The 2011-2012 high school basketball season will have some very evened teams all over the city accordingly. Last year in Division AAA their were strong teams but this year their are more teams in Division AAA that are balanced across the board. Some teams still possess deep solid benches but not near the total from last years ball clubs. Teams that were in rebuilding mode as for Ridgeway, and Memphis East are of many publications to win their district respectively. e at the to still possess deep benches Raleigh Egypt in rebuilding mode and especially Germantown. What happened at Germantown last year comes in cycles and it will be a long time before that cycle comes around again and with the Red Devils in a coaching change, it might be quicker with the new coach prior experience but we will wait and see. Melrose labeled as the 800 pound gorilla last year will be the best team around this year but not as strong as last year with the loss of Tennessee signee Chris Jones and big man Nate Rucker to Northern Illinois. Melrose comes in at Number 1 in all major publications around the country respectively and don't forget Bobby Parks Jr. and Jermaine Holliman from last years ball club that were major contributors all season long. This will be the most volatile season to recent memory as all TOP TEN will lose 5-10 games respectively with no one to lose no less than 5 games during the entire season respectively. Teams with that profile will be Southwind,  Melrose, Liberty Tech, and Dyer County. White Station, a juggernaut with 5 state championships and 2 runner-ups since the 1999-2000 season will start the season at Number 2 in MemphisHoopers.com 2010-2011 Preseason High School Rankings Poll.  Division AAA has 4 to 5 teams that will field deep rosters having rotations of 9 players or even more. Southwind, Memphis Central, and Craigmont are teams that can win it all if they play their cards right. Southwind has the deepest team in the city and maybe the state but will that translate into a gold ball or even a  silver ball. In Division AA it is really wide open as their are no real cut front runners but you have to give it to Hillcrest as the favorite with  BTW and Manassas right behind them and with BTW dropping down to Division A where they will make serious noise as Fred Horton of BTW will coach till his nephews graduate and that will be another 5 years in the making. They will still have to contend with Bolivar Central and Liberty Tech somewhere down the road and those schools have state championship history more then there counterparts. Memphis East and Bartlett  will make some noise this year but will East be deep enough to contend with the other Division AAA schools this year after getting their basketball program back on the map after a hiatus. Wooddale, Whitehaven and newly added Mitchell during reclassification will fall short this year with Whitehaven being the better of these young ball clubs. Hamilton falls off not only the local scene but the planet. Division AAA is going to be the most competitive of all districts especially on the 16-AAA side with Melrose and White Station battling for state honors and 15-AAA right in the mix. Division AA is gong to be the less talented but trying to gain momentum from like years past team favorites. in memory. Original strongholds BTW and Mitchell to Division AAA fall dramatically. Westwood's second year in Division A should be a banner year for the Longhorns after making the final four last year in the TSSAA State Tournament but will it translate into Murfreesboro bound and gold ball.    

3-01-10 Weekly Breakdown

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McDonald's 2007 All Americans.

Class of 2006 is gone and another class with that type of  nationwide clout will be another 10 - 15 years in the making.

Recap 8-25-2005

BY : ANDRE WHITEHEAD OF TENNESSEE PREP HOOPS

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times. I think there is a book that starts off that way, but I digress.

The anticipation of the upcoming AAU or summer campaign was alive and kicking all over the country in May of 2005, especially in Memphis.

The expectations seemed enormous, having finished second in the 17 and under nationals last season as 16's the Memphis YOMCA seemed primed for the ultimate run.

Something happened on the way to the gym.

It was apparent the Bluff City faithful were not the only parties interested in getting a piece of the star studded squad.

Adidas wanted to get a foothold in the ever burgeoning Memphis hoop scene and this seemed to be the initial move to start this particular ball
rolling.

So the YOMCA was no longer in the loop and the Memphis Pump-N-Run were officially born.

Taking a peek at the roster one could not blame Adidas for their bold move. Thaddeus Young, Willie Kemp, Wayne Chism, Pierre Niles and Brandon Powell made up a nucleus that would surely lead Team Memphis to the promised land.

The summer campaign started with a most interesting scenario as the "PNR" lost a game to the Mid-State Ballerz, who ironically had Willie Kemp running the show. This was an illusion that would soon change, as Kemp
shortly thereafter joined the PNR.

With all their ducks in a row, the PNR set out to establish themselves and put a benchmark on the national attention that would follow.

The Real Deal on the Hill, the first major tournament of the summer that coaches could attend. The pundits pined for the impending matchup between Team Memphis and the defending mythical goliath The Indy Spiece Heat. The Heat were led by the consensus top player in the class Greg Oden and numerous other high level prospects who could actually match the
PNR with name recognition.

The reputation was established and the aura of the PNR was created as the boys from Memphis soundly defeated the Heat and made a huge cry across the land as the best summer squad in existence.

Another funny thing happened on the way to their future endeavors, nothing.

For some inexplicable reason the PNR did not suit up for any of the Memorial Day festivities and was sparsely seen until the Adidas Super 64 in Atlanta, following the shoe camps.

The aforementioned players participated in various high level exposure camps and the three major shoe camps and kept their names on the tongues of coaches nationwide.

After achieving individual success at these various camps, the boys got back together with the purpose of putting the finishing touches on a grand and final run through the top programs the country had to offer. They added Ridgeway jumping jack Ernest Fields and ECS powerhouse Tim Johnson to the fold and things looked bright.

Once again a funny thing happened on the way to the gym.

The time off and the lack of continuity played havoc on the chemistry of the PNR and they bowed out early in Atlanta.

Heading to Las Vegas for the final big time event of the summer, the PNR seemed poised and ready to achieve. After dominating pool play the lack of chemistry once again reared it's ugly head and some resentment among the players seemed to end this summer campaign on a sour note.

This team had the potential to be one of the best of all time. It is truly unclear what precipitated these events that grounded this team for much of the latter portion of May and June, but it truly had it's effect on their success.

None the less these kids are part of the best class of seniors to dot the Tennessee landscape in many years.

The decision to completely disassociate themselves with the
organization that they grew up playing for in retrospect now seems like a mistake. The YOMCA will continue on with quality younger teams and what to make of the Adidas affiliation with the Bluff City at this juncture is
unclear.

BY : ANDRE WHITEHEAD OF TENNESSEE PREP HOOPS

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