Ashton Munson had to grow up in a hurry on the basketball court for East Hamilton.
Munson led the Hurricanes to their first district championship in program history with an electric performance leading the show as a sophomore point guard last season.
Similar to Stephen Curry, Munson makes up for a lack of size with a unique mixture of creativeness, explosiveness and high IQ on the court. He stood out last holiday season in the prestigious Arby’s Classic where he averaged over 20 points per game, then scored a career-high 29 points to go with six assists to take down Red Bank for the district crown.
Now, the veteran leader has his eyes set on helping East Hamilton (8-4) win the annual Times Free Press Best of Preps tournament at Chattanooga State. The tournament — eight boys’ teams and eight girls’ teams — begins on Wednesday and concludes with Friday’s championship games.
A guard-heavy Hurricanes lineup will open against Brainerd on Wednesday at 8:30.
“As a freshman I took notice of Darwin (Randolph) and Marcus (Long), who were strong leaders for this team and I just waited my time,” said Munson, who currently averages more than 20 points and five assists per game. “This team has each other’s back and has a strong mentality. This week we are out to earn our respect. Kaden (Herman) and I have probably been two of the most doubted players in the area. So just getting our respect would mean a whole lot.”
Staff Photo by Matt Hamilton / East Hamilton (3) Kaden Herman reacts after drawing the foul and sinking a three resulting in the chance for a four-point play during their game at Tyner on Tuesday, November 29, 2022.Herman has delivered at a high level in his first season with the Hurricanes after transferring from Hixson. The senior guard has been tough to stop in transition and can knock down 3-pointers in a hurry. Herman scored a career-high 33 on the road earlier this year in a 75-63 comeback victory over Red Bank, which had led by eight at halftime.
In their eight wins this season, the Hurricanes are averaging 80.2 points per game compared to 61 per game in their four defeats.
“Growing up I always dreamed of playing in the Best of Preps tournament and to be able to play in it for the first time as a senior is exciting,” Herman said. “It’s a lot of fun because the whole city comes out to see the best teams and players go at it. If you win this tournament you get the city bragging rights. We are excited to go compete and try to take our game to the next level.”
Webb’s team has adjusted well to adversity after losing star 6-foot-6 junior forward Nick Long and senior David Cole due to injuries. Long visited Appalachian State recently, while Cole committed to Kennesaw State for football.
Senior Juan Bullard is a returning all-region guard, who has thrived as a defensive stopper and playmaker on the offensive end. Seniors Lincoln Scruggs and Zachariah Laboo have also been key leaders for the Hurricanes.
“We are more explosive this year and have a lot of guys who can handle the ball,” Bullard said. “We play with a lot of energy and like to run and gun. Everybody is excited to play this week and build even more chemistry.”
The goal for every team in the tournament is to bring in the New Year with a championship trophy.
“This team is fun to coach and very resilient,” Coach Webb said. “We are hard on them and have big goals. The Best of Preps is special to Chattanooga and we are honored to play in it. This sets a gauge on Chattanooga hoops for the second half of the season. This sets the stage.”
SCHEDULE
Wednesday, Dec. 28
Best of Preps tournament at Chattanooga State
Lakeview-Fort Oglethorpe girls vs. Meigs County, 10
GPS vs. Signal Mountain, 11:30
Brainerd girls vs. East Hamilton, 1
Baylor girls vs. Tyner, 2:30
Howard vs. Baylor, 4
Tyner vs. Signal Mountain, 5:30
McCallie vs. Lakeview-Fort Oglethorpe, 7
Brainerd vs. East Hamilton, 8:30
Contact Patrick MacCoon at pmaccoon@timesfreepress.com.
Staff photo by Matt Hamilton / East Hamilton (11) Ashton Munson drives down the court during a game against Cleveland High on Thursday, December 22, 2022 at Chattanooga State Community College.