Summit, District 11-AAA hoops a 'mystery' this season

Summit High School’s Tai Carter could only watch Tuesday as teammate Jaden Lewis’ potential game-tying 3-point shot bounced off back iron in the closing seconds of the tightly contested District 11-AAA clash.

It was merely the most recent setback for Carter, a Class 5A Mr. Football finalist who suffered a season-ending ACL injury in late October that’s forced him to take in his final high school basketball season from the sidelines.

Needless to say, it’s been a frustrating few months for the 5-foot-10, 180-pound two-sport standout who ran for 1,225 yards and 14 touchdowns in the fall.

Ten games into the 2017-18 campaign, the same can be said for Spartans coach Josh Goodwin.

After winning six of their first seven games, Summit has dropped two of their first three District 11-AAA battles by a combined eight points. 

Carter’s injury, along with the expected-but-equally-important loss of his older brother and last season’s leading scorer — Navy freshman John Carter — to graduation, have certainly played a role in Summit’s early-season struggles.

According to Goodwin, however, a former Belmont guard who led Summit to a program-best 23 wins a season ago, it’s not a matter of who has or hasn’t been suiting up for the Spartans.  

“I don’t think we have to learn who we are or who we can be,” Goodwin said after his team’s 48-45 loss to district-leading Brentwood. “We just need to learn how to be consistent, whether that’s consistently showing up and stepping up to the challenge or consistently not being ready to play. To me it doesn’t really matter.”

He has plenty of talent, including 6-foot-9 Illinois State signee Demontay Dixon and his half-brother Dontae Stringer — a 6-foot-4 freshman forward — but aside from the always dependable Lewis at point guard, Goodwin simply can’t put his finger on the new-look Spartans. 

“Right now we’re getting the same thing out of Jaden Lewis every night,” he said. “But we get effort from some guys, and we get some defensive concentration and intensity from some guys. We just have to be more consistent

"We’re a mystery right now.”

A mystery? Yes. A lost cause? Not even close, especially if last season's 11-AAA race was any indication.

After cruising to a regular-season district title in 2016-17, the Spartans made an earlier-than-expected postseason exit, suffering a region semifinal loss to an Independence squad that had overcame a six-game regular season losing streak en route to a Class AAA semifinal finish.

“Last year I think we experienced the real-life version of what everyone talks about — it doesn’t really matter until February or March,” Goodwin said. “It’s just kind of what this league is. I mean, who knows? (Brentwood) could not lose a game the rest of the year, or everyone in the district could be .500. You really have no idea what's coming."

Third-year Brentwood coach Greg Shirley, who captured his second win over Summit in five tries on Tuesday, isn’t ready to count the Spartans out.

“They’re going to improve and (Goodwin) does a great job coaching them,” said Shirley, whose 9-1 Bruins are unbeaten in league play. “It’s just Williamson County basketball. You’ve got to be ready to play every night. Each coach knows what the other is wanting to do, and it’s just about who imposed their will.”

Reach Michael Murphy at mfmurphy@tennessean.com, 615-259-8026 and on Twitter @Murph_TNsports.