bud1

Jackson County is focused on Tuesday with Upperman. Take care of that business then focus on Friday. One game at a time, my man....lol But it won't be a 15 or 20 point game.....

It was exciting to see Garland's big 3 soar through the air and into the basket! I wish I couldve seen the 2nd one but I missed that one. The station camp girls were fundamentally sound and well coached. They played a good game against our girls. #21 and #10 from station camp were both fun to watch. They all worked extremely hard on the defensive end of things. Laken Leonard was double-teamed most of the night, but still managed to get 28 while Emily Bowman had 13, I believe. Our defense needs some work, the intensity will come Im sure because Coach Brown is known for having great defensive teams. We all got our moneys worth in the boys game too. Our boys played their best game so far beating a good Station Camp team. Its easy to see why Jenkins will play for Vanderbilt. He had 38 points with 6 threes. JC stayed with him but he still managed to score. What a player! The Hensley boy and Robinson really worked hard tonight. Robinson had 18 and I believe Hensley was in double figures too. Keep up the good work JC boys and girls.

Clarkrange was not in this tournament last year either. Sure wish Upperman was in it, it was great playing them last year. We still get to during the regular season though.

Just a reminder: Last year, JC was never picked #1 by all these posters, always underestimated.....and look what happened!!!! I kind of like going under the radar on CoachT.....

It will all be decided on the hardwood in just a few months. Good luck to all 7A teams!

Quit living in the past....it's time to move on....I really think everyone is tired of hearing about this subject.

muffin, you said the same thing last year as I recall......when will you ever learn????

First of all, let me say that I don't believe for one minute that you are from Jackson County. I have figured out that a lot of people get on this site and pretend to be from a certain place just to cause rifts in certain other programs. Next, if Coach Brown was only worried about himself and his program, he would have already taken advantage of the opportunities he has been given to coach at the collegiate level. He could be at Tennessee Tech, MTSU, or possibly many other colleges, but he has chosen to stay at home where he loves to coach and live. Jackson County is fortunate to have a coach like Coach Brown. Many other schools would give anything to have him coach at their schools. From what I have heard from many Jackson County people, they do respect him and are very happy with what he has done for the school, community, and young ladies. Jackson County girls, keep your focus and don't listen to these people that hide behind misspelled names! (Captain Under Pants!!!!)

LL rolled her ankle on the second play of the first game in pool play after she had made a steal and was going up for a layup. She could not get clearance from the on- sight trainer to play in any of the games up until the last two days of the tournament. When she finally got clearance to play, she was able to contribute and help her team. It was great seeing all these girls that represent so many different teams come together as a team and play hard. Not only are they great athletes, they are fantastic young ladies. I wish all of them a wonderful upcoming high school season. I hope they continue to have fun doing what they love to do.

Congratulations! I always enjoy hearing about the Tennessee teams being successful!

I think Karissa was invited to play with this team, however, she wasn't there. We sure missed her! She is a terrific young lady.

The team that is in Detroit is going by Tennessee Elite White because there was only one team of 11 girls. Lauren Wasson, Lakyn Ledford, Laken Leonard, Tasha Phillips, Kelli Reed, Hannah Green, Tori Lowe, Molly Eacret(spelling could be wrong), Destiny (from stone memorial), Mariah (from Hendersonville), Icelyn (from Lebanon), make up this team which is a different group from the Tennessee Elite Navy that was put together for AAU. This group will be playing for the Championship tomorrow at 10:30 against a Wisconsin team.

FYI for GatorBillMSU: Players do not get their playing time STOLEN, and all players must EARN their playing time!!!! It doesn't have anything to do with transfers, and I can't help but think you made that comment to stir up trouble. Quit making excuses for players not playing. JIM BROWN WILL PLAY ANY PLAYER THAT WILL HELP GET THE JOB DONE. You can bet on that!

GREAT NEWS FOR THE HELTON FAMILY AND UTC!!! KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK, ERIN, AND WE WISH YOU MUCH SUCCESS DURING YOUR SENIOR YEAR AND YOUR COLLEGE YEARS, TOO.

CONGRATULATIONS LASHAY DAVIS!!!! WE WISH YOU THE BEST AT WKU!!!

Congratulations to the 16U Tennessee Elite-Navy girls team on making it to the SWEET SIXTEEN!!!! That was a big win last night when you sent a very good Memphis Team home (Jasmine James plays on that team). I think I am correct in saying that Tennessee Elite- Navy is the last team left representing Tennessee out of the remaining 16 teams. Laken Leonard (Jackson County), Lakyn Ledford (Sequatchie), Lauren Wasson (Wilson Central), and Karissa Dyer (Upperman) are some of the girls that are on this squad. I wish I knew all of the first and last names but I don't. Anyway, I am so proud of you all. Keep up the good work! You are representing your hometowns and the state very well.

We don't feel that our daughter chose the "easy way out" either. She went to a tough, disciplined program with a much more difficult schedule. She had to prove herself all over again because what she had accomplished in the past didn't matter. She had to earn her starting position by practicing with an elite group of players each and every practice. That challenging atmosphere was exactly what she needed and continues to need. As for her time in RBS, the two seasons she played were very successful seasons. During those two years, the team she was part of set school records for most wins ever. They had 30+ wins and made a state tournament appearance. But was she growing as much as a player? Would she have continued to develop had she stayed? Would she have had the opportunity to play as a 1,2, or 3 at RBS? Would the schedule change so the players could play better competition? I believe the answer is no. It was all about growth with our situation. Maybe other families and players have left for other reasons, that's their business. I sincerely hope those transfers will be as satisfied with their decision as our daughter has been. I really believe there are other posters who act like they are from JC or Clarkrange and they try to stir the pot at times. Pay attention to what I have written and not what other posters write that think they know why we made the move. I sure would like to share more thoughts with you in the future. Look me up sometime when you see me again. I'd like that.

Congratulations Holli! We are so proud of you! Roane State made an excellent choice when they chose you. Your leadership and skills helped propel JC to the State Championship this past year, and those qualities will benefit Roane State, too. Best Wishes on your next adventure in life.

There are programs that offer "better" situations for players that are driven and focused during and after high school. Two programs, Jackson County and Clarkrange, stand out from all the others in the Upper Cumberland. The strength of scheduling is always near the top for these two teams. Besides the District games that these two coaches must play, the other games on their schedules consist of AA and AAA teams during the season. During summer camps, these two coaches have played AA and AAA teams, also. Teams such as Wilson Central, Shelbyville, Milan, Bradford, Gibson County,etc..... Besides scheduling, at least one of these teams(I can only speak about the one we have experienced) offers excellent conditioning and weight-lifting for the off-season training. This helps prevent injuries and builds the players strength and endurance. The regimen is structured and carefully managed by a trainer. This continues at some degree throughout the season,also. How many of the posters, including you Pt.Guard 12, have tried to better yourself in a job, maybe for more pay, closer to home....etc....? Did you get the training you needed to make that happen? Perhaps you went and took classes at a local college or you sought out a professional in that job to help you along the way. Some of these transfers wanted to get better. They knew they needed that challenging schedule, practices, summer camps, superior coaching.....And to be quite frank, there are some coaches that care more about how they look on paper than they do about their players. The win-lose record is all too important to some of the coaches and because some lack the preparation they need, they choose to play a weaker schedule in order to guarantee as many wins as possible. This isn't the case with Coach Brown and Coach Rogers. They do not shy away from competition. They want to be the best, so they play the best. They also have the most prepared teams when game time comes. Now about State Championships: If I go up and ask any high school basketball player if he or she would like to win a State Championship, I hope that not one of them would answer no. Why work that hard and play if you don't have those goals? I know everyone can't win every year, but the teams should want to have a winning season at least. Also, you wondered if winning a State Championship with girls you had not always played with could be satisfying and the answer is yes. I know the transfer to JC thinks so. She will not take her ring off unless she is washing her hands or playing basketball. She looks at this past year and the culmination of the State Championship as a blessing and she feels very humbled and grateful being able to be a part of all that. It's something she won't ever forget. She hasn't forgotten where she came from but she is striving to become better each and every day. That's what we should all be trying to do, don't you agree? You mentioned Kayla Hudson and her team Gleason. Gleason has been known for its great basketball program long before they won in 2006, so why would she not stay? She would not have helped her cause by going to Westview or Trinity Christian when she was already in a great, well-coached program. Some people believe it is better to be the "big" fish in a small pond than a big fish in a pond with other big fish. Over the years I recall watching several players that stood out on the team that they were on. The teams that they were on usually never got out of District play; however, the star players would score their 30 points night in and night out. To a "me" player, that could be satisfying, but to a "team" player, that's not satisfying. Poor competition+ Poor Preparation= Poor Results. Basketball is a team sport and today it seems that about 9 players need to be in a rotation to compete at the top level. It takes several big fish to accomplish greatness. That's where the coach comes in. How many times have you noticed players that look above average in their skills during Junior High and by the time they get to High School, they haven't progressed? I have seen that happen too many times. Players will only get better when they are challenged through competition, conditioning, weight-lifting, etc. The players must also be willing to work on their own time through summer leagues or gym time. Some of these transfers are doing that part of it too. With all that said, most of the transfers do realize there is more to life than basketball. Basketball is something they do, not who they are. Just like your job is something you do in order to feed and take care of your family. With scholarships, these girls can and will go on to college in pursuit of other life ambitions. Some will become doctors, lawyers, teachers, etc. In life, we must not confuse our goals with our purpose. Goals can include being on the Honor Roll, in the Beta Club, Top 10 academically, athletic achievements, weight loss, quit smoking....etc..... but I try to remind my own children that our purpose in life should be to glorify God and lead others to Him. He gives us unique gifts, abilities and passions. How well we use those qualities to have an impact on the world around us determines how "successful" we really are.

In reference to the talent level at A, AA, and AAA: Most of the girls that were mentioned are used to playing AAU and play against the best talent in our Nation (if they play D1 AAU). And Jackson County and Clarkrange coaches are known for playing AA and AAA schools in their regular season schedules. They usually pull wins out of those matchups, so I don't really understand what you are talking about with the talent level in these divisions. Another example, JC girls scrimmaged Wilson Central pre-season and won! So, this theory that you seem to be presenting is not always the case, especially in today's times where so many girls are working in the off season to get better at their game.

Congratulations Misti on reaching a 1,000 points! Your performance on the court this year has been phenomenal! We have watched you play many games and are amazed at the way you handle the ball with almost no turnovers. If a team has a great point guard, the team will usually be successful, and Jackson County has the best in Maxwell! Misti, you've helped lead the team to the Big Dance, now we have one more game. Leave it all on the floor like you've done all year!

Senator, you probably know better than anyone about school history....this was mentioned by several standing around after the game tonight... it's still a great accomplishment either way

Just got back from watching JC Boys defeat a great CSAS team which places them on the road to Murfreesboro!!!! The school and community will be well represented by this bunch of athletes. You've already "surprised" some people, so keep that FIRE in your belly and your eye on the PRIZE! This is the first time in the school's history that the boys and girls have gone to the STATE in the same year. Just proves what can happen when you decide you are not ready for the season to end..... We have already been blessed this season...looking forward to more.....See ya in the 'Boro!!! Go Big Blue!!

What a Game!!!!! Jackson County boys came out on FIRE tonight and had great composure throughout the game. That was a huge win for JC, beating a great team in CSAS. The boys and girls will be in the 'Boro together now. That is awesome!!! First time in school history that both teams made it to the STATE in the same year. Way to represent your school, community, county, and state. Keep that fire in your belly and your eye on the prize. Go Big Blue!!!!