by Reid Murray ’22
March 3, 2022
The USN Boys’ Basketball team is heading to Cookeville on Friday, March 4 for its first State Final Four game since 2012. With school dismissing early to allow students to make it to the 3:30 game, there may be USN students in the arena who are not familiar with the team.
This article is for those fans, who are ready to support their squad, but may want some context going into the game.
USN’s play style
The Tigers find success when they rebound well on defense, knock down three-point shots, and have an up-tempo offense. The roster has far more guards than forwards, meaning the majority of the players play beyond the three-point line on offense, specialize in shooting, and use speed to their advantage.
For those unfamiliar with the USN roster, here are the players who are on the court most often and the area in which they specialize.
Josh Scretchen ‘22 and Adrian Samuels ‘22 are the two main guards; they possess the ball the most and often lead the team in scoring. Adam Miller ‘22 is the third member of the “big three,” and has a versatile role that allows him to play against the taller opponents near the basket, while also shooting from far out.
Russ Petty ‘22 typically plays in the middle of the Tigers’ offensive formation and sets up scoring opportunities for his teammates. Mahoney Daunic ‘24 is a three-point specialist, who often comes off the bench when the team needs a boost on the scoreboard. Collin France ‘23 and Max Elliot ‘23 are some of the Tigers’ tallest players who battle for rebounds, but can also hit a three-point shot when given the opportunity. Austin Cason ‘23, the fastest player on the team, uses his speed to his advantage on defense and in fast-break scoring chances.
The road to Cookeville
The Tigers began this season on a rough note — after beating Antioch High School 76-60, the team lost three in a row to Webb (Knoxville), Pope John Paul II, and FRA. However, a December 7 matchup with Middle Tennessee Christian School saw USN bounce back with a resounding 86-30 win.
The MTCS win spurred a long streak of success in district play, and the team secured wins against top teams like Columbia Academy and Webb (Bell Buckle). USN finished the regular season with an 11-3 district record and earned the number one seed in the district tournament.
The district tournament started with a nail biter. BGA, who finished the season with a 0-14 district record, gave USN a first-round scare. However, USN escaped by a score of 70-65.
The next round went much more smoothly, as USN beat number five seed Providence Christian Academy 61-41.
In the district championship, USN had its third matchup of the season with the mighty second seed, Webb (Bell Buckle). The game went down to the wire, but the Tigers’ defensive effort and clutch shooting gave them a 65-61 win.
The region tournament didn’t go quite as well for USN. Following a first-round win over Nashville Christian, the Tigers fell in the quarterfinal to Goodpasture, and then to Webb (Bell Buckle) in the third place game. These losses gave USN the middle region’s number four seed going into State, which meant they would have to travel to Cordova, TN to take on the east region’s number three seed, Evangelical Christian School. In a low-scoring game, the Tigers beat ECS for their first State tournament win since 2012.
The momentum kept going in the State quarterfinal, when USN beat the west’s number one seed, Christian Academy of Knoxville, for a second time this season. The win over CAK put USN the State Final Four, and they are now set to play Goodpasture again.
USN’s opponent
Goodpasture has quite the résumé going into the Final Four. The Cougars currently have a 27-5 record, and finished their regular season at 13-1 in their district. It is also noteworthy that they have experience in State Final Fours: last season, Goodpasture won the State Championship with a 10-point victory over CPA.
The Cougars’ roster is young — the typical starting lineup features only one senior, as well as two freshmen. Goodpasture is also missing an important player, Isaiah West, who has offers from numerous Division I universities and is out for the season with an injury.
The loss of West has taken an important element away from the Goodpasture offense. However, since his injury, his teammates have played impeccable defense, helping the Cougars win the middle region tournament and advance to the State semifinals with a 63-55 win over Concord.
The State semifinal game will be the second matchup of the season between USN and Goodpasture. As previously mentioned, the Cougars defeated USN in the middle region semifinal. Goodpasture’s 60-46 win was a result of strong defense and an ability to fight for offensive rebounds and score after missed opportunities.
Goodpasture also defeated USN in the first round of last year’s district tournament. While Goodpasture had the advantage over USN in this year’s region semifinal, revenge is on the Tigers’ minds, and the USN players think the big crowd in Cookeville can propel them to victory.
