2018-2019 8AA

[scatback]

Macon  easily #1. They got Carter, Gregory,Shoulders and a very good cast around them. They are thin on the Bench. Coach White does a fine job.

Baxter. You got Brooks,Hurst and Shrum plus Maynard and those freshman. Everyone knows Dana can coach.

York should with Harli Smith and Hailey Johnson and Hanna Kananser , I got that spelling so wrong. They should but if you watch as much as I do you know there problem

#4-8 toss up

Livingston has Rodgers and I can't think of the post girls. Some coming back from surgery. Plus they got a heck of a coach.

DeKalb Calwell, Ruch I think I spelled it correctly and some good freshman. Like coach Fish

Cannon  Knox,and #3 sissom. Will miss Scott. 

Watertown. New coach and had a couple Sr girls not to come out. Allison can play.Watched them couple times.  Paige Sevier has them working hard.

Smith  It could be sad singing for a while. I believe coach Bibb will do a good job. 6 seniors 2 sophomores and two freshmen will see the Lion's Share of playing time. West,Shoulders,Hopper will be counted on To lead team. West, Angel sophomore's. Enoch and vining are freshman andcould be very good. I know this team better than any I guess that's why I wrote so much. LOL

Praying for an injury-free season 2 all these young ladies

 

[Play 4 Fun]

8AA will be fun to watch this year week in and week out. Here is my prediction and reasoning: 

1. Macon County- someone above said their bench is weak....??? Their bench has kids on it that would start at every other school in this district. Gregory, Carter, Shoulders, King (posts name I believe), Ashburn (most underrated player on the team imo), Mix (possibly the best straight 3 point shooter in the district). IMO Macon county is going to be a handful for anyone in this district to handle. 

2. Upperman- I actually think York has the wheels to be better than Upperman this year, but until that is proven on the floor, I am sticking with U at #2. Hurst, Crouch, Levy are really good guards. Brooks is a shooter, Maynard is solid, Shrum is solid...they have the pieces to compete, but a lot of holes to fill from a year ago. I see some nights where they struggle a lot more than they have in recent memory, but they have the talent to figure it out. 

3. York- could easily be in the conversation for 2nd. I actually think they have the most pieces to make a run at Macon County if the game plan is right. Night to night, that is what is yet to be seen. Can they adjust in game and pregame for opponents that are equally as talented as them and continue to perform down the stretch AFTER teams (specifically coaches) have got a couple looks at them. That is the MAIN unanswered question with them. Haylee Johnson and Harli Smith are two of the top 3/4 players in this district and some of the best players in the area. There is NO reason this team isn't top 3, and really making a run at those top two IMO. 

4. Dekalb County- gonna be much improved with the addition of Kennedy Agee and Kadee Ferrell to go along with Emme Colwell and the crew they already had coming back. This team is going to be much better at scoring the basketball, as well as more competitive defensively, bball IQ AND as far as just the competitive spirit they bring to the floor. Ferrell and Agee have done a whole lot of winning in their careers thus far and bring that mentality to the floor at DC and that may make up the difference. 

5. Cannon County- only ranked this high because of the talent level they have. IMO they have the talent to be 4, possible even compete with the 2/3, but they had that for the most part last year and laid egg after egg....so until we see that talent translate to wins...I can not include them in the teams that could make the regional tournament. 

6. Smith County- Bibb will have this team looking 1,000% differently than it did a year ago. The talent level will be slightly better as long as Alyssa West makes a full recovery and is cleared to go 100%. Anna Vining and Emma Enoch are set to make immediate impacts on this team and for the next four years. They are both super talented and understand how to play the game. Couple that with Coach Bibb's ability to teach defensive basketball and  game plan to take away other people's best options and this is a team that will muddy it up, make it nasty, and be in some dog fights with a chance to win. Every team needs to beat them the first time they play, because by the time they get to late January, early February when it matters, they will be a much better team than the one you will see in late November/early December. Whoever gets them in the go home district tournament game will NOT have an easy out is my prediction. 

7. LA- It has been a long, long time since Livingston has been picked this far down the list. Although with Coach Riddle leading their charge, I can definitely see them finishing as high as 4/5th (would be an outstanding coaching job to finish there IMO). Bottom line, there is just too many question marks to rank them higher. A couple key kids coming off significant knee injuries, no true GO TO scorer coming back, and loss of their best 3 players off a very VERY mediocre team a year ago could spell a LONG year for LA. Keaton Webb is a freshman that if played much, could make an immediate impact. LA's best bet for the future may be to play young and learn by the seat of their pants this year in preparation for better times on the horizon. 

8. Watertown- I know less about this team than any other. They have really struggled since coming to AA and with a coaching change to boot, it is just too early to tell where they may be. 

 

Can't wait to see some great basketball in this district in 2018-2019. 

[UTRok]

Until games are played I couldn't agree more with your review. I think York will be good and cause some problems for Macon and UHS. Looking forward to see how this shakes out.

[repoman]

#1Macon no doubt ,the hunted.

#2 Upperman will be better than most think.

#3 York good but the two teams above have just as good tallent and more,the above team players  don't get as much respect and names mentioned by local posters cause they don't play Tenn Rush travel ball .

#4 Dekalb can shoot .

#5 La Riddle will coach em up,kids may not be as talented but tradition nevers graduates.

#6 Cannon will have good athletic size.

#7 #8 Smith / Watertown. Will see how these two shake out.

 

 

 

 

[tnhoosier]

16 minutes ago, repoman said:

#1Macon no doubt ,the hunted.

#2 Upperman will be better than most think.

#3 York good but the two teams above have just as good tallent and more,the above team players  don't get as much respect and names mentioned by local posters cause they don't play Tenn Rush travel ball .

#4 Dekalb can shoot .

#5 La Riddle will coach em up,kids may not be as talented but tradition nevers graduates.

#6 Cannon will have good athletic size.

#7 #8 Smith / Watertown. Will see how these two shake out.

 

 

 

 

Huh? I'm a little confused.

 

Macon, Upperman had 6 players each mentioned by name. York had 2.

[repoman]

8 hours ago, tnhoosier said:

Huh? I'm a little confused.

 

Macon, Upperman had 6 players each mentioned by name. York had 2.

"Two of the top 3/4 players in the district" ? I am a little confused as well.  But they are good not sayin they not.

[Play 4 Fun]

2 hours ago, repoman said:

"Two of the top 3/4 players in the district" ? I am a little confused as well.  But they are good not sayin they not.

If you are confused, maybe you should poll the coaches? Macon's Carter is #1. No question right now in anyone's mind I don't believe. I would love to know who the other coaches would take over Harli Smith and Haylee Johnson besides Carter...........From conversations with many of them, my bet is NO ONE. 

Edited September 19, 2018 by Play 4 Fun

[repoman]

2 hours ago, Play 4 Fun said:

If you are confused, maybe you should poll the coaches? Macon's Carter is #1. No question right now in anyone's mind I don't believe. I would love to know who the other coaches would take over Harli Smith and Haylee Johnson besides Carter...........From conversations with many of them, my bet is NO ONE. 

Just callin you out on your biased opinion is all. Take the top 8aa 10 kids put them in a gym in a practice with all the coaches and I would bet there would be different opinions on 2nd thru 5.  Athleticism, endurance speed, quickness ,body type etc. One thing for sure her name is Keeley and she is the best player at this time ,in this district.  Just wanted you to know her first name since only Tenn Rush players get the first and last promotional name honor treatment . I get it! Confused or not..

[Play 4 Fun]

Laughable. I know her name. Know the family and have known them for quite some time. If you think anything on coachT is promotional then I’ll stop the conversation here. None of these kids get any promotion off being listed by a bunch of people on a message board hiding behind a screen name lol 

 

however, as far as differing opinions, yeah their are plenty of opinions out there. And you can have yours. My assessment has 0 to do with who plays travel ball where. I’ve probably watched these kids as a collective group, district wide, more than anyone else in this thread. So, my opinion was given on what I’ve seen over I dunno, 7-10 years of watching these kids. No only their high school years which is what most of you guys have seen. 

[UpperCumberlandMan]

3 hours ago, Play 4 Fun said:

If you are confused, maybe you should poll the coaches? Macon's Carter is #1. No question right now in anyone's mind I don't believe. I would love to know who the other coaches would take over Harli Smith and Haylee Johnson besides Carter...........From conversations with many of them, my bet is NO ONE. 

Not to try and stir the pot, but I will through my two cents in. By the end of 2019 season, Carter might be the second best player on her team. Gregory is a little quicker, handles the ball just as well, has a better outside shot, and is taller.  Cater is better defensively but doesn't have the ability to steal nor the reach like Gregory does. Both are clearly the top two plyers in the district heading into the season by a wide margin in my opinion. 

[Lakers1977]

4 hours ago, Play 4 Fun said:

If you are confused, maybe you should poll the coaches? Macon's Carter is #1. No question right now in anyone's mind I don't believe. I would love to know who the other coaches would take over Harli Smith and Haylee Johnson besides Carter...........From conversations with many of them, my bet is NO ONE. 

Reagan Hurst is one of the best players in this area.  I’m pretty sure the coaches would take her.  

[repoman]

42 minutes ago, UpperCumberlandMan said:

Not to try and stir the pot, but I will through my two cents in. By the end of 2019 season, Carter might be the second best player on her team. Gregory is a little quicker, handles the ball just as well, has a better outside shot, and is taller.  Cater is better defensively but doesn't have the ability to steal nor the reach like Gregory does. Both are clearly the top two plyers in the district heading into the season by a wide margin in my opinion. 

Gregory may be destined to be a better college player or better next year, I 'll agree to that.. Carter game as of now may not translate to the next level like Gregorys will,but Carter at this time is a better "high school" player. Take Carter off Macon they are battling for 3rd and 4th. Take Gregory off they still have chance to win the district.