Oak Ridge's Jada Guinn still realizing potential

Jada Guinn is on the cusp of greatness, but she doesn’t even know it.

That’s the message Oak Ridge High School girls basketball coach Paige Redman has tried to drive into the psyche of her talented guard for the past two seasons.

“That’s just Jada,” Redman said. “She doesn’t realize the potential she has. She has no clue. That’s a good thing one way and a bad thing another way. She doesn’t want to shine and stand out. That’s just her personality.”

Don’t get Redman wrong.

Her reluctant star has been plenty good her first two seasons, leading the Lady Wildcats to back-to-back 30 win seasons and a pair of Class AAA state tournament appearances.

The 2016-17 PrepXtra Girls Basketball Sophomore of the Year, Guinn averaged 15.7 points, 4.6 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 2.8 steals last season.

She led Oak Ridge (30-4) back to the state tournament this season, where the Lady Wildcats dropped a 74-61 decision in the quarterfinals to Memphis Central.

Still, Redman said that Guinn hasn’t come close to reaching her ceiling as a player.

“We’re at our best when Jada is just out there to play,” Redman said. “I tell her all the time, ‘Would you just play like you’re at the rec center playing with the boys … just playing ball?’”

The 5-foot-8 Guinn admits she needs to get more assertive, especially offensively.

“I personally need to attack more,” said Guinn, who already has 901 career points. “I need to score more and work on getting more consistent with my shot. Usually, when I’m scoring more, the team is more productive.

Amen, said Redman.

“That (Guinn scoring more) has been begged of her by me,” Redman said, half joking. “We are successful when Jada scores. We’re good when she’s good, and we’re good when she scores.

“When Jada is ‘just out there,’ she’s not as effective. It’s not just about her getting more points —  it’s about opening things up for other people when she scores more.”

Redman said that innate scoring mentality is about the only thing missing from Guinn’s already dazzling all-around game.

“Jada has what you can’t teach. She has got some moves and knacks for the game, and a lot of natural ability. She has a lot of natural ability that college coaches like.

“We are successful when Jada scores. If she's got that killer (scoring) instinct, she would be an SEC-type guard.”