Red Bank senior Kendrick Lloyd is passionate about his high school basketball program — and proud of what he has been able to help the Lions accomplish during his prep career.
Lloyd played valuable minutes from the jump as a freshman, and the guard's progress since then — described by Red Bank coach Nick Fike as "exponential" — into a versatile standout has helped lead the Lions to this week's BlueCross Basketball State Championships in Murfreesboro.
It's a wish that has come true for Lloyd, who told Fike after the Lions won a holiday tournament in Lexington, Kentucky, that he and his teammates wanted "one more hotel stay" this season.
(READ MORE: Red Bank boys advance to state)
"This school and our basketball program means a lot to me," Lloyd said. "Coach Fike and the coaching staff all the way down to the last bench player, we are all one big family. They took me in as a freshman and helped me get better every day. I couldn't be more grateful to repay them with getting a state championship.
"Red Bank has always been one of the teams in Chattanooga in the basketball conversation. But we don't get the notoriety as a Tyner, Brainerd, Howard and some other schools. To get the feeling we have now as those schools is really special. We deserve it, and I am nothing but proud."
They're also three wins away from what would be the program's first state championship, having advanced this far in the TSSAA postseason for the first time since 2009, and the Lions (28-7) will play the first of Thursday's four Class 3A quarterfinals at Middle Tennessee State University's Murphy Center when they face Creek Wood (22-8) at 5 p.m. Eastern. The winner will play again in Friday's first semifinal at 8:15 p.m., facing either David Crockett (28-6) or Ridgeway (25-5), which meet in Thursday's second quarterfinal.
The Lions are in the state tournament for the fifth time overall, which includes the 1961 tourney in which all five rounds were played in Knoxville and Red Bank reached the quarterfinals. The program's other appearances have been in eight-team brackets at MTSU, with the 2001 and 2009 teams losing their tourney openers and the 2008 team reaching the semifinals.
Staff photo by Olivia Ross / Red Bank's Kamarion Johnson (4) shoots during a TSSAA Class 3A sectional against visiting Lawrence County on March 4.Power of two
One of the things Fike has enjoyed the most in his ninth season as Red Bank's head coach is the camaraderie his team has developed and the fun the Lions have had over the course of a magical run.
"What we have is a really close-knit group here that fights for each other," the coach said. "Our bond has really strengthened this year, and we have enjoyed the car rides where we share stories, laugh, play music and dance. To get out of the coaching part and have a little fun with them has been really enjoyable. We all have stories that make us who we are outside of what you see on the court."
(READ MORE: Lions reach Region 3-AAA final)
The first glimpse at how special the 2023-24 Lions could be came two years ago, when they were dominating in junior varsity games and cheering on their teammates from the bench in varsity games. Anthony Bonner and Malik Rizer are senior starters now, but back then they would challenge each other to see who could log more claps from the bench during varsity games — even though they knew they would not get to play much or any at all.
Bonner has gone on to become the Chattanooga area's top scorer this season with 749 points, which includes 25 games with at least 20 points and 13 in which he has made 10 field goals or more.
"We had one of the best JV teams in the area my sophomore year, and everybody was bought into their roles," Bonner said. "That's when I realized we could do something really special by our senior years. Now we are making history and enjoying every second of this ride together. It has been a great experience for us to bring Red Bank basketball all the way back over the mountains to the state tournament."
Bonner and Lloyd have gained respect as one of the area's top duos this season, when both have demonstrated huge leaps in their all-around game. They have combined for nearly 2,500 points in their careers, and each averages nearly seven rebounds and three steals per game as well.
"Kendrick can pass, go for double-digit rebounds, play great defense and score at will. His game has evolved, and most of all, he is a great teammate," Fike said. "He has grown so much in his mental toughness. He and his teammates have worked relentlessly to get to the moment they are in now. They have made the most of every moment together."
Staff photo by Olivia Ross / Red Bank's Jaylen Rice dribbles upcourt during a TSSAA Class 3A sectional against visiting Lawrence County on March 4.But there's more
The contributions of so many of their teammates have made the trip to Murfreesboro possible, too.
Rizer plays tough defense and puts himself and teammates in good situations, while Kamarion Johnson often draws the assignment of guarding the other team's top playmaker, and fellow senior Landon Crutcher has provided a spark by rebounding, blocking shots and drawing charges.
Junior point guard Jaylen Rice has picked apart defenses for nearly five assists per game, and he has also averaged more than two steals per game to help Red Bank on the other end of the court. DJ Wilbur, a sophomore, has made a team-high 33 3-pointers, and junior Drayden Collier has been a defensive menace off the bench.
"If you take any of those guys away, we could be in a different situation," Fike said. "We need all of those guys to be as successful as we are. They have all bought in.
"That's the unique thing about this group. If you don't get that buy-in from everybody, who is to say we are headed to Murfreesboro?"
The Lions will now try to do something no team in program history has done before and go 4-for-4 by winning a district title, a region championship, a substate game and the state trophy.
"We are going to embrace every moment of this state tournament," Johnson said. "I have enjoyed being around them. Everybody put in the work to get here. We are going to leave everything we have out there. We are determined to bring a gold ball back to Red Bank."
Contact Patrick MacCoon at pmaccoon@timesfreepress.com.