stock with a superb week of play at the state tourney. Sain was the man in the opening round game putting back hapless misses and controlling the game from the boards. His athletic and long build allowed him to keep possessions alive and get solid looks at the bucket. His long arms aid his defensive ability and he runs the floor like an antelope. Sain will certainly need to add some bulk to his thin frame and work on a more consistent mid to outside game for his stock to reach new heights.
Beau Brown-McMinn Central (6-2 SG) Senior
A nice athlete who needs to desperately find a position. He needs to tweak his outside shot and work on his trajectory, his shot often comes off flat from his release. Beau has the size and skill to compete on the next level, but his lack of ball-handling and lead guard skills may keep him from competing on the level he should. Beau will make a fine DII guard and should flourish at that level with potential all-conference ability.
Thaddeus Young-Mitchell (6-8 WF) Senior
It has been nothing short of a pleasure watching Thad progress these past few years. The Georgia Tech signee gave this state much credibility on the national level and he should be commended for that fact. One of the most versatile athletes to ever grace the courts of this state, his ball-handling, inside prowess and shooting ability will take him to superstar heights in the coming seasons. I believe Thad is ready for the next season to commense and he is ready to show the basketball community that Thad Young is a true superstar.
Jewon Long-Liberty Tech (6-1 SG) Junior
Talk about playing and raising your stock. Long showed his form with graceful, swooping drives to the bucket, steely defensive laments and a will to win that shredded anyone and anything in his path. The coaches in attendance took notice, but also mentioned that they would like to see Jewon develop some sort of outside game. This would complement his ball skills tremendously. Long plays tough defense and his in your face antics and long reach make him a defensive stopper supreme.
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