Greenfield No. 1 in Jackson area preseason girls basketball poll
The dead period is here, which means summer camps have concluded for girls basketball teams across West Tennessee.
Before our attention turns to the start of football practice with 7-on-7 camps, practices and scrimmages, let’s take an early look at which girls basketball teams should be the best when the season starts in November.
1. Greenfield (34-2) – The Lady Yellowjackets are the defending Class A state champions, and they return two Class A Miss Basketball finalists in Chloe Moore and Tess Darby. Coach Willie Trevathan does have to replace three starters, but he has a good foundation. And there were players such as Edie Darby who stepped up in the postseason run who can step into starting roles.
More: Top 15 Jackson area teams from 2017-18 season
2. Westview (33-3) – The Lady Chargers reached the Class AA semifinals last year, and they could have gone farther if two key players didn’t get injured during the tournament. Coach Brian Haskins must replace two key players in guard Tasia Jones (Bethel) and post Deja Graves (Union). But Westview had depth last season, and that should be an asset for the start of a new one.
More: Deja Graves, Tasia Jones leave mark on Westview program
3. USJ (27-5) – The Lady Bruins reached the Division II-A state semifinals before losing to Franklin Road Academy. They must deal with the graduation of Division II-A Miss Basketball Ashton Hulme, but coach Tony Shutes returns most of his guard play, and that should help keep the team in contention for another spot in the state semifinals.
4. Gibson County (25-9) – The Lady Pioneers reached the Region 7-A semifinals last season, and they return all but one player. Gibson County didn’t have a go-to scorer, with three to five players scoring around 10 points. All those players should be improved and ready to get Gibson County back to the Class A state tournament.
5. McNairy Central (22-7) – The Lady Bobcats won the District 14-AA title last year on the way to reaching the Region 7-AA semifinals. McNairy Central boasts one of the top post players in the area in junior Khyla Wade-Warren, who creates matchup problems for most teams. If the guard play develops again this season, the Lady Bobcats can compete for a district title again.
6. South Side (22-6) – The Lady Hawks finished runner-up in District 14-AA last year, and they return their top two players in Quanardra Miller and Makayla Transou. With the foundation of those two seniors, coach Brent McNeal will have a team that plays pressure defense to create baskets in transition. South Side will try to make its second trip to the Class AA state tournament in three years.
7. TCA (19-12) – The Lady Lions played one of the toughest schedules in West Tennessee last year. They finished third in District 14-A and lost to Greenfield. TCA should compete for the District 14-A title this year with Gibson County behind the scoring of players such as Macey Lee and Taylor Maxfield among others.
8. Huntingdon (27-2) – The Fillies are coming off a Class A semifinal appearance. They lost to eventual state champion Greenfield, which they beat earlier in the season. Huntingdon lost some key players from last year’s team, including Taylor Smith, who ran the offense. But coach Farris Lowery seems to find a way to get the most out of his team and will try to reach the Class A state tournament for a third straight season.
9. Dresden (22-10) – The Lady Lions reached the Class A state tournament last season before losing to Summertown for a second straight year. The Lady Lions must replace the workhorse of last year’s team, Mary Grace Davis, but they played some young players last year, so there is lots of experience on this team.
10. Crockett County (21-10) – The Lady Cavaliers reached the Region 7-AA semifinals last year before falling to powerhouse Westview. Crockett County returns the majority of its roster with the hope of making another postseason run. Guard play will be key for Kayla Irvin and the Lady Cavaliers.
11. Chester County (14-14) – The Eaglettes were eliminated early from last year’s postseason, but they were young. Mia Hurst and Claire Maxon are back, and Hurst played well over the summer at the team camps. Sydney Wilson is also back in the post. This could be the surprise team in Class AA this year under coach Lee Pipkin.
12. Lexington (17-14) – The Lady Tigers reached the Region 7-AA quarterfinals last year. Bianca Hensley always seems to get the most out of this team, and she will try to do the same again this year to be competitive in a tough District 14-AA. Kyla Taylor in the post will be a key player for Lexington.
Reach Michael Odom at michodom@jacksonsun.com or 731-425-9754. Follow him on Twitter @JSWriterMichael.