GIRLS BASKETBALL

South Side's McNeal named Girls Hoops Coach of Year

Michael Odom
USA TODAY NETWORK – Tennessee

Brent McNeal has been working to build the South Side girls basketball program into one of the best in West Tennessee.

The Lady Hawks finished with an undefeated record in the regular season, and they got over the hump and reached the Class AA state tournament.

McNeal is the 2017 All-West Tennessee Girls Basketball Coach of the Year.

Having the undefeated season and reaching the state tournament, do you feel like this team met expectations or exceeded expectations?

Honestly, I believe this team exceeded expectations. We lost five seniors, and we went into the summer not knowing what to expect. We were asking kids to do a little bit more than we thought they could handle at such an early age. With Quanardra Miller, she didn't start as a freshman, she played a lot, but we wanted her to start as a sophomore. Makayla Transou also. We asked them to step up and be leaders.

Why do you think this team was able to get over the hump and make the run to the state tournament?

We jelled a little bit more this year. I think they were a little closer. They talked to each other a little more, not to say the teams in the past didn't, but I think this team did it better. They bought into being together on the floor, off of the floor, in the locker room. They turned into a family, tight-knit situation. If one person was struggling, we could depend on someone to pick that person up and pick up the slack.

Was there a point in the season where you saw this team as a district and region title contender?

The bump when we had some really close games against Lexington and Chester County, and they were home games. When we needed a stop at the end of the Chester County game, we got one. We were down like eight points in the fourth quarter, and they walked over to the sideline and said, "We got this." That was when I realized that we had a chance.

A Westview vs. South Side matchup had been anticipated for the past couple years. Did this year's meeting live up to the hype?

The game was everything that everybody had been waiting for. Westview has some excellent shooters and a great coaching staff. They have held their end of the bargain the past couple years, where we have stumbled. The fact we got there to the championship game, and we stayed the course. We got a couple of steals and transition baskets that allowed us to win the game. It was something everybody wanted to see.

With the loss of two starters, what are your expectations going into next year?

My assistant and I have sat down and talked on what will be our next move. Tamia Curry and Cheyenne Cunningham are four-year starters that bring so much to the table. Like I tell a lot of people, when you look at the stat sheet, you will seldom see a South Side kid with 25, 26 points. But if you see it all, you will see a kid with 12 points, six rebounds, three steals. That is what we are losing. We will have some kids ready to step into starting roles like Alexis Trice.

Reach Michael Odom at michodom@jacksonsun.com or 731-425-9754 and on Twitter @JSWriterMichael.

South Side coach Brent McNeal yells to his players during their TSSAA Class AA state quarterfinal game against Upperman at the Murphy Center in Murfreesboro on March 8, 2017.