Baylor girls, McCallie try to extend Best of Preps tournament streaks

McCallie coach John Shulman and his Blue Tornado have won the last two Best of Preps tournaments at Chattanooga State. The 2017 version begins Thursday, Dec. 28.
McCallie coach John Shulman and his Blue Tornado have won the last two Best of Preps tournaments at Chattanooga State. The 2017 version begins Thursday, Dec. 28.

Best of Preps Tournament at Chattanooga State

Heritage vs. GPS, 10 a.m.Meigs County girls vs. Notre Dame, 11:30 a.m.Lakeview-F.O. girls vs. Rhea County, 1Baylor girls vs. Van Buren County, 2:30Tyner boys vs. Van Buren County, 4McCallie vs. Notre Dame, 5:30Baylor boys vs. Heritage, 7Brainerd boys vs. Ooltewah, 8:30

photo Baylor girls' coach John Gibson has a five-year championship streak going in the Times Free Press Best of Preps basketball tournament going into this year's event Thursday, Dec. 28, at Chattanooga State.

McCallie will be chasing its third consecutive championship and Baylor's girls will be going for their sixth in succession in this year's version of the Times Free Press Best of Preps basketball tournament at Chattanooga State.

Play begins Thursday morning at 10 with the first of four girls' games. The first of four boys' games is scheduled to start at 4 p.m.

Friday's and Saturday's schedules also include eight games. The girls' final is set for Saturday night at 7 with the boys' championship game afterward.

Admission is $10 per person. Children 5 and under will be admitted free. No TACA passes or any other passes will be honored. Former Tennessee quarterback Sterling Henton, or Sterl the Pearl, will be providing music during Saturday's finals.

McCallie beat Brainerd 70-57 in last year's Best of Preps tournament final and Thursday is slated to play Notre Dame at 5:30 p.m. in the second boys' game. The coaching matchup has the Blue Tornado's John Shulman against the Fighting Irish's Jonathan Adams, who was on Shulman's University of Tennessee at Chattanooga staff for three seasons and his McCallie staff the last three.

"I'm proud for him that he has his own program in Notre Dame," Shulman said of Adams, who played locally at Baylor before playing at Old Dominion and then professionally overseas. "He's done a great job. He knows what we're going to do. I know what he's going to do. Let's see who does it better on Thursday."

McCallie (12-0) starts all seniors, led by point guard and Tennessee Tech signee Jr. Clay, who is averaging around 16 points per game. Trip Butler, Jay Gibson, Mac Hunt and Jorden Starling are each averaging close to 10 per game.

"Our kids love the Best of Preps," Shulman said. "It's the one time all year that local teams get together and all the local fans get together. We're kind of out of the mainstream of Chattanooga basketball with our schedule. But this is a three-day period that McCallie and our people are a part of it. That's why our kids really look forward to it."

With five consecutive Best of Preps titles to their credit, Baylor may make a pitch to have the girls' portion of the tournament renamed the Lady Red Raiders Invitational. Baylor's tournament opener is against Van Buren County scheduled at 2:30 p.m.

"It's never easy to win it," said Baylor coach John Gibson, whose team defeated GPS 43-30 in last year's final. "The kids change every year. You have kids with different roles. You have new kids learning roles. Our main goal is just to try and become a better basketball team."

The Lady Raiders have gone 7-5 against a rugged early schedule and are led by seniors JuToreyia Willis and Cheyenne Lindsey. Willis averages around 14 points, five steals and five blocks per game. Lindsey, who has signed to play softball at Florida, averages close to 10 points and 10 rebounds per game.

Of the Chattanooga-area teams that have reported statistics to the Times Free Press, two of the top three scorers lead their teams into the Best of Preps tournament. Lakeview-Fort Oglethorpe junior Macey Gregg averages 18.3 points per game, and Rhea County senior Micah Black averages 17.6.

"Top to bottom," Gibson said of this year's tournament field, "I think it's probably as strong as it's been in a couple of years."

Contact Kelley Smiddie at ksmiddie@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6653. Follow him on Twitter @KelleySmiddie.

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