ThePiedPiperOfBrentwood

Great game and great win, OR! We had our chances today but couldn't convert when we needed to. Looking forward to seeing OR vs. East in semis!

Interesting Note: I talked to Coach King earlier today and he said Brentwood never played Oak Ridge in his 30 years at the school. In other words: this game could very well be the first time Brentwood has played Oak Ridge in basketball ever.

Great article here w/ some discerning analysis: http://m.williamsonherald.com/sports/article_97e3835e-040b-11e7-9e16-83cc4f47bd91.html?mode=jqm

I'm leaning towards Oak Ridge, but Brentwood matches up with OR's size. Like with all shooting teams, the question is how well Brentwood shoots. Teams like Brentwood have a tactical advantage when facing teams that haven't played them before, and I can't remember the last time Brentwood or Oak Ridge last met in any game.

Each team has a different make-up so I don't like to make absolute qualitative statements when comparing teams, but my general impression is that the overall level of state competition is more top-heavy but thinner overall than two years ago. Our first team to go to State in 2013 went 30-5 and stunned #1 Blackman in the quarters before falling to eventual state champ Southwind in the Final Four. That team was probably our most balanced (between frontcourt and backcourt) and deep despite losing our starting center/rim protector at Station Camp early in the season. Our best team overall, at least in terms of overall season record (32-3), was the next season when Blackman got revenge and edged us in the Final Four. The starting 5-6 players on that team would be the individual go-to scorers for almost any other team in the state and could all slash and stroke the three consistently. When we lost to Blackman that day, I honestly thought it was the end of our run. The next season (the one you referenced), we were 30-7 but nearly beat Hamilton in the championship. While the tallest player on that team was 6-2, our calling card that year was that all of our starters were legitimate point guards. (Our tallest forward on that team currently plays PG for Samford.) While all of those teams shot the lights out of it, that team was by far the best passing team and had a stellar assist-to-turnover ratio. (Most surprising in that run was that our three-year starting PG was dismissed from the team at the end of the regular season, which is when our starting SG slid over to PG and had such a stellar postseason that he earned a full ride to Lipscomb as a PG.) 3 months later, Coach Dennis King retired after 30 years, so it's a whole new staff now. I moved to Kentucky shortly thereafter and didn't pay as much attention last year while we were rebuilding. While King was more of an X's & O's/offensive mastermind, Greg Shirley (who came from a solid program near Orlando, FL) seems to be more of a players coach with a free-flowing offensive system and suffocating D. His top assistant is Vince Carter, Sr. and they got several really athletic transfers before last season who didn't last more than half the season before flaming out/leaving school. They still finished second behind Indy in district last year but got upset in first round of district tourney. The stamp of this team is almost categorically opposite of the team two years ago (even though both squads number six seniors): tall, long and great rim protectors. While no starter two years ago was over 6'2, every player on this team is at least 6-3. Still a good shooting team, but they rely more on one player as a go-to scorer (Kellen King; no relation to Dennis) than any of the previous teams I mentioned. I don't want to put a cap on what any team can do (especially when teams long absent from the Boro like Oakland, East Hamilton and Bearden are in the field), but I'd wince if we drew Memphis East, Southwind or Oak Ridge for obvious reasons. Grayson Murphy of Indy (Belmont signee) might be the best player in the tourney and I'm glad that young man finally made State bc he and his program definitely deserve it. (11-AAA represent!) My pick for sleeper team of the tournament is Oakland. Troy Bond is arguably the best coach in the state now that King is retired (although I'm sure Barry Wortman would have something to say about that) and his 1-3-1 is the most difficult defensive system to solve in the state. His teams at Wilson Central were sensational and he has better athletes at his disposal at Oakland.

Brentwood lost 6 of their top 8 players to graduation when they nearly won the state title two years ago and they play in a MUCH tougher district/region. 2 down, 14 more years to go for you guys before you return to the Boro. I think you both should be out of the slammer by then to enjoy it!

Luh y'all too *blows a kiss* Thought this was a good time to share a nostalgic gem from a postseason banquet years ago:

Where's my White Co. homies @??? 😜😂😎💥💦

No, it's because some assistants who wanted the head job went to other district schools where they were being recruited. In the short term, they felt more welcome at places where they weren't passed over.

Not official yet, but Brentwood has offered its head-coaching position to a Florida coach/math teacher who has apparently been to the State Tournament twice (don't know which division). Should know more about his decision by the end of the weekend. Longtime Brentwood associate head coach/"defensive coordinator" John Boucher has taken the same position at district rival Ravenwood under Patrick Whitlock as of this afternoon. Former Brentwood JV/freshman coach Aaron Howard has taken the same position at district rival and likely 2016 State Tournament participant Independence under Greg Glass as of this morning. District 11-AAA should be a four-way race between Indy, Summit, Brentwood and Ravenwood next year. Should be a very exciting season ahead!

PG Jalen Lawson signed with Lipscomb. SF Tanner Tapp signed with Samford (where he will most likely play PG). SG Grant Teichmann signed with Freed-Hardeman (where his older brother Kyle, also a BHS alum, is the all-time leading scorer).

Got my first glimpse of the new-look Brentwood squad today led by acting head coach John Boucher, as they swept a pair of games over Alabama teams at Belmont. Rising seniors PG Toe Bautista and PF Linden Hardee led the Bruins and, though they're the only returning players on the summer squad with substantive varsity experience, both look remarkably improved from a couple months ago. Junior SG Kellen King has also expanded his offensive game and should be one of Brentwood's most lethal scorers this season, along with fellow junior SG Jacob Gossett and junior post Christian LeBreche. Should definitely be a rebuilding year on Murray Lane, but if the AD sticks with King's staff and keeps it "in the family", I see more good things happening for the Bruins over the next few seasons.

He leaves behind a great system to those familiar with its nuances and a robust coaching tree of assistant coaches and program acolytes who have coaching experience along with former players. But yes, he is certainly irreplaceable in his own right. He is a great teacher and, as one other poster on here has occasionally mentioned, a solid songwriter. He has been the head of Brentwood's English department for quite a long time.

People who appreciate elite coaches. And people who don't live in Sparta.

No telling, really. My gut feeling is that Keidel is going to take his time to interview quite a few candidates and do his due diligence on this hire.