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DB played last night and they are truly a team full of above average players. Very deep even 5 or 6 deep on the bench. No true star on this team and Morgan hardly even plays their best player Tyleke Love. Nobody wows you on this team unless Connor Mitchell gets a dunk (which he didn't last night) Makale Foreman is a solid player but in no way is he a scorer. Just not impressed with how Morgan is coaching this team thus far. We will see what kinda of job he does as he takes this team into the Arby's classic.

Potential future Division I players from East Tennessee CJ Good- Science Hill (don't think he will, but with a great senior year he might sneak an offer) Devin Sibley- Knox Karns Junior Justin Jenkins- Knox Webb Sophomore Kelvin Jackson- Knox Fulton Sophomore Matt Halvorsen- Dobyns Bennett Freshman Patrick Good- Science Hill Freshman

Saw the younger Ailshie play in their last game. He is just a gunner. Not much basketball IQ. Can shoot the ball a little but out of control and shot it every time in the jv game. I did see the younger Good kid play and yes he is talented. The problem with him is that he is probably maxed out in height. His dad (John Good Science Hill Assistant Coach) is no taller than 5'9. The kid can play and is athletic but I would expect him to be in the Justin Sylvester mold of never truly becoming what we all expected. In response to Art, the 12 games that the Toppers have already played is far better experience than the extra practices that DB got. With an experienced team like DB you need all the games you can get. And for Charlie to skip out on those opportunities for a few extra practices is just mind boggling to me. You will see on Friday when the Toppers come out of the gate fearless and DB has a trembling first step.

Saw Science Hill play recently... They are going to be a tough game for anybody in the big 8 conference. Cant really see any team competing against them or really even giving them much of a game. Dobyns Bennett might surprise me. But I just don't see it. Saw the Indians play against a very poor Sullivan central team and really had some trouble besides a huge run in the 3rd quarter. Tyleke Love is going to have to greatly improve for the Indians to do any damage. Can anyone explain Connor mitchell???? This kid probably has the best post athleticism this conference has seen since the Ashlon Adams/Larry Smith era at science hill... But the kid doesn't even have one post move in his repertoire. The only way he is scoring is if he has a wide open dunk or lay up set up by someone else. Dobyns Bennett is gonna need to get something out of those two kids for DB to compete. Cause if they don't then CJ Good/Will Adams and gang are gonna run away with this conference without breaking a sweat.

I am an aau coach and watched the freshman tournament at Knox catholic... Two kids really stood out to me. Javien Johnson- Oak Ridge- kid is long and a total athlete. Has the chance to be a pretty good player. Kids in this tournament just couldn't match up with him physically. Needs to improve basketball IQ and ball handling but at the freshman level he will dominate. If he played at 10 other schools in Knoxville that didn't have the talent that Oak ridge does he would undoubtedly be a varsity player we would be talking about. Matt Halvorsen-Dobyns Bennett- the day I watched he filled it up in two games going for 24 and 25. He is only about 5'7 but BOY OH BOY OH BOY.... HE CAN SCORE THE BASKETBALL!!!! He did it any way you wanted it done. He drained 3's. He hit mid range. He hit floaters. He got to the rim. He is a little bit slow and not very strong, but he didn't let it phase him. Like Johnson, if he were on any team besides Science Hill or Dobyns Bennett in the Big 8 he would be a starter at the varsity level. I haven't seen a scorer like him at the freshman level in a LONG time. And like I said... I'm an aau coach and have seen a lot of kids at this level. If anybody knows how to get in contact with these kids please let me know.

a toss up? I dont think so. They will beat jeff co. handedly. Then it will be a win or go home scenario between Science Hill and Dobyns Bennett played @ DB. Lets all remember this comment from WaCo....

If the hill plays well like they are capable then their is only one team that can beat them and that is DB. So hey.... you never know..... they might just do it..... cutlip isnt dumb.

Main difference that I have in between these are that I would put Halvorsen on 2nd team in front of Bennett from Volunteer. In the past week I heard a newspaper writer make the comment that had Halvorsen played the way he has since the Arby's, and played this way the entire season that he would be the 5th first teamer in because he is averaging around ten points a game and one of the top 3 assists leaders in the conference. But he was slow coming on into the season (possibly due to the role of moving from shooting guard to point guard) and due to this slow start he slips down into the 2nd team in my book. Bennett hasnt had a very good shooting season and his team was second worst in the conference so I think that hurts him. A top 10 player in the conference should have the ability to put his team on his back and get the team at least 2 wins in the conference besides beating Crockett twice. Just my opinion. First team is pretty much a lock with the 5th player a toss up between Devault and Sylvester. What's everyone else thinking about 1st and 2nd teams?

Im pretty sure that last year they listed the conference MVP in a list by himself and then the all-conference list after that. Though I may be wrong, but thats how I'm gonna list my all-conference lists. MVP- Its the obvious choice of Josh Odem, this kid is the best in the conference and he has proven it every single game. He has taken it to the Indians in both conference victories. In no particular order besides the team specified below. First Team Corey Young- Best point guard in the conference, controls game with great poise Chris Smith- Best slashing guard in the conference and makes his free throws Jordan Edwards- Dominated the paint all year Ashlon Adams- pure scorer for the Tribe from inside and out Tyler Devault- really think its a toss up with Sylvester but we need some diversity on 1st team Second Team Larry Smith- a great post with athleticsm and great hands Todd Halvorsen- top 3 shooter in the conference, around 6 assists a game Jordan Cross- had to do it all for East and can shoot the rock Justin Sylvester- do it all guard that can score and does it in bunches: again.. could be flipped with Devault Dustin McConnell- one of the other top 3 shooters in the conference, over 5 boards a game from a guard Third Team (don't even know if there is such thing but Im making one) Aaron Bennett Tyler Ashworth Patrick Albright Tre Webb Nick Jones Honorable Mentions : (SH: Isaac Kinley, Jamieson Hamilton; East: Koree Deeb; Boone: Cody Connell; THS: Mason Canty; Central: Nathan Vannoy, Carl Roberts, Mickey Brown (for the fact that it is apparent that he was a big key to their success earlier in the yr before the injury); Volunteer: Cameron Trent; South: Bailey Dick, Logan Blair, Tyler Moore)

I agree. Well said. Kids better kick it into high gear if they want to move on to Murfreesboro like last yr. And I too believe that Halvorsen is the better shooter of the two. He has a dribble pull up that is a good weapon. Used that at key times in the Science Hill game. McConnell is a tremendous shooter but I believe he is a set shooter. McConnell can hit you for about 5 in a row extremely quick like he did in the Tenn High game. The kid can light it up. Halvorsen struggled a bit at the beginning of the season leading up to the Arby's. But since then his percentage has been above 50%. Though he does not normally shoot as much as the other starters due to the fact that he is the player that controls the game and looks for assists. But if a 3 has to be taken for the Tribe I look for Halvorsen to take it.

And if thats just what it comes down too, a shooting match.... then ill take Halvorsen, Sylvester and McConnell every day of the week over Tenn High shooters.

Also have to remember that Halvorsen was given the great task of guarding Odem. And there hasnt been anybody able to stop him so far this year. The kid isnt just the best player in the conference.. he's a top 5 player in the state. And yes that counts Memphis. Odem is the real deal. So you cant just say he killed them on defense, cause it wouldnt have mattered who guarded Odem cause he was going to do the same thing to anybody. Halvorsen prob did the best out of anyone. Though thats not saying much considering Odem dropped 26 on the Indians.

well first off we need to establish that Throp was not even on the team last yr and it was Williams at point guard. So lets get that fact. The yr that Throp was there DB got knocked out by Knox Powell in the sub-state.

UMMM not sure if you noticed but sylvester played timid from the point position. He didnt look comfortable with the pressure and had 7 turnovers most of which were weak turnovers. Yes he had 15 points so that will make up for the poor effort on his ball handling (which is normally a strength) and he missed a few crucial layups in the first half. Also took many ill-advised shots throughout the game. So in this particular game Sylvester did not show up with his usual game. However the players that did show up were Adams and Halvorsen. Adams hit jumpers throughout the game and stayed agressive against his former team. Took some shots that he prob shouldn't have taken.. but he hit a few of them too. Halvorsen kept them in the game penetrating and hitting jump shots. The Science Hill point guard couldnt really keep him in front of him. He also hit a couple threes that kept the deficit within single digits. DB just didnt get any prescence from Edwards inside and that killed them. McConnell never could get open and he was never given an opportunity to hit shots. Credit part of that to the Topper defense, another part to the fact that McConnell never recieved any screens to make plays. I however completely agree with your second statement. This DB team is not athletic enough to run up and down the court with the superior athletes of The Hill. In order to win in the ladder part of the year when it really counts DB will have to slow the tempo down and make it a half court game. If this is not done..... then this might be Charlie Morgan's worst ever coaching job at DB and they will be out and sitting at home quick.

I think DB will win the game tomorrow night regardless. It could be a close one, however it would be wonderful if this team would come out and win by 25 and show everyone what they can really do. If they can shoot the rock like they have here recently then I believe this could happen. Then they have to put in great effort on the defensive end. If McConnell and Halvorsen hit a few threes each, which they have consistently been doing, then I believe this will do the trick. Adams and Edwards have been dominant on the offensive end, however their post defense has been dismal. And neither of two towering players box out. Teams kill DB on the offensive glass due to this. And it all starts with Adams and Edwards not dominating the glass and putting as much effort on the defensive side as the offensive side. If they do this then the tides will turn for Dobyns Bennett and they will be the team to beat. HOWEVER, if Edwards and Adams continue to give up offensive rebounds... DB will CONTINUE to be the team that "doesnt play for 32 minutes." Cause many will agree that they can score on anybody. They have the best offensive arsenal in the conference and probably the region. But if this team gets over the hump it will be because of defensive rebounding and post defense. And it starts with the "so called" two best posts in the conference...

Dobyns Bennett goes to Tenn High on Friday night. Who ya got in this battle between two of the top teams in the conference? DB is just too good for Tenn High. The vikings dont match up well with DB's athleticism and size. If DB shoots well then it will be another 20 point game. note: Dobyns Bennett was only 2 of 12 from three and they still won by 16. Recently, Dustin McConnell and Todd Halvorsen have been shooting the ball very well from 3. So look for that to be a factor against the zone of Tenn High on friday night at Viking Hall. I think DB takes this one with a score of 64-42

Well it looks like Dobyns Bennett is back in business blowing out their last three opponents by a combined 118 points. Yes thats just a shade under 40 points per game. Good to see this DB team blow out teams that they should instead of "playing down to their competition". Jordan Edwards is continuing to control the paint. And Ashlon Adams seems to be meshing very well with this Charlie Morgan system. He is dominating the inside while hitting a few outside shots each game. And Todd Halvorsen's shot is really coming alive as he is averaging three 3-pointers in his last 4 games. Dustin McConnell is continueing to shoot the rock well. And Justin Sylvester is finishing at the rim. Still waiting for his long range shot to come along. They are going into a 2-3 zone each game.. anyone know if they are using this for use in the Science Hill game. The Toppers have continued to struggle against a good zone (note: 2 points win over Central-zone, loss to Tenn High-zone, 6 point win over East-zone) I think this Indians team is finally coming alive and are the team to beat in the Big 9. I believe that if DB wins out then they will win the conference. They wont have any problems with Tenn. High, as they dominated them in the first bout and DB shot very poorly against the zone of Tenn High. And I believe that the Indians will prevail in the final regular season battle with Science Hill (hopefully get two more exciting games between the two in the post-season as both the district and region tournament are at the Dobyns Bennett Dome) look for the zone in that game as well. If DB were to lose to either one of those teams then that team will be the one that goes on to win the conference. Charlie Morgan has his team exactly where he wants them... starting to gel at the right time.. and eventually peak at the right time. Every year people complain about Morgan coached teams in the regular season (except last yr.) and how they arent going to be very good and wont be able to go very far. But every yr at tournament time he has them going deep into the post-season. So I will keep my faith with him and that he will do the same thing with this team. Peaking at the right time is OH SO key in all sports. ESPECIALLY basketball since it is such a long season. And I would like to say to all you Na-sayers about how the Big 9 is not very good this yr... I believe it is a strong conference in the top 3. Tenn High took Miller Grove, GA to the wire and had a chance to win, Miller Grove went on to lose to Bearden in a game that GA was leading most of the game. Science Hill had Briarcrest with their backs against the wall late in the battle with them. And DB lead against Benedictine Ohio the entire game except for about 5 minutes. I understand that all these are losses.. but Miller Grove is a top 5 team in GA, Briarcrest is a top 5 team in ALL divisions in Tennessee, and Benedictine is the number 1 team in Ohio. And to add to this, there have been many teams to compete very well with these three teams. I understand that you cant play the game of "we beat you so and you beat them so we could beat them too" game. But it is a good judgement of Big 9 teams playing against very good competition and competing very well. Think what you want.. but i believe this is a better conference than it is given credit for. Should be a very exciting end to the season so lets fasten our seatbelts and enjoy it! Robinson beat Sevier today by a few points. Robinson has a better team.. while Sevier has a few more players that will be better varsity players in a few yrs. Swafford being one. And you people that say nobody cares about the middle school games well apparently a couple do.. Noticed that a couple of DB players came to see their former schools face off with Todd Halvorsen and Dustin McConnell in attendance. Morgan might be scouting to see what he'll have to work with in a few yrs. Cause its not going to be pretty after this yr for a yr or two.. thats for sure.

Justin Sylvester may not even be the first OR second best player on his own team. Jordan Edwards and Ashlon Adams are definitely ahead of him.

I completely agree. When Justin Sylvester and Todd Halvorsen start playing like they did in the Chop House Classic then this team is going to be VERY tough to stop. Their post game is already the best in East Tennessee up there with Bearden. We have already seen that it is better than Farragut's post game head to head. If Sylvester and Halvorsen are shooting the ball like they did in the Chop House then it is going to be a long season for the Indian's foes.

Well said and I do think that Morgan will have his boys ready and they will beat SH. And teams in the state tournament only use 7 or 8 players anyways and this is what DB has. Last year the Indians only went 8 deep with Flack, McConnell, and Edwards off the bench. So not a huge change. 6 of the 8 State tourney teams last season only went 7 or 8 deep. And the two teams in the championship only went 7. Just saying.... Maybe not as big a deal as we are making it.

How about Science Hill and Dobyns Bennett. Always a bitter rivalry.

Is Farragut's point guard playing? I know he had missed a game or two earlier in the year against Science Hill and maybe Alcoa. And Bearden seems to have a very big weakness at point guard. Look for Farragut to exploit this area.

Well it doesn't matter if you play 17 or 5 as long as you get the "W". And I have yet to see a Charlie Morgan coached team get out-conditioned in a game so dont count on it being a factor.

Central is slow and small. Not a good combination against the quick and tall lineup for the Indians. None of the Cougars will be able to match up with Adams and Edwards down low. Then at the guard play DB has the advantage there too. Sylvester will shut down Roberts and Halvorsen will stop Brown at the point. Should be pretty one-sided. Plus DB tends to thrive in the big games and the Central student section should be loud enough to get the Indians excited. DB by 25.

Well if you came to the game the night before against Crockett you would have observed Charlie Morgan put in their "junior varsity" players with two minutes remaining in the game and it was a complete joke. There were about 7 turnovers in this two minute span and made for a lot of laughter at the end of the game. It was embarrassing for the players and for the team. This is not a knock to the players. Just that they need to continue to work for next year. So if you are wondering why Charlie didnt put them in earlier in the game... here is your reasoning. And Justin Sylvester and Todd Halvorsen did a nice job of not trying to attack the rim in the final minutes as they could've easily ran up the score instead they passed back and forth. I would much rather see that kind of class as opposed to watching the ball go back and forth and lots of turnovers.