Area teams look to end state tournament dry spell

Brainerd's Kentrell Evans heads past Christ Presbyterian Academy's Rylan Harris Thursday in the quarter final game at Middle Tennessee State University.

As the TSSAA boys' state basketball tournament tips off today, Walker Valley, Brainerd and Central will not only be chasing championships but also looking to end a nearly 20-year title-game dry spell.

Not since 1997, when area hoops were in the spotlight as Cleveland beat Brainerd for the Class AAA championship, has an area team even reached the final in any classification other than the state's smallest.

Dozens of area teams in Class AA and AAA have reached the state tournament since then, but none have gotten past the semifinals in those 19 seasons.

"The main thing is to put Chattanooga back on the map," said Central all-state senior Ryan Montgomery. "People talk about Memphis, Knoxville and Nashville basketball, but not Chattanooga.

"You have to focus on winning that first game and then anything can happen, but it would be a dream for us to get to play Brainerd again because it would be in the (AA) championship and that would really let people know that we can play here, too."

Walker Valley will be the first team from the area to take the Murphy Center court today at Middle Tennessee State University. The Mustangs (23-9) open the Class AAA quarterfinals against Cordova (28-3) at 11 a.m. EDT. The only other game involving an area team today will be Van Buren County (27-5) taking on Knoxville's Grace Christian (22-11) at 7 p.m. in the Class A bracket.

Walker Valley's only other appearance was in 2009, when it reached the semifinals, while Cordova's only other appearance came in 2002 with a first-round loss.

Thursday afternoon, Central and Brainerd make their second straight appearances, beginning with the Purple Pounders (20-6) taking on Fulton (29-2) at 3:45, followed by Brainerd (28-5) playing Christian Academy of Knoxville (23-10) at 5:30.

Both local teams lost by double digits in the Class AA first round last year, but with so many returning starters, that experience should carry over and help produce a better showing.

"Last year we were just happy with making it there," Brainerd coach Levar Brown said. "Having that experience of getting there and taking it on the chin, we are very focused and determined this time around. We've got 12 kids back who played last year, so it's a different feeling this time around.

"We feel like us and Central are two of the best teams in the state, and playing each other four times this year has helped prepare both teams. Between our schedule and all the film we've watched, we'll be prepared."

Both Central and Fulton love to push the pace. The Falcons average 73 points per game, but their tallest player is 6-foot-4 senior center Joe Kimber, who averages 11 points and six rebounds. Central's 6-8, 295-pound junior center McClendon Curtis (9 rebounds, 2.5 blocks per game) should be a huge matchup problem for Fulton. The Pounders also have three experienced players - Montgomery (16.6 points, 7.5 rebounds), Terron Hayes (13 points, 4.7 assists), and Rodney Benford (10 points, 2 assists) - who can score from the outside or slash to the basket.

"We weren't as focused on doing whatever it takes to win last year because we all knew we had another year to come back," Hayes said. "But now we know this is our last shot together. Plus we kind of feel like we have the weight of the whole city on our backs to do something special. We don't want to let people down."

CAK relies heavily on the outside shooting of junior guards Hunter Reynolds (17.8 ppg) and Isaiah Sulack (14 ppg). Both make better than 40 percent of their 3-pointers, and Sulack set an Arby's Classic record with nine 3-pointers in one game this season.

Brainerd's advantage in that game would be its press, which created nearly 30 turnovers in a lopsided sectional win. According to Brown, the Warriors, who are making their state tournament debut, have not faced a team with the continual pressure Brainerd will apply.

The Panthers are also balanced with Jessie Walker (15 points, 8.7 rebounds), Dajuonta Ross (14.7 points, 11.3 rebounds, 4.7 assists, 3.1 blocks) and Kentrell Evans (11.7 points, 8.2 assists) all capable of taking over with their energy and ability to drive to the basket.

"When you get in that arena, it's a big moment," Evans said. "We took it all in last year, but now I think all of us have a different outlook. We're not nervous about playing in front of a big crowd or how many college coaches are sitting in that big arena, because we've done all that now.

"It took us the whole first half just to get the jitters out before we finally settled down and played last year, and by then it was too late. This time I think we're ready to play our type of game and see what happens."

Contact Stephen Hargis at shargis@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6293. Follow him on Twitter @StephenHargis.