Sunrise vs. Montverde: Players to watch including Kennedy Chandler
Friday’s matchup between Sunrise Christian and Montverde is sold out and tickets will not be sold at the door, event organizer Travis Haddock said Wednesday. He said that attendance will be capped at 600 people.
The game, which takes place at 7:30 p.m. at Arlington High School, will be streamed on ESPN+.
It will be five-star point guard Kennedy Chandler‘s final high school game in Memphis. The Tennessee signee transferred to Sunrise after winning two DIIAA Mr. Basketball awards and a state title at Briarcrest last season.
“It’s huge,” Haddock said. “To have Kennedy come back to his hometown to play not just a game, but a winner-takeall game, I know they’re going to be ready. I can already feel the intensity of this.”
The game will feature three Mcdonald’s All-americans — Chandler, Sunrise forward Kendall Brown, and Montverde forward Caleb Houstan.
Montverde and Sunrise are ranked No. 1 and No. 3 in the nation, respectively, according to Maxpreps and the game could help determine seeding for the Geico Nationals.
“Think about having this type of game in Memphis with basically the two best teams in the country,” Haddock said. “It’s just something we don’t get here very often. It’s a blessing to have this here.”
The teams have already played twice and split the season series. Montverde won by six in the first matchup on Jan. 9. Sunrise won on a buzzer-beater 3pointer by Chandler on Feb. 5. The shot was No. 1 on Sportscenter’s top 10 plays that night.
Here is a list of nine players to watch in Friday’s game. All are ranked in the top 40 of the 247Sports composite for their respective classes.
Kendall Brown
Sunrise Christian
College commitment: Baylor Rankings: No. 5 small forward in 2021, No. 15 overall
Kennedy Chandler
Sunrise Christian
College Commitment: Tennessee Rankings: No. 2 point guard in 2021,
No. 13 overall
Zach Clemence
Sunrise Christian
College commitment: Kansas Rankings: No. 10. power forward in 2021, No. 39 overall
Gradey Dick
Sunrise Christian
College commitment: Kansas Rankings: No. 7 small forward in 2022, No. 28 overall
Jalen Duren
Montverde Academy
College commitment: Uncommitted Rankings: No. 1 center in 2022. No. 2 overall.
Jalen Hood-schifino
Montverde Academy
College commitment: Uncommitted Rankings: No. 5 combo guard in 2021, No. 26 overall
Daron Holmes
Montverde Academy
College commitment: Dayton Rankings: No. 11 power forward in 2021, No. 40 overall
Caleb Houstan
Montverde Academy
College commitment: Michigan Rankings: No. 3 power forward in 2021. No. 8 overall.
Langston Love
Montverde Academy
College commitment: Baylor Rankings: No. 7 shooting guard in 2021, No. 34 overall.
Dariq Whitehead
Montverde Academy
College Commitment: Uncommitted Rankings: No. 3 small forward in 2022, No. 9 overall
Tennessee basketball is working on the fundamentals that coach Rick Barnes feels the Vols still need to get better with before the SEC Tournament starts.
“There are areas where we know that we have to get better that we’re going to see no matter who we play,” Barnes said.
The Vols (17-7) are scheduled to open the tournament Friday (approximately 2:30 p.m. ET, ESPN) against the winner of Thursday’s game between Florida and Vanderbilt.
Here are three things Tennessee can do to win the SEC Tournament at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville:
Play to defensive identity
Tennessee’s calling card has been its defensive play. It’s not complicated: Defense will remain UT’S best chance to win.
Fortunately, Tennessee enters after playing one of its best halves of defense all season as it shut down Florida in the second half of its 65-54 win Sunday.
The Vols also got Josiah-jordan James back in the past three games after he missed a pair of games with a left wrist injury. James gives Tennessee an elite level of defensive versatility, as he can guard four positions on the floor capably.
UT allowed 71.5 points per game without James. It has held teams to less than 60 points in two of the past three games.
But it’s more than James. Tennessee gets great defense from guards Keon Johnson and Jaden Springer, as well as former SEC Defensive Player of the Year
Yves Pons.
Keep Victor Bailey Jr. cooking
It’s hardly a secret that Tennessee’s offense has been inconsistent. But when it is at its best is when Victor Bailey Jr. is at his best.
The junior guard has been pretty good lately for Tennessee. He is averaging 18.2 points in his past five games since a scoreless outing at LSU on Feb. 13. He has made multiple 3-pointers in five straight games, including seven against South Carolina on Feb. 17.
But Bailey showed he can score in more ways against Florida. He got out in transition and converted multiple three-point plays.
Bailey is Tennessee’s best scoring threat and he has to be that for Tennessee to play to Sunday.
Get the good Fulkerson again
Forward John Fulkerson played a strong game against South Carolina on Feb. 17, seemingly flipping back to himself. But the senior vanished in the following three games before again having a great game against Florida.
He had 14 points and seven rebounds against the Gators, while carrying Tennessee in the first half in a way that he hadn’t this season.
Fulkerson has to repeat the performance in every game the rest of the way for the Vols to have a shot at reaching lofty goals, including winning the SEC Tournament.
“Being optimistic and positive, I hope it does (continue),” Barnes said. “Nobody is pulling for him harder to carry over what he did Sunday than all of us who are involved with him. We want to see him do that, because we think he deserves it, but he’s going to have to do it.”
It has been a decade since the Chicago Cubs and Houston Astros blew up their baseball-operations departments and introduced a process that would be oftduplicated in coming years: Intentional retreat.
The more cynical among us might call it tanking. The coldly pragmatic would note it resulted in World Series championships for the Cubs and Astros in 2016 and 2017, respectively.
But the efficacy of self-immolation would fade in coming years, as too many other franchises joined in the rush for socalled “sustainability” while pocketing tens of millions of dollars in payroll saved. Oh, and it made for lots of terrible baseball, or “product,” as we’ve come to know it.
So where are we now, one year removed from Astros architect Jeff Luhnow’s exile and a few months from the resignation of Cubs president Theo Epstein, who in stepping down acknowledged some regret for what he wrought?
Well, a slice of good news: It’s safe to say a majority of major league teams are trying to win. (Or at least not aiming to lose). That’s not to say hope abounds through all 30 training camps. And there will be hundreds of games that will want for relevance beyond the most devoted fans and prospect-heads.
With that, let’s examine the tiers of desire for 2021, some of it relative to a franchise’s recent actions and its reasonable, annual expectations:
All-in (11)
Dodgers: “Go for it” is relative with the Dodgers, who have finally hit full throttle with the acquisitions of Mookie Betts and Trevor Bauer in a 12-month span. And 2021 could mark the last run with shortstop Corey Seager (and maybe Clayton Kershaw?) before free agency looms.
Yankees: The payroll will once again top $200 million and they’ll flirt with the luxury tax ceiling, even with numerous questions about their starting rotation. But the Yankees are loaded with both firepower and admirable depth.
Braves: Retaining Marcell Ozuna for $65 million – with the specter he can’t DH this season – and one-year deals for Charlie Morton and Drew Smyly show the club’s determination to find that one win they couldn’t in blowing a 3-1 lead in the 2020 NLCS.
Phillies: Still trying to outkick a fallow farm system, new GM Dave Dombrowski retained J.T. Realmuto for $115.5 million while reconstructing the bullpen, long an Achilles’ heel for executive and team both.
Mets: Did somebody say window? Francisco Lindor, Michael Conforto, Marcus Stroman, Noah Syndergaard – all free agents after this season.
Padres: Scary thing is, the team still has money and prospect capital to burn, even after guaranteeing Fernando Tatis Jr. $340 million and acquiring Yu Darvish and Blake Snell.
Cardinals: And get this – they’re getting $50 million from the Rockies to help pay for Nolan Arenado.
White Sox: The Lance Lynn and Liam Hendriks acquisitions prove it’s well past go time on the South Side. Will young slugger Andrew Vaughn break camp with the club, service time be damned?
Twins: A payroll north of $130 million – in the second year of third baseman Josh Donaldson’s club record $88 million free agent deal – is a big deal in the Twin Cities. A franchise that exudes quiet competence should reach a third consecutive postseason.
Blue Jays: There’s still more in the tank even after adding All-stars Hyunjin Ryu ($80 million) and George Springer ($150 million) in consecutive off-seasons. But it’s still a massive departure from the hunt-and-peck approach since 2016.
Nationals: They may be a bat or two short, but it’s hard not to laud a franchise that for the past decade been geared to compete for a championship. The oneyear adds of pitchers Jon Lester and Brad Hand leave few holes in what could be Max Scherzer’s walk year in D.C.
Definitely want to win (7)
Angels: The Jose Quintana-alex Cobb rotation stopgaps may fare better than past fliers on, say, Matt Harvey and Trevor Cahill. But a true ace will have to wait until 2022 – Mike Trout’s age-30 season.
Astros: Retaining Michael Brantley and adding Jake Odorizzi after an injury to new ace Framber Valdez makes them the AL West favorites. But replacing Springer with, for now, Myles Straw instead of Jackie Bradley Jr. may haunt them.
Rays: We still don’t really know what “all in” looks like in Tampa Bay. Despite all the appropriate handwringing over the losses of Morton and Snell, it wouldn’t be shocking if the Rays defended their AL East title.
Diamondbacks: In another division, the D’backs might be a chic sleeper pick. But years of quiet building are about to pay off.
Reds: Sitting out the shortstop market and trading their closer were unsettling moves at first. But with Lucas Sims and Tejay Antone dominant regardless of role, they could afford to shed Raisel Iglesias.
Brewers: Baseball’s sleeper cell once again pulled off some late-winter magic by signing Jackie Bradley Jr.
Indians: We’d say they threw in the towel by trading Francisco Lindor had they not acquired an immediate replacement in return. And Andres Gimenez is a potential All-star.
Going nowhere (6)
Athletics: The borderline insulting offer it made to Marcus Semien and the tick-tock of Matts Chapman and Olson heading toward free agency are too hard to ignore.
Giants: Making gains, but for now remain in find-a-guy-on-the-waiver-wire mode.
Marlins: Steady veterans with toolsy young talent bubbling from the minors. Yet not quite ready.
Red Sox: Assembling pieces to form that mega-depth that makes the Rays and Dodgers so tough. Still need a cornerstone, though, and Mookie Betts is not available.
Royals: Their incessant drafting of starting pitchers is about to pay off; in the meantime, Carlos Santana and Andrew Benintendi will beautify the lineup, which is nice.
Mariners: As any member in good standing of the Bellevue Breakfast Rotary Club could tell you, the present is filled with “overpaid” players while the future will be deferred just a little bit longer.
Actively retreating (6)
Rockies: But seriously, what’s the deal here?
Cubs: Seems weird to put a potential division winner in this category. Yet the trade of Cy Young runner-up Darvish remains unconscionable for a team with these resources.
Pirates: This should mark the nadir of their rebuilding.
Orioles: Even as they become more viable/watchable, it’s still another couple years of churning.
Tigers: Surprisingly old starting lineup for a club expected to lose more than 90 games (or the equivalent thereof) a fifth consecutive season.
Rangers: Will finally welcome fans to their new ballpark, to see a rotation that may not have anyone with an ERA below 4.